Black painted trim areas..., what paint to use? is it just standard matte/flat black? Options

[naro914]

Hi all
so...I am officially the PCA 914 Registry Advocate - supposedly meaning that I'm an expert in 914's...but really meaning that I was the one crazy enough to volunteer and take the job! That said, I am now the person that gets all the 914 questions that go to the PCA National office, or from people who find me on the PCA website...

As most of you know, I am FAR from an expert in 914's...especially when it comes to stock or originality. Though it has been said that our 914's are very close to stock (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) , I am not much of authenticity/historian type of person...

So, I am asking the 914World brain trust (and directing most people that ask me questions to ask here too)....is there a specific color code or paint that should be used for restoring the black painted bumpers, engine deck lid grating and rocker panels? I had a gentleman ask me that, and I have no idea.... He's doing a full restoration and would like to get it right.

Thoughts? Opinions? actual knowledge??

Thank you!!

[Tom_T]

It's actually a Satin finish - between Flat & Semi-gloss.

In addition to Dave's SEM paint, there is also a Wurth Satin Black that John mentioned, Eastwood's version, & some other satin blacks which are close to original, if he's doing a self-resto paint.

PS - I've also used Geezers' recco'ed Rust-Oleum Satin Black on my 88 Westy, 85 BMW 325e, son's 88 Honda Civic, etc. - which is fine for DD cars & close but not 9 or 10:10 restos - but I don't like the way they get a white oxidation on them within a year or 2 in sunlight, & they also tend to chip more easily on road grit facing items such as the wiper arms.

Most are having to find the formula & have it custom mixed to get exact, if that's what he wants. It was the same satin black as used on the 911/912E black-out grill material too, so a shop doing high quality restos of them would have a line on a contemporary paint which they use (have him/her go to some local PCA Concours & ask where owners have taken their 911/912/914s for restos if they look good).

PPG has a classic section on their website which has most/many of the original mixtures for both trim & main body color paints. There are also some on the Glasurit website (they're a subsidiary of another paint co. now), & both have satin black trim paints in "professional quantities" that are close to the original.

But some codes are not translatable without the original paint makers' materials & tints, so the other option is to have an auto paint supplier "shoot" an unexposed area to get their paint codes to get a match (e.g.: on the engine grill's edge under the lip of the engine lid where it's held in - although that still will have +/-40 years of heat & air oxidation).

The 74-76 914's black bumpers' were the same Satin Black as used on the F & R Valences & Rockers (also on the black-out trim at the sails/rollbar & targa top) with the splatter-shot of VW-Porsche's undercoating material to get that "heavy eggshell" texture (same undercoating as used under the body color paint in the wheel wells & underbody before the body color was shot), then the satin black.

However, the engine grill has no such texture coating, but the parts can & should all be shot as a group to get a good match throughout.

There used to be a factory paint manual the dealers had for "proper factory specification body damage repairs" or some wording like that, which had that & much more info., & would be great to have & reproduce for all - if one could be unearthed. It may

It will depend on how exacting a resto your guys is trying for, & whether he's doing the paint work or his shop.

You might want to post this on the O&H Forum to get some of the other Oldtimer gurus like Pat G. to chime in on their secret formulas & paints, & for other of these types of originality & recreation of same questions.

BTW - most of the targa tops get painted with too much gloss/semi-gloss than was original, &/or they get worn smoother than original ver the years of washing & prepping (same but not as often with rockers, valences, bumpers, engine grills, etc.)

Good on ya for volunteering! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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