How to identify an unknown paint color
#1
How to identify an unknown paint color
I would like to get some touch up paint for my car but I have no idea what color it is.
She was originally Arcadian Blue but has been repainted some time (I don't even know when).
The guy I bought it from said she was already painted when he got her & he did not know the paint code. I can't locate the previous, previous owner that painted her.
The PO said someone told him it was a Dodge paint color (but I don't think they were really a paint expert).
So I don't have any idea what color I have, or even if it is a Ford color.
Is there anywhere I can send a paint chipto get a color match? I asked the local paint shop & they acted like they had to have a paint code or else they didn't know what to do.
Do I have to just try & match with a paint sample card? But a lot of paints look very similar & if it's not the right shade it will show up when I touch up.
Is there any hope?
She was originally Arcadian Blue but has been repainted some time (I don't even know when).
The guy I bought it from said she was already painted when he got her & he did not know the paint code. I can't locate the previous, previous owner that painted her.
The PO said someone told him it was a Dodge paint color (but I don't think they were really a paint expert).
So I don't have any idea what color I have, or even if it is a Ford color.
Is there anywhere I can send a paint chipto get a color match? I asked the local paint shop & they acted like they had to have a paint code or else they didn't know what to do.
Do I have to just try & match with a paint sample card? But a lot of paints look very similar & if it's not the right shade it will show up when I touch up.
Is there any hope?
#3
RE: How to identify an unknown paint color
your car looks like phantastic blue. nice one. like the colour.
i'm in the same boat here. had no idea about my colour.
If the colour is on your car for years, it'll never 100% match the original due to weather (UV, rain ...)
a good paint shop will be able to match it then.
But it's all easier if you have the original paint code.
You can do reasearch yourself as in looking up colours that came on dodges per factory
you can go to a shop and use the strips they have and see if that matches.
(that's how I found my colour. I identified mine as 1981 ford racing blue If I remember right)
check as well:
http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/
you can select car/year to look up paint color charts if that helps.
worst case scenario if you can't find anything they might as well check on a sample you send them.
No idea if they actually do that, only heard once they would
i'm in the same boat here. had no idea about my colour.
If the colour is on your car for years, it'll never 100% match the original due to weather (UV, rain ...)
a good paint shop will be able to match it then.
But it's all easier if you have the original paint code.
You can do reasearch yourself as in looking up colours that came on dodges per factory
you can go to a shop and use the strips they have and see if that matches.
(that's how I found my colour. I identified mine as 1981 ford racing blue If I remember right)
check as well:
http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/
you can select car/year to look up paint color charts if that helps.
worst case scenario if you can't find anything they might as well check on a sample you send them.
No idea if they actually do that, only heard once they would
#5
RE: How to identify an unknown paint color
Take the car to a good automotive paint supply store, if they are worth their salt, they can do an outstanding job of matching the paint.
This may require you to bring in a small piece of the car so the technician can take his time to get it right though.
The more "cutting edge" shops will be able to "scan" the color and have a computer create the "code" for matching paint.
The town I used to live in has a very good paint supply company with all the high tech goodies, where I live now the company is very "old school" even though thecity I live in now is like 3 times bigger than the town I came from... go figure....
This may require you to bring in a small piece of the car so the technician can take his time to get it right though.
The more "cutting edge" shops will be able to "scan" the color and have a computer create the "code" for matching paint.
The town I used to live in has a very good paint supply company with all the high tech goodies, where I live now the company is very "old school" even though thecity I live in now is like 3 times bigger than the town I came from... go figure....
#6
RE: How to identify an unknown paint color
not to steal the thread, but does anyone know my actual paint color? In the engine bay there is a turquoise-ish color under some of the paint so I know it is not the original color. I know it was repainted at least once but I am not sure if it is an original 66 color.
#7
RE: How to identify an unknown paint color
Just to add my 2cents worth. If a paint/body shop is purely going to rely on a paint code....steer clear of them. The difference in color between wahen a car rolls out of the factory compared to a couple of years later is huge. The paint will fade over time, and simply spraying with a paint code will not match what is on the car. (unless they are paining the entire car). If they have this attitide to their work, find somewhere else.
#8
RE: How to identify an unknown paint color
The really good paint stores will have a laser gun that they can "shoot" a piece of the car with it and it will determine the correct combination of base colors that make up whats on the car right now. It will even take into account any fading. We have a Carquest paint store in the town 50 miles away (used to be a Dupont store) and I use it all the time for paint matching on airplanes that I have to do touch-ups on. Never had a bad paint job yet. One owner had a plane that had been stored outside for over 15 years, they were able to match the paint to where he couldnt tell where the old paint stopped and the new paint started.
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AMAlexLazarus
AmericanMuscle.com
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10-02-2015 08:06 AM