Paint Color

[anthonys48]

can someone tell me where I can find original paint for my 48 Plymouth. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

^{about any paint jobber will mix your color as best as formulas allow.....all modern paints is a "close as close gets mix" as the formulas  of the paint is not like in the old days...all you have to do is make up your mind what brand name paint you want...your  factory manual has these colors listed in the body section (section 18)}

Edited August 11, 2013 by Plymouthy Adams

[greg g]

check the website autocolorlibrary.

[Dan Hiebert]

I used the website Greg noted to find out the paint color code for Ford's 1960 "Meadowvale Green".  That site has all the original paint colors for all (I think) US manufacturers, and they even have color charts that help quite a bit.  That wasn't an original color for the car I painted, but it was the color I wanted to paint it (one of the great things about our hobby!)  With that in hand, I simply went to NAPA and ordered it.  All you need is the manufacturers paint code, and they'll brew it up for you.  Only took a couple days.  (I got the paint code for the original color of my D24 from that site, too, but don't plan to paint the Ol' Dodge for another couple years.)  They can even outfit you with rattle-cans of the color.  I would imagine most auto paint shops can do the same thing. 

[GlennCraven]

Thanks for mentioning autocolorlibrary. I've seen other sites that offer similar information, but I like this one better and I wasn't familiar with it before.

 

I *think* my 1949 Chrysler Windsor is faded Mist Blue. I suppose it isn't impossible that it's faded Thunder Gray or maybe even Dust Gray, but it sure seems to have a blue tint to it.

 

When I get it dragged out of the seller's storage building -- which should either be this week or next -- I'll have to check for the data plate.

[JerseyHarold]

US-market cars didn't carry body data plates, so only the body number would be shown on the firewall plate.  Canadian cars, however, did have full data plates on their firewalls.

[Plymouthy Adams]

_{Ah Jersey...spoiler alert.... I was waiting for part two..many people however do not know this...I was amazed to find in my 50 Studebaker the original trim and paint tag tied up under the dash...}

[greg g]

You might be surprised how well the old paint hold up and will polish out.  After you pull it out and get it washed, (Bon Ami alert) go to the grocery store ad buy a container of Bon Ami cleanser or if not found, Barkeepers friend.  Not any others they are silica based, the 2 mentioned are feldspar based and will not scratch, they will however act like rubbing compound and revitalize the old paint.  Use it like you are cleaning the kitchen counter top, wet a small area, sprinkle on some of the cleanser and scrub an area about 1 foot square, then rinse repeat if needed.  You will be surprised how much dead paint will come of and how much the remaining will shine.  A coat of wax after will bring out even more.

[BobT-47P15]

Also......the original paint is often still in good condition behind and underneath things like door panels, windlace, or

where a fender bolts to the car.....where it's been protected from sunlight and the elements.    

[Dan Hiebert]

Like JerseyHarold said, you probably won't find any paint color code on the car.  There wasn't one on my D24, but there was enough original paint in hidden corners (POs had painted it a few times, but always only a "visible surface" job so the door jambs and such were the original color).  That site will list all the available colors for your car for any given year, and you'll have to use the TLAR method (That Looks About Right) to get close.  Then its a piece of cake to find the color code.  If your care does have a color code, then its even easier.  That site is pretty user  friendly, I might add. 

[_shel_ny]

When you find a hidden spot with the original color, many small (read not auto zone pep boys advance) parts stores do custom paint orders. They will scan the paint with a hand held device, and match (well maybe match) the paint. If driving in from out of town call ahead so they can charge the batteries for the scanner.

[TodFitch]

If you want to match what your specific car came from the factory with, then get the build card for it. The paint and trim code will be on that.

 

Then the above mentioned color paint library site will give you the color for that code and you can get a modern match for it.