Re: Paint Color

Posted by Marco Tahtaras on November 24, 1997 at 20:56:11

In Reply to: Paint Color
posted by Bob Bidonde on November 19, 1997 at 08:53:21

The old Ditzler book so familiar to many of us was revised every time they reformulated their paints (every 10-15 years) simply by choosing a color from the new line that was close to the color in the previous line. Over the years the colors drifted further and further away from the original i.e. Chicle and Copra drab became greens instead of browns as original. Unfortunately 80% of the restored A's are based on one the old Ditzler formulas so when we see one done right it seems odd.
That was the main motivation for MAFCA's "Paint & Finish Guide". The sources for the colors were a combination of original Ford dealer paint chips and a variety of extremely well preserved original parts. A few were hand matched to cars where the best sample was on an unremovable part such as a pillar protected by a moulding.
The collection was sent out for computer matching to the same company that does most of paint chips currently produced.
The only problem is the small size and sheen of the chips makes the colors appear darker than they really are. If you have someone good to custom match the colors then spray a larger piece I think you would be pleasantly surprised.
If you have access to parts from a disassembled car it is much easier for paint matching, but someone really good can work from the chips.
Good Luck,
Marco

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