Matching Original Paint

[Buttiman53]

I've seen several paint charts for '52 and '53 Dodge trucks, but can't reference the original color on my B3B (see dash photo below). "Deep Purple Blue" was the color of my grandfather pilothouse Dodge, and it was much darker. I found a photo of a beautiful B3B with my color (see photos below), so I know someone else figured it out. "Ecuador Blue" shows up on several Dodge Truck paint charts, but is listed only for route vans. I found "Fairfax Blue Poly" listed on a "general" Dodge paint chart, and is the closet I've found. But, with all the charts entitled "Dodge Trucks", I've found nothing that matches. Any information you could share would be appreciated. Thanks.

[desoto1939]

If the paint that was used on your truck was a single stage paint then the paint has faded over time and is hard to match.  Two stage is what is used on our modern cars and the second stage is a clear coat to help prevent fading and also permits the body shop to blend the repair section but over spraying from the damaged area unto the two adjacent area that were not damaged. The clear coat is then applied and this is what giced the shine and the colors old and new paint will blend together.

You might find a fabulous paint store inwhich someone has a great eye for color and they could try to match as close as possible.

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[greg g]

Clean up a spot on the fire wall it shouldn't have faded.  See if your auto paint jobber can pull a good match from there.

[Bobacuda]

The guy that painted my truck took the glove box door to the paint shop.  They then color matched to the inside (the side not exposed to constant sunlight) of the glove box door.  The paint shop had some sort of device to determine the color and what it would take to match it.

[Plymouthy Adams]

 

 

lets coin a new word here and call that device a "pignometer"

Edited August 15, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[greg g]

So the person mixing up the recipe ciphered out by the pignometer, would be a pignominist?

 

 

[Merle Coggins]

This chart is on the DPETCA site. It shows a deep purple blue with a Duco or Dulux number. I was able to have my local paint store get a cross for a Duco or Dulux number to a modern mix number. They had to make a phone call, but they got a cross that matched the inside of my glove box door.

[NiftyFifty]

Still lots of single stage paint on the market if you look for it, but you will run into poorer quality paints, which sometimes mean less pigment in them and means more coats.  My paint was single stage on my truck, but its issue was poor drying time....dry sprayed like a bugger, again...poorer quality in the single stage products.

[Desotodav]

I found a sample of the original paint color on my 52 blue truck under the metal trim piece which presses against the inside of the windscreen rubber. It seems that time preserved the color there as it was not exposed to the elements.

[JaysonK]

  On 8/15/2017 at 5:57 PM, Merle Coggins said:

This chart is on the DPETCA site. It shows a deep purple blue with a Duco or Dulux number. I was able to have my local paint store get a cross for a Duco or Dulux number to a modern mix number. They had to make a phone call, but they got a cross that matched the inside of my glove box door.

Expand  

Thanks for the chart

[Buttiman53]

Desotodav & JaysonK-

The colors of yours truck is what I'm looking for. Is that what the "Deep Purple Blue" looks like, or did you go with something else?

 

[Desotodav]

We matched my paint with what we found under the metal surround (as I mentioned earlier). The color is called 'Waterway Blue' - Dupont # 93-55093.

We seem to be a couple of years behind USA here in Oz, so it was no great surprise to find that a 1949-50 year paint color was originally used on my 52 DeSoto truck.

Search Google for  'paintref.com' and enter your vehicle details as they seem to have good paint information there.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Desotodav

[Buttiman53]

Desotodav-

Interesting box on your truck. Too bad about the misplaced steering wheel. Guess that makes it more of a collectors' item.

I've also seen the "Waterway Blue" on older Dodge truck color charts. I'm wondering if optional paint color choices in 1952/53 included past offerings. If that was the case, it would explain a lot.

BTW, the color on my dash is the same as the fire wall and the inside of the glove box.