Paint codes

I am restoring a 1931 Cabriolet in the colors you are looking for. Unfortunately, you are going to find that no one knows exactly what the color looked like at production, especially the greens. To compound the problem, the paints are different today than what they were just a few years ago let alone going back to the Model A era. With the new paint systems comes a whole new set of paint codes. The old codes for the most part do not equate to todays paints. I finally gave up trying to get a paint dealer (PPG) to mix me something and went to TCP Paints and purchased the base colors in quarts, in acrylic urethane (blue, yellow, green, black and white) and experimented with small amounts until I arrived at the color I wanted. It was easy. I mixed the Kewannee color (the lighter color) first and then added the color black until I had the Elkpointe color. I'm very happy with the results and far cheaper than what the PPG paint would have cost me. Good luck, Ed
 
I had my 1930 coupe painted that color with the correct pinstripe, and after much research by my painter that has been in business for many years he came up with what I consider the correct colors. My coupe looks awesome. I have the paint info from him for all three colors, top, bottom, and pinstripe. I am 71 and not very tecky, but if you will PM a cell number I will send you some pictures of my coupe and the paint info. EMAIL will work also if you prefer. Sorry it took so long to reply.
 
Ed in Maine said:
I am restoring a 1931 Cabriolet in the colors you are looking for. Unfortunately, you are going to find that no one knows exactly what the color looked like at production, especially the greens. To compound the problem, the paints are different today than what they were just a few years ago let alone going back to the Model A era. With the new paint systems comes a whole new set of paint codes. The old codes for the most part do not equate to todays paints. I finally gave up trying to get a paint dealer (PPG) to mix me something and went to TCP Paints and purchased the base colors in quarts, in acrylic urethane (blue, yellow, green, black and white) and experimented with small amounts until I arrived at the color I wanted. It was easy. I mixed the Kewannee color (the lighter color) first and then added the color black until I had the Elkpointe color. I'm very happy with the results and far cheaper than what the PPG paint would have cost me. Good luck, Ed
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Ed, I think there is two schools of thought on this. First, Ford manufactured their own paints until 1936 when Ditzler Paint Company became to supplier. During the Model-A era, Pittsburg Plate Glass company purchased Ditzler. PPG which is still in business today. They do have the ability, -and they can manufacture paint from the original paint chips and formulas. So IMO it really isn't that no one knows what the original colors looked like, because I believe they do know. Maybe the real issue is that most people do not use the same type of paint (Nitrocellulose Lacquer vs. modern Urethanes) today. FWIW, the same exact shade of color can mixed in modern types of paint which is available to PPG Jobbers from the PPG laboratory. I have found that its that most people do not pursue using this method to obtain an accurate color.

Second, even if the PPG color formulas were not available, the benchmark for what is considered correct has been established thru a collaboration from Ditzler years ago and as adopted by both the MARC & MAFCA clubs. Today it is defined by the MAFCA Paint & Refinish Guide book. That book can be (-and is) used as the definitive sample colorized chip of what color is considered correct for the Model-A as originally manufactured. Again, most restorers choose not to purchase this book, and to them some shade of color that seems believable as an authentic color is chosen as the proper color.
 
Here is a link to a previous discussion about the colors. It just goes to show that it can vary somewhat from one interpretation to another.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=225121&showall=1

I've heard several stories about the old native American term for prairie chickens. We had a lot of them in southwestern Kansas where I'm originally from and a lot of them are hunted every year as a game bird. The name Kewanee may have been used by several tribes such as the Winnebago and Potawatomi tribes to describe the bird. They have a sort of stripe affect to their feathers as a ground camouflage. Depending on the light, the lighter color is between tan and light green.

Elk antlers form very rapidly during the velvet stage as they grow back on each year. They look mostly brown to me but there may be a time when they look a dark green before the velvet falls off and the rut begins. The tips look like ivory after the rut. This is all about the animal unless they are referring to Elk Point, South Dakota or some other elk point named place.

I think Ford was just looking for a name that sounded exotic for the green colors they wanted to use. Chicle & copra drab plus rose beige & seal brown for the more brown or light brown colors and all the different blue colors are all rather exotic sounding.
 
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