Re: Henry's 55 Constellation

Posted by BH On 2012/2/23 10:03:24

Hank -

My dad's '56 Exec had the same engine/color as the '56 Clipper Custom, but there was nary a hint of paint left on the engine when I rediscovered his car, parked in a field, 1976. However, I later found the original water pump in a box of used parts in the garage, which had been replaced with a new one, back when the car was still in daily use. Underneath all the grime, there was sufficient amount paint to show a brilliant, emerald green, metallic shade.

While the new paint on your engine might have a greenish cast in some of the images attached to this blog, it looks nothing like the 56th Series green engine enamel to me.

I'm sure you know that type of light source (sunlight vs. incandescent vs. fluorescent, etc.) affects the shade of color captured in a digital image, as well as on negative/film. Also, some digital cameras have better "color registration" than others. Then, all computer screens are NOT equal (some not even close) WRT displaying color correctly.

Then, who's to say formulations were consistent throughout original production? Heck, even some of the modern paint codes have multiple formulas. (Problem is even worse with dye lots in the textile business.) Yet, no one has ever been able to provide me with a bona fide OEM paint chip chart showing the engine colors.

All that aside, though UV plays much less of role on underhood components, surely heat, grime, and time has some effect on the shade of engine paint - even the lowest-mileage, unmolested original car.

There's nothing wrong with people complaining/warning of their experience with color mismatch with a vendor's product, but as long as the new paint is reasonably close to the original color that you found on your original engine, be happy.

Meanwhile, illegitimi non carborundum.