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

I'll third it. I'm going with Silver French Gray upper and am still trying to decide on Barola Blue, Laguna Maroon, or (probably) Puritan Gray for the lower on my '41 Limo.

plus the earlier ones generally use the lighter color on top to visually lower the car.

as you probably know, there are examples (not in that model) of all three combinations. The lighter /med blue combo is interesting too. I think I have a photo of a 180 with it (I remember the car had a refrigerated bar too)

While we are on the subject of two-tone 22nd series Packards, I think it's interesting how the two-tone scheme was applied to different models.


Club Sedan


Sedan

Does anybody know if Packard painted everything including the trunk above the rear stainless belt strip the upper color on the Custom or did they paint it like the sedan above? I've seen examples where everything above the stainless was a second color but I can't find a factory photo.

Edit: I just spotted 3 factory photos in the photo archives here that show 23rd series Packards in two-tone. So I guess at one time Packard considered carrying the two-tone concept forward.

notice the doors and window frames are lower color - the split is at the drip rails, not the beltline. Again not my favorite way but how the factory did it.

Wow lots of responses! I did the research too and got confused. I saw photos of 23rd series cars with 2-tone paint and 2 different ways of doing it. Some did the belt line as the break and some masked around the crease in the rear body as shown in these photos. I want to break at the belt line because it is easy for the paint shop. I also saw some factory literature that showed 23rd Series cars with 2-tone paint, but this does not show up in a list of options. Maybe it was costly and not too popular in the 22nd Series so they dropped the idea.

I like the lighter color on top because it makes the car look lower. Also a lighter roof is cooler in the sun. My Packard is loaded with various 1950 era accessories and some are not authentic for the 23rd series (wire wheels, power brakes, seat covers, SW gages under the dash, air freshener, radials), so why not a paint job that is almost correct? I think the car looks very sporty in a 2-tone. The few I have seen were very eye catching, and obviously Packard took full advantage of this in the 50s.

I am preparing a car that would have been owned by a person in about 1952 who wanted to doll up his 1950 Packard. I do not have anything on it that looks any newer than about 60 years old. Some previous owner already had added the wire wheels and power brake booster so I bought the car and continued the theme.

Fred,

It only has to be water paint based if you are spraying Base Coat, Clear Coat. As the clear uses up the allowed allotment of VOCs. If you are spraying single stage, you can spray "the good stuff".

Also if you are painting the car yourself, and you do less than two cars a year, then you are a "hobbyist" and exempt from the VOC allotment rules in Calif.

Thanks Kev. I will discuss this with my painter.

Also near you is TCP Global in San Diego (858-909-2110). They should have color chips for that year Packard that you can use to give you a better idea of what you may want. Call them and ask to speak to "Chips".

Also, they can provide you with lacquer or single stage solvent based paints. I'm reasonably sure their Restoration is PPG paint (They are not allowed to tell who their supplier is), which is 2/3 the cost.

Good Luck with your project.

Thanks for the tips. TCP Global is a great source for paint right here in San Diego. I called them and they offered a match to the Packard colors in several different paint chemistries. Even though they show lacquer on their website they won't sell it to anyone in California.

I took my Packard to the paint shop this morning and discussed getting the selected colors from TCP Global. They deal with them all the time and are very happy getting the paint I want. It has to be catalyzed cure to meet California air regulations. I will not use clear coat so the paint shine looks correct.

When she is done I will post photos. Hope to bring the car to the meet in Orange CA but I will be spending lots of effort to make that schedule.

Merry Christmas everyone.