Selecting New Colors
 

So happy with my new barn find town sedan, and am now thinking about what color I would like for the car. I have a 30 standard Roadster that is a non Ford maroon that was the colors for a rich family that the original car came from, and will keep it that way for history sake. But for the town sedan I want to pick something new. I have a book with all the color chips in it that my dad and I got back in the 60's. What I am looking for is a way to see all the combinations that were original, on cars themselves. I have looked all over for individual pictures, but does anyone know of a place to see all in realistic representation to make this decision?

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

For chips and colors used on a specific body style check out the "Paint and Refinish Guide" from MAFCA ($29 or maybe you could borrow one from a club member). Only way to make a real choice is to see a car of the color you like at a large meet. You shouldn't depend on a chip when selecting a color as it will probably look different on a large surface with other colors next to it (belts, pin stripe, wheels, and fenders). Don't depend on something from the sixties as they were frequently incorrect and have probably faded by now in your book.

Charlie Stephens

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

A realistic representation is only going to come from a test spray-out panel using actual paint over the substrate you intend to use. The next closest would be the booklet that MAFCA has revised which was based on the book your Dad gave you. These are sold through both national clubs, and thru some of the larger parts vendors. This is the same book that Charlie speaks of.

One other place you might enjoy to look and compare would be on Marco's website where he digitally created color schemes. Granted there are some differences between the Deluxe and Std. combinatios but you might enjoy looking anyway. Go to: http://www.abarnyard.com/roadster/colorchange/colorchange.shtml

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Re: Selecting New Colors
 

Thanks, Wow the site at Marco's is great for viewing some of the colors. Great job.
The book I have is published by Ditzler in 62. It is a "Repaint Manual" for Ford cars from 28 to 36. In this it shows that 1931 Town Sedans were painted in the following colors from the factory. Maroon, Brewster Green, Chicle Drab, Kewanee Green, and Black. In the book my dad has circled the Chicle Drab and wrote "my next Model A color". I think I like it too and will honor him with that color. Wheels black or colored will be the next decision, but there has been plenty written about that on this site.
So thankfull for this site and the quality of you people who help out.

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

Rich you will be delighted if you order the MAFCA paint & finish guide vol 3.
The pictures are black and white but it goes into detail about the way these cars were done and represents many years of research and cool old pictures compiled by some of the best people in the hobby.
The centre pages consist of Big colour chips which are shinier than the old Ditzler book chips. Looking at dull chips & trying to envision a shiny new paint job will make you crazy....now crazy is maybe OK, but also that Ditzler book has some errors that were never fixed, while the MAFCA book is an ongoing research project that's been updated a few times.

One way to see actual cars in various colours is to google Model A Ford club websites. They usually show all the members cars and together with a colour chart you'll soon be able to pick out what you like.
The colour creater on Marco's site is a great idea too.




https://mafca.com/cart/index.php?productID=129

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

Thank you for the link to Marco's paint site Brent. If that could be done for every Model A Body it sure would help in color selections. Bob

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

One of these days I'll get a pic of this car outside in natural light. This is a low mileage unrestored car with about 25k miles on it.

http://abarnyard.com/temp/155-d/155-d_10.jpg

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

Sure wish some paint manufacturer would build the pefect virtual paint booth that would allow visitors to their website to upload pictures of a car (or anything) and experiment with different colors. Oh yeh, and make it free.

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It doesn't appear that the top color extends down the hood. Is that correct? Great looking car and the shop looks like it will do in a pinch:)

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

Thanks Marco. I am pretty much zeroed in on the color now. I think the wheels will be black like they came from the factory. Probably will take the car to Brent in TN sometime in the first quarter of 13, when I should have some money to get started on some work on the car. Still sitting in the barn outside of Nashville right now. I am really envious of anyone with a workshop suitable to get working on their own. Right now a 3 car garage with my 30 Standard Roadster is all I can handle.

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

I think the photo I posted gave the wrong impression. The pic I posted is my buddy Doug's car at his place of business. As for me, I did my Roadster in the two car garage of a typical California tract home. On top of that I had my 5'x16' sewing table for doing the interior and top taking up a big chunk of that space. Other than hauling a few things out to Doug's for special needs such as using his blasting equipment and machine work all restoration work was done there. Well, actually I did send out plating but only after doing all the prep work and I did have my speedometer done by Warren Foster because he could install mint original dials. Fortunately I now have 4+ times that much work space which is not too common in "my neck or the woods".

BTW, the little guy in the first pic is now going on 26 and has a 7 month old squirt of his own.:D

http://abarnyard.com/temp/40-b_deluxe/fender_fit-01.jpg

http://abarnyard.com/temp/40-b_deluxe/fender_fit-02.jpg

http://abarnyard.com/temp/40-b_deluxe/fender_fit-04.jpg

http://www.abarnyard.com/roadster/images/prep-5.jpg

http://www.abarnyard.com/roadster/images/house-1.jpg

http://www.abarnyard.com/roadster/images/Uph-3.jpg

http://abarnyard.com/roadster2/images/topless-01.jpg

http://abarnyard.com/roadster2/images/roadster-01.jpg

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

"BTW, the little guy in the first pic is now going on 26 and has a 7 month old squirt of his own.:D"

This little guy was 32 on the 16th November.

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

I believe the Tudor with tan like color is chicle drab lower and copra drab top which was a Henry original color combo. Ive fould in impossible to find correct chips for these colors in any of the 'club' magazines or restoration guides. Worse yet, it's very hard to find mix formulas for paints such as PPG or dupont. Long time restorers say that the chicle and copra color formulas were changed by accident a decade or so ago and went from tan/brownish to more a hint of green. I'm about ready to try these 2 colors on my 30 A and have not solved the mix dilemna yet. Larry

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

This is the problem I am having in Chicle Drab color. My Ditzler book with paint chips that are very small, looks much darker than any of the cars I see. There is a color, stone brown, that I think may have been used on 1931 on some cars, that is much more brown, but not what I like. When I am ready I will probably request the color mix from Marco, or find one in a club where I can view and then copy exactly.

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http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...g/1e207d3e.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...g/029eee1e.jpg

Don't be fooled by the small paint chips against the white page. The light background makes the paint look much darker than it really is. This is a steam engine I built in the 70's and when I looked in the PPG paint chip book to pick out the colors I got fooled by the white background. The dark green is what I thought I had picked out, but when I got the pint of paint I said "no way is that what I picked", but it was. I had to mix a pint of black to the pint of green to get the color I thought I had picked in the first place.

This isn't the best picture for color. I should have taken the engine outside to take pictures of it.

Re: Selecting New Colors
 

Surrounding a color chip with a black panel can give you a better idea of the chip's color. Super dark blues look black until you put black next too it.