Color Match Issue

[Tom L.]

I have a Laguna Gray '70 that has been re-painted yellow and then red over the years. While the body was off, all of the paint was stripped. I found very little original paint, and only in areas that didn't have complete coverage, like behind the interior door panels, etc. The result is that I don't have a good baseline to match the color of the new paint.

I bought PPG lacquer for the re-paint. The color was cross referenced from the original Ditzler number. The details of the new paint are as follows:
PPG DDL 2198
DMA 349 Fine Aluminum - 592.9 parts
DMA 358 Black - 264.9 parts
DMA 375 Blue - 98.8 parts
DMA 360 Dark Red - 25.7 parts

The door jambs have now been cut in, but the color doesn't match the little bit of, mostly over sprayed, original paint that I found. The new color has a blueish tint that I don't see in the original paint. Maybe the color difference is because I'm looking at incomplete coverage of the original color. The new color looks good, but I want to make sure that the color is right before I go any further.

Has anyone ever tried to color match this one year only color to an original car? Does anyone have any good pictures of an original Laguna Gray car? Or better yet, does anyone have an original paint Laguna Gray car anywhere within a few hours of Philadelphia that they wouldn't mind letting me take a look at? Thanks.

[Tom L.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Kurt,

Thanks for the email. I've reached out to the person you suggested and am waiting to hear back.

In the meantime does anyone else own a Laguna Gray '70?

[Dallas K.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Tom, I am fighting this issue right now also. I had PPG lacquer paint mixed using GM oem code 15 and DDL2198 Grey Poly. It came out too light with a blueish tint. The gallon mix was as follows:

code color cumulative parts
DMA349 Fine Alu 2371.6 2371.6
DMA358 Black 3431.2 1059.6
DMA375 Blue 3826.4 395.2
DMA360 Dark Red 3929.2 102.8


I have an original factory paint standard for corvette code 992 1970 GM exterior Dark Gray Metallic. It matched the original paint on the car real good, but we can't seem to match the paint standard. It also has Du Pont code 2-0271-6 and Fisher code WA-4005 listed on it, but we can't get anything to come up using these codes.

They have scanded my color chip at the PPG paint store and so far the latest attempt has came back too dark.

I am also needing help to find the right mix for my Laguna Gray convertible.

[Rich P.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Dallas,

Do you have any original spots to compare to?? I have in the past sanded down to the original paint (under old paint) and buffed it so I could get a baseline.

Rich.

[Dallas K.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Rich,

No, The car has been completely striped and repainted with the first mix of paint, I listed the formulation. Then we had some issues with a crack in the fender that neded to be repaired and the guy that painted it got too thin in spots that we buffed through the paint. The painter doesn't want to repaint the car, so I have found another painter.

Then I found this color standard and the color on the car was off a couple of shades, so we decided to repaint the whole car after the crack is fixed and to add some more paint to the car. But now we can't match the color standard.

[Rich P.]

Re: Color Match Issue

If you feel confident that the color standard is correct then thats 1/2 the battle. Now you will have a process of working closely with you paint jobber to tint a pint of paint at a time for you to do spray outs. As you do each spray out you report back to the jobber with both the spray out and the color standard. Then have them tint the next mix to match (IE: darker, lighter. more this or less that) then and only then will you get the right mix.
It may take some time but this is the only way to get it right.

Rich

[Tom L.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Dallas,

Thanks for your input. I'm going to do a little homework with the other paint code numbers you listed and see what I come up with. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything out.

Was the PPG color significantly off? I've never seen an original paint car in this color. In fact, the only ones I've seen have the PPG with the bluish tint. Do you have any pictures of your car before the re-paint?

Tom

[Tom L.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Dallas,

DuPont had the original color code in their historical database, it's 5134L. The problem is that DuPont doesn't make lacquer anymore. I'm going to pick up a quart of DuPont acrylic enamel tomorrow and shoot it on something so I can compare it to the PPG color.

Interestingly, the color chip right next to laguna gray was Tealmist, which looks exactly like the PPG color we have.

[Paul O.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Tom the only person I know that has a correct Laguna Grey 70 is Sal Carbone its a Bowtie ZR-1. He lives in Connecticut you can contact him through the members list at the top of this page. Hope that helps. Paul 18046

[Terry M.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Paul,
Sal no longer owns the LG 1970 ZR1. Ed Foss has it.

[Kenneth H.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Tom, my '70 is a documented original Laguna Gray LT1 that has been repainted, but is still Laguna Gray. I live in Bucks County, not far from Philly. If someone can give us some advice on where to look for a spot of original paint that may not have been repainted, I'd be glad to help.

[Paul O.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Terry that figures ZR-1/Ed Foss.

Kenneth were the door jams and sills repainted if they have then the next item would be the doors inside where the door seal is back, front, bottom ether door.

Paul 18046

[Tom L.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Ken,

I'm in Chadds Ford, less than an hour away. I'd really appreciate the opportunity to take a look at your car. Did you have it re-painted? Do you know what paint was used?

Dallas,

I picked up a quart of the DuPont color today from their historic paint chip database. Below is a sample that I shot tonight. The left is buffed PPG lacquer Laguna Gray. The right is DuPont acrylic enamel Laguna Gray. The colors aren't even close. I think the DuPont color is a lot closer to correct, but it has too much metallic flake. If the DuPont color is correct, I can have the PPG guy mix it up in lacquer.

[Kenneth H.]

Re: Color Match Issue

Paul,

Thanks, and I'll take a look at those areas on the door this weekend.

Tom,

It was repainted before I purchased the car, and the previous owner wasn't very forthcoming with info at the time of sale. However, he did say that the guy he bought the LT1 from had the work done but he didn't remember his name. I requested a title search from New Jersey and they sent me info concerning the previous owner, but they used a black magic marker to black out his name and address on the documents they sent. However they weren't very thorough with the marker and I was able to piece together his name and address. I haven't communicated with him yet, but maybe this is a good reason to do so.

As for seeing the car, yes, anytime. I'll send you a PM with my phone number. Give me a call.

If anyone has other suggestions concerning where we might find some original paint on a repainted 'vette, please leet us know.

Thanks.

[Terry M.]

Re: Color Match Issue

I have a Laguna Gray '70 that has been re-painted yellow and then red over the years. While the body was off, all of the paint was stripped. I found very little original paint, and only in areas that didn't have complete coverage, like behind the interior door panels, etc. The result is that I don't have a good baseline to match the color of the new paint.

I bought PPG lacquer for the re-paint. The color was cross referenced from the original Ditzler number. The details of the new paint are as follows:
PPG DDL 2198
DMA 349 Fine Aluminum - 592.9 parts
DMA 358 Black - 264.9 parts
DMA 375 Blue - 98.8 parts
DMA 360 Dark Red - 25.7 parts

The door jambs have now been cut in, but the color doesn't match the little bit of, mostly over sprayed, original paint that I found. The new color has a blueish tint that I don't see in the original paint. Maybe the color difference is because I'm looking at incomplete coverage of the original color. The new color looks good, but I want to make sure that the color is right before I go any further.

Has anyone ever tried to color match this one year only color to an original car? Does anyone have any good pictures of an original Laguna Gray car? Or better yet, does anyone have an original paint Laguna Gray car anywhere within a few hours of Philadelphia that they wouldn't mind letting me take a look at? Thanks.

Tom,

Another email is on its way to you.