BB 2 tone green colour paint codes

[frededwarrds]

Seeking 2 tone green paint codes for the 1928 BB coupe. First year of lacquer paint and chrome. .There is a original green coupe around that was found in Birmingham Al. which is the same.My sample patch is too faded and old to get a true sample. All guidance would be much appreciated. 

[John_Mereness]

You may do better asking for actual chips/samples from say a dealer sales piece (if something like that exists) to assist with sales, but paint on paper as chips tend to discolor over time too - the reason why I say this is the base colors of paint change over time so formulas from the period are only close and I have been pretty unsuccessful with even 1980's and 1990's formulas.  Also, certain colors are hard to mix as they have fallen out of popularity and the tints are not made.  And paint readers have apparently a terrible time figuring out pastels.

 

I have bought paint from https://www.autocolorlibrary.com/ - though they do not have a Stutz chart (you could call though as bet they have the formulas and the page of them).  I have used them twice now with excellent success albeit I was doing wheels so did not need a 100% match.  

 

If the colors are close to something on a Model A Ford, I bet a modern formula that has been adjusted is available - Ford had some great colors.  Also in period companies seemed to share colors and just call them different names (a couple Auburn colors #'s interchange with Ford for example). 

 

You would not believe the trouble I had matching paint for this car - it was painted in a 1971 Ford truck color and the dark green was a custom to begin with.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[pughs]

For Stutz, the first year of lacquer was 1926 and the first year of chrome was 1927. If you know the name of the color or the IM number used I can probably supply the Ditzler formula. Was this Callahan's car?

Steve

[frededwarrds]

Hi John and  Steve, thanks for replying. Yes trying to match old colours is tricky, hence why I was seeking the original codes or Stutz colours. The particular sample  car was originally purchased by a George Bennett in Birmingham al.  Body # bb74y. It went to California for a while. Darkish  emerald green. I suppose I can get various swatches made up. To me the colour today is not the most appealing colour I’ve seen but in reality no other colours at the time were much better. In this era some cars did choose some colours that were considered bold. Mudguards,fenders, were generally  no longer black. If the original green was like a true emerald it would have been quite striking with the chrome work and grey fabric interior. Something else I need to track down later. 1 step at a time.  Thankyou. Fred. 

[mdh7475]

I believe the first year for Stutz chrome was 1929   1928 BB would be nickel.

[frededwarrds]

Thanks for the reply. I will look into it further regarding when Stutz went to chrome as I believed they changed from enamel paint to cellulose lacquer  and chrome in 1928. Keep safe. 

[mdh7475]

I finally found my 1929 Stutz sales brochure.  See paragraph regarding use of chromium.

[frededwarrds]

Hi mdh 7475,  Thank you for that. I notice the the taillight  and most dash  switches appear nickel. The bumpers are black with what appears to be stainless steel strips for dress up. The headlights ,Brown, do  look chrome though. Also the spare wheel clamps.  That definite blue look, not yellow of nickel. Though they look original they may have been replated.  The paint ,what there was , has been identified as lacquer.  That doesn’t worry me too much as I won’t be going there , with the modern paints we now have. E Paul Du pont acquired Indian motorcycles at around this time and began painting  them bright colours with lacquer paint. He was sentimental about them as he and his brother had them to ride around their gardens when they were about 15. He also used them as a ‘vehicle’ to promote the new type of fast drying paint. Not that it would’ve been hard to sell. The difficulty and cost of getting enamel base paint to dry and the transition to cellulose lacquer is a story that should be told, maybe in a different thread, by someone who knows more about it than I. . . Thankyou all . Fred.