63 Riverside Red Paint -question

[Edward J.]

I know this may be a question for a select few that may have a 63 or 64 with this color and have had there cars painted. I looking for some advice on which brand should I use that resembles the correct shade of Riverside Red.

I know that shades of red vary quite a bit because of the mixers. And my 63 is a testament to it, Its had 2 paint job and the original, all I guess where Riverside Red and there were 3 different shades of red, 2 were lacquer and last one was unrethane. So choosing the company that curently has a formula that correct will be a hard choice.

Thanks for your input. I Plan on making a choice soon as The car will soon be read to start the painting process.

[Elio D.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

hello Ed, my 64 will be painted soon also riverside red and my first discssion with the body shop is that there using Dupont Cromax Pro base /clear.I think. The paints now from what i,m told don,t use the same ingredients as the they did 45 years ago, so colour match woun,t be 100%.I,ll be talking to them next week and post a reply. Elio

[Dick W.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

I don't think that any manufacturer has the correct color. All will have a color that is close, but it will be up to your painter to tint the color. If you have an area, such as the door jambs, that has not been repainted you can have the local paint jobber to scan the color. That will get you in the correct family of colors.

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

Thanks for the replys guys I Guess since I will be doing the paint It maybe a choice I will make,I did my 72 4 years ago with PPG Chroma base and Chroma clear and was not crazy about how the clear flows out.

Dick, do you perfer a specfic brand of BC/CC ,Something thats easier to work and a clear that flows out better.


Thanks, Ed

[Wayne W.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

Clears do vary, but flow out depends on the skill and technique of the painter and not so much with the paint. You can make any of them flow with hot enough thinner, but can you keep it on the car?

[Dick W.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

Clears do vary, but flow out depends on the skill and technique of the painter and not so much with the paint. You can make any of them flow with hot enough thinner, but can you keep it on the car?

Many years ago, a friend of mine painted his car at home. He called me after he sprayed it and told me it looked like the car was a polished diamond. He called the next morning to ask me to come tell him what happened. There was a perfect outline of the car on the floor. Probably 50% of the paint had run off in the floor. I looked at his reducer and it was for high temps and it was only 70 degrees when he sprayed it.

[Terry M.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

I don't think that any manufacturer has the correct color. All will have a color that is close, but it will be up to your painter to tint the color. If you have an area, such as the door jambs, that has not been repainted you can have the local paint jobber to scan the color. That will get you in the correct family of colors.

I recently chased this issue (not on a Corvette, but that won't matter) and you will have to find a section of paint (on your car or another car) that you want to match to. Then your painter will have to tint and spray test panels until both of you are satisfied the color is as close as you can get it.

FWIW: I am currently doing this for a match to one of my driver cars. GM lists 7 shades for this car (a 1995) and so far we have found 4 of them are not my shade. I guess at some point the patience and money will converge and we will give up and/or call it close enough.

In both of the above cases no one will ever judge the cars but me. In the end you have to satisfy yourself.

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

Wayne, The PPG chroma clear doesn't use a thinner or reducer, its just the activator for the clear, I was told to use a little extra activator to make it flow out.

Do all clears have the same mixing process or do some require a thinner or reducer?

[Tom A.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

Dick and Terry are both correct. You will need to find some original finish preferably where not exposed to sun and custom match to it. The new tints have much more saturated colors and will need to be toned down. The original colors were more muted or dirty looking. It is not necessary or better to use base clears on solid colors. Chroma Premier single stage (DuPont) does and excellent job and can be sprayed to duplicate original appearance. Other manufacturers also have single stage urethane's that will work well. Why take the chance on a clear coat appearance if you don't have to. Make sure your painter understands exactly what you want the finish to look like. It's not hard.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

Wayne, The PPG chroma clear doesn't use a thinner or reducer, its just the activator for the clear, I was told to use a little extra activator to make it flow out.

Do all clears have the same mixing process or do some require a thinner or reducer?

I dont use that clear, so I am not sure what their method is, but most clears that are a two part mix have activators for different climate conditions. Are you sure Dupont dont have activators in that line for hot temps?

Some brands use thinners and activators, and some just use activators, but in reality the ones that are two part, just have the thinner already mixed into the activator.

And, I agree with Tom. Single stage urethane can be made to look like lacquer.

[Kenneth S.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question


That formula was:
1963 CORVETTE
RIVERSIDE RED
PPG DURACRYL ACRYLIC LACQUER
DDL 70961
REDUCE 1.5 TO 1 WITH DT876

FORMULA:

DMA336 800.0 PERMANENT ORANGE
DMA358 27.2 STRONG BLACK
DMA359 1600.0 LT. PERM. RED
DMA361 1719.2 CADMIUM RED

[Dick W.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

That formula was:
1963 CORVETTE
RIVERSIDE RED
PPG DURACRYL ACRYLIC LACQUER
DDL 70961
REDUCE 1.5 TO 1 WITH DT876

FORMULA:

DMA336 800.0 PERMANENT ORANGE
DMA358 27.2 STRONG BLACK
DMA359 1600.0 LT. PERM. RED
DMA361 1719.2 CADMIUM RED

Ken you were luckier than I have been, their offset colors have been close, but every time I did a test panel, the color had to be tinted.

[Terry M.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

That 1963 color chart is most likely ink printed on paper, and who knows what the quality control level was. I would be more impressed if you said you put a drop on some portion of your car with original paint.

Ken if it worked for you I am happy for you, but what you did is the equivalent of making a reproduction part based on another reproduction part. (Now who's expression is that? ) In the end if you are happy that is what counts -- just like I said above.

BTW: Thanks for posting the formula. It should give Ed a good starting point.

[Dick W.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

That 1963 color chart is most likely ink printed on paper.

If his is like mine, it is a paint chip glued to the brochure

[Kenneth S.]

Re: 63 Riverside Red Paint -question

Actually the color chart is made of little individual paint chips that are glued to a card stock page. The Riverside Red color chip did match exactly to a virgin area of the original paint on the car. It was just more practical to take the color chart to the paint store than the car body.
Ken