paint on 55 buick

[buckeye2]

My 55 buick is 3 tone black/ windsor grey and dover white. I an trying to find touch up paint for the windsor grey. all the paint codes list it as a metallic paint The paint code shows it as windsor grey,but my windsor grey is not metallic. I have tried several paint samples but none of them are close. I know the history of this car, I'm the 2nd owner and it has not been repainted. The metallic paint is way too dark. Does anyone have any idea what the answer is. I'm tired of paying for paint samples that don't match. I would appreciate any information that you could help me with.The car is a late 55.

Thank you in advance

buckeye 2.

[buick man]

…. if as you say the car has never been painted it is then the original lacquer paint.  In addition to this the cross over paint codes cannot match the original factory toners that were used when the car was original as they are no longer available.  The toners zero in a color. So with that established, as you say you have tried paint samples and they are too dark then you must be getting premixed colors created with the new toners and or the formulas are off whack as well.  The only thing to do would be to find a source that can use today's lacquer which by the way due to EPA uses acetone as a solvent base which is different from the original base used. But one can still work with it and attempt to duplicate the color by custom blending and mixing.  The other paint system you could use is a single stage urethane, which through manipulation of the spraying technique and educing the final coat 50/50 one can achieve a lacquer look.  The metallic size will have to be determined via analysis of a original paint chip.  Yes this a somewhat daunting process yet very doable but many of us have had to do this to achieve an original look in our match ups.  

 

Edit:  Here is a link to a site where a lot of how to do articles are posted.  Scan down and read any and all that relate to painting and perhaps this will get you going in the right direction. 

 

http://www.southernwheels.com/archives.htm

Edited July 31, 2016 by buick man (see edit history)

[buckeye2]

Thank you for the reply. I have talked to a paint specialist and he said if he can see the car they can mix the paint to match. They don't paint, they just sell paint to custom shops.

I think i will have him mix a sample and see how close he is.

buckeye 2 

[NTX5467]

The "custom hand-match" method would be the best way to do things.  Even if the paint in on a vertical panel and the car was garaged a lot, the paint on the vehicle WILL have faded somewhat.  Possibly not as much as might have happened on a horizontal panel, but still "faded" due to exposure to "sunlight.

 

Depending upon which brand of paint the shop sells, it might be that they also have a "single stage" paint available, probably in acrylic enamel.  I ran across a custom shop where they like to use OMNI paint as they can get it as single-stage paint.  I mentioned the old DuPont Centauri acrylic enamel and the man said the OMNI single-stage reminded him a lot of the old Centauri acrylic enamel.  It WOULD be best if he can access a modern acrylic lacquer automotive paint as it can be sprayed to better match the gloss of the original paint (plus the color match).  Putting a patch spot of acrylic enamel or urethane on the older lacquer, the one "shiney spot" can become very evident in certain light angles and intensities.  It's possible to have a great color match, but the difference in the enamel on the lacquer (related gloss level) can still be very evident.  Only real way to get around that would be a complete re-paint of that one color on the car.

 

NTX5467

Edited July 31, 2016 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[buckeye2]

Thank you for the reply. The paint on the car is perfect except for the hood. the hood paint is starting to  crack and chip. the car was on display for years and the hood was facing the window with direct sunlight.

buckeye 2

[old-tank]

If you find matching paint for the hood, buy enough for the rest of the car.  If paint is cracking ANYWHERE, all of the paint will fail soon.