Paint codes for AC Cars colors?
 

I am planning to build an FFR Roadster and would like to replicate one of the AC Cars Cobra 289 Sports Mk III cars. I got this information from Jim Maxwell's photo gallery:

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d..._18_Small_.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d..._17_Small_.jpg

What I want is to find paint codes for American paint (PPG, Dupont, Ditzler, R-M) to match these colors. I'm not sure if I will end up going with one of these colors; but I would like the chance to see some color chips in person and check them out.

Try these guys..........

www.Paintscratch.com

We have added your color request as shown below. To order this color, select the Year
(1966 or
2000), the Make (Fleet) and the Model as PPG as shown below. You will then see your color
listed.
The difference between ordering the 1966 or 2000 year is the 1966 can often be ordered in
a single
stage formula (if available). Usually a basecoat/clearcoat is a better match and easier
to work with.

1966 Fleet PPG Paints
Guardsman Blue 12832
2000 Fleet PPG Paints
Guardsman Blue 12832

I tried this same thing with several paint shops and autobody supply places here and nobody could identify the codes. I just ended up looking at samples that were fairly close and going from there.

Dave, many of us have been down this road before. You will find that some of the AC colors are direct matches to '63 and/or '64 FoMoCo colors, such as Guardsman Blue and Rangoon Red. Others are pure AC, which means they are only available through a British supplier. On the other hand, you could always scan a NAPA or similar large color book, and simply get as close as is reasonably possible to the original AC color you want by using an alternative supplier more easily found here in the US. Color tint depends upon humidity, temperature, and the spray method of the painter, and I would suggest the true AC color could wind up looking no different than a close match by a US manufacturer.

I am pretty sure that the red is 66 Ford Candyapple Red. I painted my 289 with it and it looks like my friends original 289.

Jon,
While '66 Candyapple Red looks like your friends original 289, I don't think any original 289 was painted new with a 1966 color. ;)

Original Paint Match
 

Ned - As a bit of interesting additional info, I've found the Guardsman Blue that AC used was also unique, ie, different than the Ford (US) counterpart. I purchased small quantities of Guardsman Blue paint mixed by distributors of each of the current US paint manufacturers and had sample panels sprayed for comparison to the original paint left on my car and they were all noticeably off. Here is a comparison of what is typically available against the original: http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/s...=56684&cat=500 The tints will change at different angles, as you can see away from the center of the flash the original color is closer to the new sample spray. Yes, you can get batch-to-batch variations, but the colors are enough different at to warrant further investigation. Heck, is there any car out there that still has the complete intact Guardsman Blue paint?......I figure while I have something to go by I might as well make the best of it before it's sanded off and gone forever. I tracked down the original paint type and manufacturer in the UK (supported by a number of SA records and helped in part by some info that Jim Maxwell had) and the following scenario seemed to have played out:

1) Shelby's people gave AC info on colors that they would like the Cobras painted,
2) AC engaged their supplier in the UK to replicate those colors based on what info they were supplied,
3) AC's supplier came up with their own representation which in the case of Guardsman Blue was listed by this paint manufacturer as an "AC Cars" only color from 1965-'68.

SA documentation shows that Shelby did import at least some paints from AC, apparently necessary to get a proper match when locally repairing cars for transport damage (as we know, was not all that rare!). SA painters obviously procured and mixed paints locally in many instances also, so cars like comp and SC 427 cars may not have matched their AC painted street counterparts exactly, even when they were called the same color (although one might surmise the SA painters probably had enough experience with the AC colors to regularly make their paint match better than the off-the-shelf supplier colors). Anyway, just thought it would be interesting to share that Guardsman Blue Cobra color was distinct from Ford Guardsman Blue.

Mike, this makes perfect sense, as there are so many various hues all claiming to be "Guardsman Blue" while, as we all know, they are not all that close to one another. Maybe all that salt air they were exposed to on the ships coming over altered them???

The numbers on the back of the colour chart shown above are ICI reference numbers. ICI supplied the paints to AC Cars, LTD. Your paint supplier may be able to cross reference the colors that way.

Jim

Guardsman Blue
 

That and maybe the tea additives the British painters/formulators were exposed to!

Jim, identification of the original manufacturer is complicated because AC switched from nitrocellulose to acrylic laquer during production and some cars done in acrylic laquer had a tag affixed to the footbox that identified the supplier as Rinshed Mason Company. I believe my car was done with ICI cellulose, however, and found some of the original paint in the correct obsolete paint system from the original manufacturer and currently waiting for a sample. I plan on getting enough of it for future potential repaints, but getting it over here is proving to be a bit of a challenge, especially since that old style paint is illegal for high volume distribution (won't be able to get it at all shortly) and air transport requires special licensing. I understand it can go by postal surface ship, but I'm waiting to hear back from a contact in the UK who is supposed to be working on it (he hasn't been responding recently though??). As with everything else with these cars, if you want it done right it's a pain in the butt.....

Thanks for the help, everybody.

I know that I've got my work cut out for me, trying to replicate an AC 289 Sports from an FFR. With the help of the people on this forum (and ffcobra), I hope to come close enough to at least capture the spirit of one of these great cars and have something I can really enjoy driving. It's all in the details; the look, the feel, the experience.

Jim, knowing that those codes on the color chips are ICI codes is really helpful. I'll have to check into that way of cross-referencing the codes.

Anyone else have more info?

I have a computerized formula look up at the shop. When I get there in the AM I'll plug some of the codes in and see how it cross references.

Bill S.

Mike, I'm thinking that if you haven't heard from your old-tech paint supplier in the UK recently, chances are the volatile compounds in the formula have attacked his brain cells. He likely has no idea who you are anymore, much less how to contact you. How sad. Guess it's water-based paint for your Cobra. :CRY:

Jon, your 289 replica is fantastic! Such accuracy is amazing. What did you use for the alternator light and the high beam indicator light on your dash? What about the leather for the dash? Very nicely done!

Jim,
I forgot to say that all of the leather,plus the seats themselves, was supplied by Mike Keney from Arizona. It should be noted that there is no backing on the dash, and only a very thin soft backing on the glove box door.
Jon

Bill, let us know what you come up with. If you can get some close matches, it will give us a good starting point for custom blending a match.

Jon, let me echo Jim's praise of your slabside replica. Hope I can do half as good a job in my attempt.

The variations in Guardsman Blue can and will be directly attributed to "the winos under the bridge" (unquote)

For a really good match, my paint rep has a laser operated paint matching "gun" which when placed on a color, shoots out a paint formula for tough blending jobs......


Bill S.

I think I'll have to exhaust this one a bit more before I cave in and use the tacky new paint systems. There's something about the elegance of the original hand rubbed lacquer that keeps with the character. Spraying modern 2 stage urethane on an old vintage sports car is a bit like putting vinyl siding on a house of any significance. All the most exotic marques back in the day used the nitrocellulose lacquer, like Ferrari, Rolls Royce, etc and the top purist owners with those cars today pride themselves on the original paint systems used to bring the cars properly back to where they were. The guy that I'm waiting to hear back from is an intermediary who will simply be acquiring the paint from the supplier to ship it over, so I may need to find someone else to help if this fellow doesn't go anywhere.