Paint
 

I am looking at the Model A Ford Paint and Finish Guide, 3rd Edition Revised.
Are there formulas that match the chips in this book or is it best to have the chips scanned at an automotive paint store?
I have seen many painted A's with seemingly different versions of the same color. I like these chips, kind of muted and not so "in your face".

Thanks, Steve

Re: Paint
 

Use the chips and get the colours you want scanned. It works great. I just matched up a couple of 30 colours and they were right on. Remember the manufacture allows 5% - or + to the colour standard. So you should be good to go.

The Old Tinbasher

Re: Paint
 

Scanning is not the answer.

That just gets you the color closest to the chip from the standard catalog. Oh and that is only in base coat clear coat which would be too shiny for a factory A paint look.

Most of the major companies have the old formulas sort of brought forward to modern tints. If the local guys is not aware of the formula call the company directly. I say sort of because the Lombard blue has a bit of white in the formula and that makes it too light a color. If you really want exact then good luck. You will have to spend some money and hopefully have a paint guy that you can work with. I had one that was clueless and was willing to sell me lots of improperly mixed colors to test. The TCP global guy did not get the color right and I also got some paint with bad tints, at least that was what very experienced paint guy told me.

Re: Paint
 

I don't really know where that info came from (yeah, I know it has been bounced around the forum for awhile) but I have found that it really is not totally factual, --at least with PPG's Prophet.

We had this discussion at a school awhile back and the concensus from the PPG engineer leading this discussion was that it really didn't matter what color I came up with, he could scan it and give us a formula close enough to make a blendable match. Now, I think where the misconception in this comes from is that for the sake of time, if there is a close factory-pack color that can be tinted, it will suggest that first however not all jobbers will have those pre-mixed factory-packed colors in their inventory so it also gives the entire formula too. Also, PPG's scanner now has the capability to detect and mix "shine" (not the 'drinking' kind :D but the 'flatness' or sheen/gloss of the paint.) The way the engineer proved it to us was he said that if we would take different cans off of our shelves and mix them to make a random color, then he said he would match it. He suggested we then add a little more of one color to alter the hue and he would show us that he could scan & mix that color too. His point was there is no possible way to have every conceivable color we came up with in their library, and therefore they would need to have a way to match any color of a painted surface, ...no matter what the mix was.

And finally, PPG's camera also have the capability to give formulas for each of their different paint lines. I suspect other manufacturers have the same capabilities and it is probably up the the jobber/dealer to own the proper equipment capable to do it.


One other thing to think about, maybe it is best to use the Paint & Refinish Guide to scan/match the color to. If you think about it, the book is the benchmark by which your paint will be evaluated against by Judges, ...and non-judges alike. ;)

Re: Paint
 

I have to admit, I did the paint research a bunch of years ago. Then it was true or the guys at the paint places did not know their equipment. At the time I was told the paint was only a match to a known formula and only in base coat.

Technology is better now so it makes sense that they can do more. Of course it always comes down to the guy working the equipment.

Now can they do the color in single stage too? Or only base coat clear coat.

Now just a total aside.

What is the current story on water base paints. How close are they on water born clears and a single stage?