Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I have a 1955 Caribbean. lucky me. I'm trying to paint the car utilizing a modern base coat/clear coat formulation. My painter likes PPG but tells me there is not a modern formula listed in the PPG library. White Jade is the upper color used on the majority of caribbeans produced in 1955. it's code letter "M". Does anyone have a modern paint code for this color?

G'day Tim Stuart,
to PackardInfo, but sorry I can't help with your query.

However I invite you to include your '55 Caribbean in the Packard Owner's Registry.

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I've been in the car biz all my life, including working on the OEM level with major manufacturers. I am amazed that painters can't find or match vintage paints today and have become so reliant on "codes" for getting a color mixed that they just can't do it anymore. In the old days, most really good automotive paint suppliers usually had one or two guys on staff who could eyeball the color and nail it. Betz Speed & Color in Southern California always had a guy, Stan, who owned the place and he could nail any color simply by eyeballing it! Never missed once for me. And good ones now should have color scanners.

Anyway, today all you need to do is find a good sample of the original color(s) (inside the door jamb, under the deck lid, etc.) and take it to a good, long-time professional wholesale automotive paint supplier and get it mixed. They even have computer matching of colors now that they never used to have. A good professional automotive paint supplier ought to be able to get proper colors mixed for you on the spot.

What are the paint codes stamped into the serial plate in the driver's door jamb? Unless custom-ordered, there should be 3 letters, starting with "M"... Caribbeans for 1955 normally would have been "MAC"...OR ..."MDF"... OR... "MJV" ... OR... "MUH"... These were the standard color schemes offered that year for Caribbean.

Last Fall, I spent an hour with a young guy trying to get some touch up paint. Out came the old chips and we found a decent one only to find that there were no codes available.
Phone calls ensued & again, no codes. Got stuck with a modern color that is horrible. The putz should have given me the option of custom matching. Now I need to start over

Chip charts are fun to look at and useful in knowing available combinations, but were never intended to be color masters and certainly aren't now. Old formulae using obsolete pigments in obsolete bases aren't terribly helpful either, unless someone has some correlation work. As said earlier , use an unweathered area. Computer matches using spectral curves are OK for solid colors, but not for metallic. The flake scatters the light beam in the spectrophotometer.

Call these guys at www.autocolorlibrary.com at 858-909=2110 they have it. They also have it in acrylic urethane.

Thanks, I will check out the owners registry. I have listed my car in the Roster Keepers registry.

Thanks, this is good advice. Unfortunately this car has been repainted in the distant past. my Packard friends tell me it is "Too White". its more of a Ford Mustang Wimbleton White. They did a good job too and got door jams and back side of deck lid. So no good original left. But I appreciate your advice.

I forgot to mention. my car is number 89 of 500 and complete door jam code is "MUH"

Thanks, good info