Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

They are Dupont dealers, that's the strange thing.
Was he correct in what he said about finish?

Quote:
Rusty -

I believe the factory exterior paint used on Packards through 1956 was nitrocellulose/pyroxylin lacquer. Acrylic lacquer only arrived in the mid-1950s, but I don't recall seeing anything in print that Packard made that switch. Paint suppliers may have provided acrylic lacquer formulas for Packard colors for repair, though.

Not sure what the South Bend used for 1957-58 Packards, off the top of my head.

IIRC, acrylic enamel didn't come about until the 1960s. Plenty of automakers switched to that, but not all. GM continued with acrylic lacquer into the 1980s. IIRC, Packard may have use earlier forms of enamel paint for some hard interior trim pieces.

While enamel requires fewer coats to hide the primer and can be more durable through baking or the use of a hardening additive, it doesn't come close to the depth of gloss that is possible with lacquer.

Meanwhile, getting formulas for the old original paints is one thing; finding a supplier that has the old, obsolete base colors and tinting compounds is a whole 'nuther matter. When I checked 20+ years ago, none of the autbody supply stores in my area could mix colors for any of my 55-56 Packard in anything - not even acrylic lacquer.

No car company could afford to use nitrocellulose lacquer in the fifties. It was just too expensive and labor intensive. As I said before, the only cars I know that got that finish, were special order custom built Chrysler Imperial limousines, that were finished at the Derham custom body works. The Chrysler factory did not have the facilities.

I believe the pyroxilin synthetic enamel was the standard finish before the acrylics (enamel and lacquer) came along in about 1955. The acrylics were more durable and easier to apply, even then only the Cadillacs and other expensive cars got the acrylic lacquer.

Maybe some of the old timers can tell us exactly what Packard was using in 1954. I bet it wasn't nitro lacquer.

Rusty, I can assure you that my 54 Patrician was factory-painted in lacquer.

The durability of lacquer, especially nitrocellulose, often comes into question, and in some colors, especially some of the metallics, it didn't have the greatest resistance to the elements. But in most solid colors it can have great surviveability, witness the # of original cars of 70 or 80 years in age with respectable OEM paint. Yes, it does cry out for an annual polish. Though the fenders were repainted after some body work, as well as the hood and sidemount cover, the body tub on my 34 Eight has original paint is is still quite presentable, though in spots it's beginning to fail over the solder joints on the roof - a common problem.

We may be quibbling over semantics. It seems pyroxilin and nitrocellulose are closely related.

My point still stands, that the finish on 1954 Packards was not the finicky hand rubbed lacquer used on prewar luxury cars. It was the same modern type paint used by other car manufacturers at that time and no special treatment should be necessary when repaintng.

I want to remove the Convertible top frame, sand blast it, prime and repaint. The removal of frame easy to do?

Should frame be painted black or same color as the body color?

And what is a waterborne system ?

Look in the 22nd thru 54th series parts book. On page 517 group # 31.000 top Assy-folding. It has Tan less fabric, less fabric, Green less fabric. What color are the bows now?

I figured Europe would be all Water Bourne color coats. I know European production vehicles have been for quite a while. The US was actually late in adopting Water Bourne paints.

Not sure if the laws are the same there, but in Calif a "hobbyist" can paint two cars a years in just about anything. Shops cannot, it all comes down to VOCs. Every paint job for a shop is allotted a certain amount of VOCs. So if you are spraying Base/Clear. The clear is using up all the VOC allotment, so you have to spray a water Bourne/based color coat. If you shoot single stage, then the color coat can be the "good stuff" as you would not have a Clear coat using up all the VOCs.

Perhaps on the Packard Paint X-Ref page, the color Orchard green can be updated. The new color code match is
GS 157

waterborne = water paint like the latex paint you paint your house with. Supposedly less pollution because it does not have the oils and solvents of the old type paints.