Old dudes and New Technology

[Dennis B.]

I consider myself an old dude, I am 70, body feels like 90 and brain feels like 30
One of my hobbies other than vettes is Trading Stocks, I was probably one of the very first daytraders in Canada, I started in 1981 when there was no online quotes and purchase confirmation occured at lightning speed which was the next day before close, same for selling.
The point of the rant is technology has moved well beyond this of course, and I would like to propose something here with the intention of Corvette Preservation to the members.

One of my endeavors in the stock world was to learn as much about Graphite as I could. I won't labor you with blah stuff but here is the jist of graphite. Graphite flakes can be 500 microns in size down to 5-10 microns. If a company has 500 micron flakes it can participate in virtually all the markets because it can "micronize" the flakes down to whatever they wish. So if they need 50 micron flakes for a specific purpose, they stick a 50 micron plate into the micronizer and "La Poof" what comes out is 50 micron flakes.

Which leads me to the purpose of this post. Rumor has it that the reason that Daytona Blue is so hard to replicate with today's paints is because the metallic flakes and blend are no longer available. That, in fact, no one makes the correct sized flakes anymore because GM used exceptionally small flakes.

So could we not investigate the possibilities of determining blend to then have NCRS investigate a company willing to try to micronize the flakes to see if we can "re-develop" Daytona Blue and Silver more accurately?

Most if not all Graphite companies, universities, laboratories have Micronizers. Now I quite realize that perhaps the polymers we now use may not be capable of size reduction, but I will leave that to experts, here, if any. Just a question to ponder

PS I quite realize we are not using acrylic etc anymore so this all is based on paint we have, not the paint we don't
PPS NCRS selling the only perfect replica paint may be profitable?

[Joe R.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

You must not realize that you belong to the NCRS and what it stands for!!!!

NOT CORRECTLY RESTORED STANDARDS

Just joking!

The problem you are talking about has been around shortly after 63 Sebring Silver hit the market for the 1963 Corvette! Only saw one quart of Dupont Sebring Silver in my many years. A guy ******ed it out of my hand and it was used as a last coat on a 1963 Split Window!

Good luck in your search!

It's understood by all that we can only work with the available paints and parts! The showroom floor is the only thing that has ever had perfect Corvettes!

JR

[Patrick H.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

I read recently that the metallic in the 63 Sebring Silver is actually a different material altogether, thus the difficulty in matching it using typical flakes.

[Dick W.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

I read recently that the metallic in the 63 Sebring Silver is actually a different material altogether, thus the difficulty in matching it using typical flakes.

Talk to "Legs" urr John Ballard. He did some research on the metallic particles.

To Patrick's comment, Sebring Silver is almost 80% clear binders and solvents. Had to panel repair the rear deck on a '63, it amazed me hold little pigment was in the paint.

[Philip A.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

You must not realize that you belong to the NCRS and what it stands for!!!!

NOT CORRECTLY RESTORED STANDARDS

Just joking!

The problem you are talking about has been around shortly after 63 Sebring Silver hit the market for the 1963 Corvette! Only saw one quart of Dupont Sebring Silver in my many years. A guy ******ed it out of my hand and it was used as a last coat on a 1963 Split Window!

Good luck in your search!

It's understood by all that we can only work with the available paints and parts! The showroom floor is the only thing that has ever had perfect Corvettes!

JR

Not sure I agree with your last sentence. I am convinced that a brand new showroom floor Corvette was not perfect and would get some deduct if NCRS Flight Judged on the showroom floor.

[Dennis B.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

So is there a "closest we can get" formula that others have already tried? My car was body off sometime in 1980ish and they used the original paint but they literally covered the first coat with "yellowish bondo" for lack of a better word. So leaving it like that was not an option. I am not into Bling so having a car you can shave in has never appealed to me. So the almost blah paint job that required 40 hours of polish to get it so you could see the car next to you, is close enough for me. Color and that purple hue that Daytona Blue walked through to get to black was and is what I am looking for. We have duplicated it but it will make repairs difficult if I do go that route. The Daytona Blue PPG Code + (as my painter says) a hack saw blade worth of purple in Pearl gave us what we were looking for. Trouble is damage it and suddenly you are doing the car again.

[Frank D.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

When I bought my Marina Blue 67 Chevelle SS-396 the builder bragged about how hard it was to get the right composition of flakes to match the original color precisely and how Sooooo many painters got it wrong. My poor old eyes couldn't detect the difference but others told me they could.

And many (most ?) painters don't apply the red oxide sealant coat anymore which may make the paint "pop" a little more. Lots of things contributed to the original "look"; including the orange peel at the low points on the car where the buffing was lightest.

[James G.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

Talk to "Legs" urr John Ballard. He did some research on the metallic particles.

To Patrick's comment, Sebring Silver is almost 80% clear binders and solvents. Had to panel repair the rear deck on a '63, it amazed me hold little pigment was in the paint.

John's company BURGESS Coatings makes paint. John can make the correct Sebring Silver for $1000 per can.

I have always been told that the ''toners'' used in the original lacquer can not be replicated on metallic colors. WHITE, BLACK and RED no problem. 67 Marlboro Maroon is almost impossible with today's base / clear products.

Call John or sent him email. He is in the front of the RESTORER. Great guy.

[William M.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

It's understood by all that we can only work with the available paints and parts! The showroom floor is the only thing that has ever had perfect Corvettes!

JR

And remember, they weren't so perfect then either!

[Dennis B.]

Re: Old dudes and New Technology

Well I got a formula that was supposed to be an acceptable NCRS Daytona blue from a NCRS member. I then found out I could have it made in Great Falls Montana because the paint was not available in Canada anymore. I was about to give the go ahead on mixing me up a gallon and I was told I would have to "smuggle it across the border" because the paint contains things that are not allowed in Canada and California. So I then pondered the roll of a smuggler and whether I would finally break down if they started to extract fingernails At the time I was starting to waffle like a coward, COVID shut the border down. So I can now say that had it not been for COVID I would have the correct paint and the car would be wonderful
So then I had to go back to "the best we could do in Canada based on whats available". I was able to get it close, its still not what I hoped for but I just cannot stop building this car for 6 months waiting for the border to open and for me to have my fingernails extracted
So I made a decision after 9 different spray outs and I think it will properly represent Daytona Blue. I will post a picture of a Canuck Daytona Blue as soon as its done and you can be the judge whether its decent. I will post the formula too if people think its "good enough"
Painting the body this week, happy Easter and wish me luck, because when the wife holds up a sample paint and says "this would look good in the living room walls", I always say " paint the walls and I will let you know" because a small sample and my brain cannot relate it to something bigger, same goes for cars