1958 Signet Red

[John R.]

I have two different sets of original paint chips for 1958 Corvette exterior colors, one Ditzler and the other Dupont. Signet red on the Ditzler chip is a light orange color (almost salmon or pinkish cantaloupe) but on the Dupont chip it is more of an orange red. Although orange red, the Dupont chip is not nearly as red or dark as the Dupont chip for Roman Red in 1959 and 1960. My 58 is closer to the orange red of the Dupont chip. If a NCRS judge was of the opinion my paint was not correct in terms of color would the deduction be a 20% standard deduction for shade or, a total deduction for change of color?

[Wayne P.]

Re: 1958 Signet Red

Should be shade.

[Dennis C.]

My kneejerk - Go w/DuPont for sure...

Don't do Roman Red. Too red. I think if you do Dupont, you'll be fine, or worst case, on a bad day, 20% deduct. DuPont was OEM supplier, so usually, their color matches are closer. Seek further opinions, paint always seems to be an issue bigger than life itself - and expensive too... Good Luck, Dennis

[John R.]

Re: My kneejerk - Go w/DuPont for sure...

Thanks for the advice. The car has a beautiful, almost 20 year old, acrylic lacquer finish that I think would be difficult to duplicate with today's materials. The finish is superb without looking overdone and it only has a couple of slight flaws. After looking at the Ditzler paint chip, it appeared to me that the color was too red. It is definitely orange red, not the darker, slightly brown, Roman Red used in 1959 and 1960. I was interested as to how it might be scored in judging as it has not, to my knowledge, been judged before.