Washington blue paint

Don

Well-known member
PPG dealer has formula for WB for model A ford,,would it be same color for 36 ford?
 
Don

Code for Washington Blue for 36 Ford is: Ford code M1747, Ditzler/PPG IM 1550 or QDE 323. Not sure of Model A code

Hope this helps,

Tom
 
IMO and my .02 worth, I don't know anyone alive that would tell you that that particular shade of WB is "wrong". At the 2005 Western National meet there were at least three 36 Ford in line that were "Washington Blue" and all three were different. They all depend on the calibration of the paint mixer, atmosphere, air pressure, spray gun, air temperature, lighting, all make a difference in the "exact" out come.
 
IMO and my .02 worth, I don't know anyone alive that would tell you that that particular shade of WB is "wrong". At the 2005 Western National meet there were at least three 36 Ford in line that were "Washington Blue" and all three were different. They all depend on the calibration of the paint mixer, atmosphere, air pressure, spray gun, air temperature, lighting, all make a difference in the "exact" out come.

Same goes for Cloudmist Gray on '40 Fords. Line 5 of them up and they are all a shade different.
 
Think I’ll get a spray out of the model A ,see what it looks like!! Guy gave me 3 gal of WB in lacquer,but don’t really want to use it,body is is all in urathane primer/harder,,might work but would rather use single stage ,,I’ve had good luck with PPG concept,easy and does excellent job !!!
 
My 50's-70's maybe earlier later, no publishing dates??? Ditzler PPG chart says:

Washington Blue #1246 - 31-2, 6.


DL: laquer, DQE: enamel.


Willing to scan the whole thing and send if it help find codes.


Anyone here know someone at the PPG head office, scan a few chip charts and make a standard-ish available color.


I'd paint a hot car poppy red or copra drab. A new ford in andalusite blue.


.


.
 

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I'd bet that Ford had several paint suppliers and that the colors differed a bit from lot to lot.
 
Those old formulas are useless because the tinting bases that they use today are different.
Your best bet is to color match an original part to a modern color. Look at TCP Global Restoration paints. I have been using their single stage urethane paints and have been quite pleased. I have some old left over 55 brand X Gypsy Red and got some new urethane from TCP Global and it was identical to the old PPG enamel paint. About 1/2 what local WESCO charges (including shipping) too and was on my doorstep in 2 days. You ask for the original paint code and name and they have an equivalent. The website page lets you look at an old paint chip page for the numbers.
Like TJ said, there is no real way a judge can say one shade is more correct then another because even an untouched original car has changed over the years.
My 2 cents.
 
Most good body shops have an instrument that can analyze any good patch of original paint on the car and present a replacement. Most, if not all, vehicle paints change considerably over time. Original paint can often be found on glove compartment doors, firewalls, and other places shielded from the elements.
 
FWIW, I just had a quart of WB paint mixed up that was a match to the inside of a 1936 Ford headlight bucket. It is hard to tell from the pictures as I shot them in sun light and the pictures of the paint came out almost black so I used photoshop to lighten the picture. But the mix looks really good. Not sure who OMNI is but the formula does say PPG at the bottom. Oh, this mix is for base paint with clear coat.

Let me make a couple of sample cards and I'll be glad to send a finger print worth of sample paint along with the formula to anyone who wants it.

Oh, I did order a spray can sample of the Isuzu Cavalier paint and it was too dark.

I better date this post or I'll be getting emails 20 years from now.
Steve in Denver
March 9, 2019
 

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I'd bet that Ford had several paint suppliers and that the colors differed a bit from lot to lot.


My grandfather worked at Ford for years, he had a story that Ford had a deal with Dupont. Chyrstler wanted to use Dupont so Henry made a deal, Chysler got to use Dupont and Ford got Hydralic brakes.


Who knows?


Bruce
 
My grandfather worked at Ford for years, he had a story that Ford had a deal with Dupont. Chyrstler wanted to use Dupont so Henry made a deal, Chysler got to use Dupont and Ford got Hydralic brakes.


Who knows?


Bruce

There's a bit of accuracy to this story. It had more to do with releasing patents… Ford for their lacquer paint and Chrysler for their hydraulic brakes.
Perhaps Dave Rehor can add details to this. If anyone knows the real story, it'll be him.
 
FWIW, I just had a quart of WB paint mixed up that was a match to the inside of a 1936 Ford headlight bucket. It is hard to tell from the pictures as I shot them in sun light and the pictures of the paint came out almost black so I used photoshop to lighten the picture. But the mix looks really good. Not sure who OMNI is but the formula does say PPG at the bottom. Oh, this mix is for base paint with clear coat.

Let me make a couple of sample cards and I'll be glad to send a finger print worth of sample paint along with the formula to anyone who wants it.

Oh, I did order a spray can sample of the Isuzu Cavalier paint and it was too dark.

I better date this post or I'll be getting emails 20 years from now.
Steve in Denver
March 9, 2019
Steve, like you, I locate a place that has been out of the natural elements since the car was "born". That offers the best example of what the color was when freshly applied. Even then, there is little doubt it faded or became darker with age. Different pigments react differently to age.
Still, in my humble opinion, this method offers the best, most accurate way we have to replicate original shades.
Still, this is, in my humble opinion, the best, most acc
 
Kube,
Thanks, and Yes I know you can line up 20 Washington Blue '36s and there will be a variance in their colors. The best I can says is, these are 83 year old cars, lets just have fun with them and keep them as close as we can to how we THINK they left the factory.
Steve
 
Like Kube said, no matter how protected some original paint was, it still was exposed to oxygen, whether or not it was exposed to light. We are all just making an educated guess as to what it really was. I would call BS on anyone (judge included) who could look at a color and say "that is the correct one". And as suggested, maybe there never was a "one" what with all the thousands or millions of gallons of a color that were made. I am guessing Ford didn't care about any slight difference due to pigment lots etc. My 2 cents.
 
I saw a late Ford PU at wally world today that had a WB color exactly like (other than the metalic in it) my 32's original WB that shows where it has not been repainted over the years.
 
Here is mine.
 

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For what it's worth, Washington Blue under different lighting conditions
 

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