Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

If you weregoing to do a total repaint in original colors, how would you assure yourself that the colors were as accurate as possible?

Remember, we are not matching an existing paint job....

Pat, I think we've covered this quite a few times previously. Most paint companies already have current formulations available in today's pigments to match most of the automotive paints of the 50s and newer and they've presumably done the research to insure a correct match. Unfortunatly that's no very often the case for the paints of the teens, 20s and early 30s. I had no problem getting PPG paint in the correct colors for my 56 Carib. Also a couple of years ago I bought rattle cans of modern acrylic lacquer from Tower Paint for some small repairs on a 56 Packard, perfect match. Contact the research dept at the paint suppliers.

That not being available, I'd borrow something like the gas tank filler lid cover or fender skirt or similar from an unrestored car, carefully clean and compound it to remove surface oxides, and have it scanned.

That's what I'm thinking too. I don't have access to any other Ultramarine Blue Packards in Finland. It's my Packard with this colour and that's it, and my paint isn't good on my car so I can't get good reference from it.

This is what it looks like:

If it's the original color and fenders, there may be some unfaded blue under the headlight doors or under the stainless "reynolds wrap" behind the parking lights. Neither place would be suitable for scanning but you might be able to borrow a modern color book and match either spot to a color strip. The headlight doors remove easily -- the stainless comes off too but not quite as easily.

If you has as HH56 suggests some good and relatively preserved paint under a piece of trim or other place not easily removed for the vehicle, consider using the Sikkens color-matching sysem. You need to use it in daylight or artificial light simulating daylight of course. It's a series a large books with thousands of modern automotive paints in a large circle about 3 inches or so in diameter with the center cut out; you place them over the original paint for a direct comparison and then when you get a match, just order by the Sikkens #. It's a system often used by major restoration shops.

Can you tell me how the Moonstone color looks? Does someone have a restored Packard with Moonstone paint? Is it really light blue or a creamy white? I try to google all around and it's really hard to find any Packards with Moonstone. Ultramarine Metallic is even harder to find...

Jani

If you go to www.packardclub.org and then click on Reference and then on paint chips for your year vehicle, you'll see the chip for Moonstone. However, chips can age and may change over time, plus they were not necessarily exact even when new. Also your PC monitor can distort colors. So exercise some judgment when viewing the chips but it still should give you a good idea of the color.

Thanks Owen!

Those chips are better than what I've found before. Now I'd like to see a car which is really painted with the Moonstone. :)

oops,,gone

So I found this one:finecars.cc/en/detail/car/179581/index.html . It says the white is Moonstone. Is it? If it is, how do you notice the difference between White Jade?