Progress on 66 restoration & paint question

[Hector G.]

The car is finally ready for the painter. As you can see, there is nothing left to remove. The process of removing, documenting, taking photos, repairing and restoring many parts, has been educational, time consuming, but most of all, fun.

I've read many of the comments on this board regarding painting the exterior of the car, the process and materials used. I've decided to use an acrylic enamel, utilizing a single stage process. The paint brand I am most likely to use is Sikken. What I still have a question about is how do I get the right color. My car was originally Rally Red and I intend to stick with that color. I am aware of the web sites that have the old codes for Rally Red and understand that they are of little help today. I also understand that it may be beneficial to have the painter look at my car, examine the areas of original paint and try and match it. That's more than likely what I'll end up doing. However, I'm curious, for those who have Rally Red cars, have they discovered a paint and or code that most closely matches the original Rally Red. If not, what have others done in this regard. Thanks in advance for your help.

Hector

[Edward J.]

Re: Progress on 66 restoration & paint question

The car is finally ready for the painter. As you can see, there is nothing left to remove. The process of removing, documenting, taking photos, repairing and restoring many parts, has been educational, time consuming, but most of all, fun.

I've read many of the comments on this board regarding painting the exterior of the car, the process and materials used. I've decided to use an acrylic enamel, utilizing a single stage process. The paint brand I am most likely to use is Sikken. What I still have a question about is how do I get the right color. My car was originally Rally Red and I intend to stick with that color. I am aware of the web sites that have the old codes for Rally Red and understand that they are of little help today. I also understand that it may be beneficial to have the painter look at my car, examine the areas of original paint and try and match it. That's more than likely what I'll end up doing. However, I'm curious, for those who have Rally Red cars, have they discovered a paint and or code that most closely matches the original Rally Red. If not, what have others done in this regard. Thanks in advance for your help.

As you may know the Red paint is not cheap, so spending the extra for a quality paint may extend the life of a paint job.

Hector

Hector, I recently painted my 63 with a single stage Dupont acrylic urathane, which was choice from a local chapter member who restores corvettes , I painted the car myself , and was pleased with the quality and how hard the surface is once it sets. I think you may not like the acrylic enamal. It may not appear as the factory finish,If thats is what you are looking for. The paint formulas that are mixed may vary slightly from the factory,But your painter can tint the paint. my car was Riverside Red and got the formula from a TDB member, It was a factory mix formula which really was dead on, The color needed no tinting. I used my windsheild piller post which had the original lacquer finish, I just put a dab of the acrylic urathane paint on the lacquer finish and was as close as you could get.Red can be one of those colors that can be a shade or two off.

[Michael M.]

Re: Progress on 66 restoration & paint question

Hector, some paint manufactures have a color gun. If your car has the color you want a person will put the color gun on a fender, hood, roof, ect. and come up with a color formula. If your car is not the correct color you have to find a car or panel the correct color for the color gun. I was lucky because R-M had a paint formula for my color back in the 1960's. Then BASF purchased R-M and since BASF also owns Glasurit it was not to hard for Glasurit to make a color from the R-M formula.