Dante Red Paint

[Guest RichardC]

Can anyone tell me a current color code number (Dupont or PPG) for Dante Red paint? It was an optional wheel color in 1938 and also the engine color for 1941.

Richard C

[Zimmerman]

Was there an optional wheel color (Dante red) for the 1941 Special as well ?

Michael

[Matt Harwood]

Yes, Dante Red with silver stripes was the optional color on '41 wheels for all models. The standard color for wheels was body color with a constrasting stripe (or, in the case of 2-tones, one of the colors, usually the darker).

Cross referencing paint codes from then to today is always a challenge. The best bet is to find a sample of the color and have it matched by the paint supplier, or get a sample book from your paint supplier and go to a show with cars on display. Find a current color that closely approximates the original Dante red using the chips. Bill Hirsch makes a fairly good facsimile of Dante red, and that's what I've used on my '41 Century's engine. The wheels will be powdercoated, and I'll have to find a powder that matches as well as possible. But since they won't be right next to each other (the wheels and the engine, that is), I doubt anyone will be able to discern the difference.

Hope this helps.