1929 Model A paint codes

R

rinzana

Junior Member
Hello,

I'm sure this has been asked and answered her several times. I need the modern day paint codes for Chelsea Blue and Bonnie Grey. My local paint guy, using PPG equipment cannot find them. Upon calling PPG they have noting for Bonnie Grey and gave him a green color for Chelsea Blue.

Thank You,
Rich
 
Hi, Good luck finding the paint codes and if you do find them they most likely will not match anything listed today. I actually had one of the codes and there was no cross reference. I have a 29 roadster with yellow rims. I took one of them to my local auto paint store that carries the Matrix line and he was able to match them with a card and mix a small quantity for me. They came out beautiful. I had a professional spray them for me and the paint store was able to put the left over paint in an aerosol can for use as touch up. Hope this helps! Jim
 
if your trying to match a color on your car, a good body shop or auto body supply store should be able to scan a panel on the car and get a good match.
If you're re-doing a whole car, buy a copy of the paint and refinish guide from one of the Model A clubs. There are color samples in the book that those shops should also be able to scan and come up with a formula to match.

I had to re-do hood panels on our truck, which was restored 48 years ago, and a local body shop came up with an excellent match!

Best Regards,

Stew
 
Stew, I am looking to paint my whole car, it is currently in a mix of green and red primer. I brought the 'Model A Ford Paint & Finish Guide' with me to the paint shop and the chip is too small for his camera.
 
I drove my 1950 Studebaker to the paint store so he could use his gun on the dash to match that paint.

He couldn't do it for some reason. Even though he had a large flat area to scan, his gun couldn't take a good reading.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
I drove my 1950 Studebaker to the paint store so he could use his gun on the dash to match that paint.

He couldn't do it for some reason. Even though he had a large flat area to scan, his gun couldn't take a good reading.
Click to expand...

ive heard if the paint is too shiny it affects the camera reading. Maybe try all of your area body shops as im sure the camera technology has changed drastically over the years and a newer one will probably be better.
 
You can call TCB Global. They will send you a spray out on a 6 x 4 card. They also told me they could mix the colors in PPG. You may also have better luck with a Dupont dealer. I could not get any info from two PPG dealers but the Dupont dealer gave me his codes and codes for Standox brand.
 
I went to the MAFCA web site and did a search for 'Model A Paint Codes'
It showed the following codes;

Chelsea Blue DuPont GS724 ; PPG 120

Bonnie Grey DuPont DS149 ; PPG 440

The numbers are different than a previous response, but may be due to the codes representing a different type of paint. MAFCA noted that page was last updated in 2016

Best Regards,

Stew
 
Thanks Stew - I'll bring my paint guide and my paint shop can show me the colors and we will go from there.

Rich
 
Stew Masche said:
I went to the MAFCA web site and did a search for 'Model A Paint Codes'
It showed the following codes;

Chelsea Blue DuPont GS724 ; PPG 120

Bonnie Grey DuPont DS149 ; PPG 440

The numbers are different than a previous response, but may be due to the codes representing a different type of paint. MAFCA noted that page was last updated in 2016

Best Regards,

Stew
Click to expand...

This is a big and frustrating problem for all of us trying to paint the correct colors on our cars. It is hard to get a paint supplier to do the work to get the codes. When we do find codes, we find different numbers for what is claimed to be the same paint color. They can't both be correct!

I also know (I have seen them) that there are some incorrect paint codes floating around from the 1950's that are not a good match to the original colors. The ones that come to mind right now are Copra Drab and Chicle Drab. Cars painted in those colors are all over the map, because they have used these old, incorrect, paint codes.

Some shops say the paint chips in the Paint & Finish Guide are too small to scan, other shops seem to be able to do it. (My paint supplier could.) Other people online claim to have the correct paint colors, which is great. If they will send you a test spray on a card to see before you buy the paint, I'd do that!

No matter what you do, no matter where you get the paint from, spray a test panel and hold it up next to the paint chip and compare them in natural light. Do it in the sun and do it in the shade outside. If it does not patch the P&F Guide chip, take it back to them and make them adjust it until it does.

I have been told by paint suppliers that getting the right color partly depends on which paint system you are spraying (which is why some of the old codes don't look right today). I don't know; I'm not a paint specialist. That's why you need to spray a test panel and compare before you shoot the whole car.

I know that there are some paint codes on the MAFCA website. I don't trust them, and as Technical Director, I don't give them out. Match the chips in the book; I'm confident about them.

As always, feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.
 
If you want the correct color, don't get Bonnie Gray form PPG. I like PPG paints, but they have some paint code problems. The first problem I had was with Copra Drab for my 28 special coupe. It was a gray, not a blown like it should be. I had to repaint my windshield frame, since I have painted it with PPG Copra Drab. I bought some DuPont ChromaPreimer Copra Drab and it was correct. When I decided to paint my 29 phaeton Bonnie Gray and Chelsea Blue, I wised up and had my paint supplier mix the smallest amount of Bonnie Gray possible. It was not the correct color. It was a straight gray, not a gray with a slight greenish tinge, like the chip in the paint book. As before, I went with DuPont and it was the correct color. I still like PPG as it is cheaper and goes farther, but I am tired of their paint code mistakes. I contacted PPG at their headquarters in Strongville, OH, but the color librarian basically said take it or leave it. Nice customer relations!!!
Rusty Nelson
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top