Where to Source Paint, What's the trick? Options

[BeatNavy]

I'm inching closer, ever closer at a glacial pace, to break down and learn how to paint. I'm probably going to buy a turbine HLVP setup soon. I think I've finally decided to take my car back to its original L60E, Irish Green.

Question: why can't I find a place that will mix this? I initially tried places in Maryland until I learned that one really can't buy anything other than water-based paint in Maryland. Ok, so I'm willing to drive to Delaware or Virginia. But I've called like 6 places, and while they can find L60E in their book, they don't seem to be able to mix it.

I do have a place about and hour and a half away from me in VA that says he "probably" can mix it up. I'd like a little more confidence than "probably" before I take a 3 hour round trip.

Totally new to this process, so I'm looking for ideas.

[bbrock]

I can't offer anything new here but will share my limited recent experience with L96D silver metallic. There are few (really just one) paint shops here, but luckily they sell PPG. To find the formula for my paint, they had to go over to an old yellowed computer sitting in the corner (not the one they normally use) to try to find old codes. They found them. I suspect that if I had just called them, they would have only tried to look it up on the main computer and told me they didn't have a formula. Standing in from of them looking sad might have been the ticket to success there.

There were different formulas depending on if they looked up the code as VW or Porsche. According to them, the Porsche formula used higher quality pigments and flake than the VW formula. They sent me home with free samples of each to try out. Sure enough, they looked different. The VW formula was probably closer to stock but the Porsche formula looked deeper and richer so I went with that.

[BillJ]

I can't offer anything new here but will share my limited recent experience with L96D silver metallic. There are few (really just one) paint shops here, but luckily they sell PPG. To find the formula for my paint, they had to go over to an old yellowed computer sitting in the corner (not the one they normally use) to try to find old codes. They found them. I suspect that if I had just called them, they would have only tried to look it up on the main computer and told me they didn't have a formula. Standing in from of them looking sad might have been the ticket to success there.

There were different formulas depending on if they looked up the code as VW or Porsche. According to them, the Porsche formula used higher quality pigments and flake than the VW formula. They sent me home with free samples of each to try out. Sure enough, they looked different. The VW formula was probably closer to stock but the Porsche formula looked deeper and richer so I went with that.

Did you happen to save the formulas that they provided for silver? I am not painting anytime soon as mine looks good from 5 feet but for the future.

[bbrock]

Did you happen to save the formulas that they provided for silver? I am not painting anytime soon as mine looks good from 5 feet but for the future.

Unfortunately, no. I remember some comment about PPG not allowing them to provide the formula. Here's another interesting thing about that color. The formula for Porsche L96D in PPG DBC (Deltron line) paint calls for a tiny amount of violet. The guy who mixed the paint said the amount is so small that it only comes in with mixing a gallon or more. Yet another variable that can affect the final color.