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

[BeatNavy]

When you think you found the right paint, buy a small amount of it and practice with your spray gun. Just like house paint, the color will often look different than it's supposed to but at least you will get practice and dial in your settings and technique.

I think Michael/Cairo's crew had to play around a bit to find the right green for his car.

I'm no expert on paint but I do know from buying it for the shop that there is a lot of variation. You need to look at actual spray out samples and not just what the book says it should look like. Different paint brands and even different quality lines within the brands will all look different.

Yes, good advice and that's my understanding as well. I will sample it on some scrap metal, but that's at least partially why I first want to do parts of the car that won't be seen (or seen much) like the rollbar.

[mepstein]

@wndsrfr from the BASF website you posted I found a place called Motor Car Colors in New Castle, DE (right near @mepstein (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ). The guy there says he can do it no problem with a Glasurit formula. He was very helpful, and it's about an hour away. I'll probably make a run up there soon and pick up enough to initially just respray the rollbar. I had taken the vinyl off (as part of the rollbar group buy) and found I had to so some metal replacement. I'd like to get that all green again before putting the new vinyl back on.

My how the "while I'm in there" story unfolds with these cars....

Thanks again for everyone's help!

The targa bar would be a good way to sample the paint color. Let me know if I can help in any way.

[BeatNavy]

Thanks, Mark, I appreciate the offer. I'll let you know but all I can think of right now is moral support (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) . I need to bite the bullet and start acquiring the materials and tools.

[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.

[mgarrison]

I found Ravenna Green at this site:

https://www.automotivetouchup.com/

It was listed as a VW color instead of a Porsche color. I did not find the L60E color code, but they do have a Porsche "Irish Green" listed for 1964...

They do have the L96D:
https://www.automotivetouchup.com/touch-up-...970/all-models/

Good luck!

[BillC]

I've been getting the paint for the dapo-special from paintscratch.com. I've been getting the paint in aerosol cans, but they also sell it by the pint, quart and gallon. Their normal formulation is base coat/clear coat, but they can also make the older colors in a single-stage formulation (there's a check-box to get it SS). They can also match paint if you send them a sample.

Here's the link to search by paint code: https://www.paintscratch.com/support/search-paintscratch.php

No association with them except as a satisfied customer. They aren't cheap, but the paint has been a reasonable match to what little original, undamaged paint I could find.

[StarBear]

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.

I can confirm that Porsche paints were different than VW paint. Used to work at BASF and got full formulas from an AG scientist for L64K Zambezi green. Different for different paint systems, too. The VW matches best, being a 1.8L produced by VW. All posted on Jeff Bowlsby’s site.

[930cabman]

Our 356SC is factory Irish Green and has been spot touched up over the years, with little success. It's a great color, but try to get it right. Keep us posted with your experience with spray equipment.

[worn]

I have had good luck with PPG paint. Expensive stuff. I had the paint person look up the formula for Bahia Red. He sold me the paint and gave me the formula he used. Of course I lost the formula and when I asked him to do it again the formulation was different from the computer and there is a subtle mismatch. Not his fault; he told me to hold onto the formula. Curious about the turbine.

[BeatNavy]

Just pulled the trigger on one of these. It's not cheap, but I'm looking forward to seeing how well it masks a newbie's lack of skill and knowledge. Some people suggest you can do a great job with the model below this, but I think Fuji recommends this one (or higher) for full car painting. I'll share my experiences.

[worn]

Just pulled the trigger on one of these. It's not cheap, but I'm looking forward to seeing how well it masks a newbie's lack of skill and knowledge. Some people suggest you can do a great job with the model below this, but I think Fuji recommends this one (or higher) for full car painting. I'll share my experiences.

Also. You have to breathe. I use a supplied air respirator. Another hose to drag around, but it doesn’t fog up. I await with bated breath.

[Freezin 914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[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.

[jd74914]

Just pulled the trigger on one of these. It's not cheap, but I'm looking forward to seeing how well it masks a newbie's lack of skill and knowledge. Some people suggest you can do a great job with the model below this, but I think Fuji recommends this one (or higher) for full car painting. I'll share my experiences.

My dad has that same sprayer-though he uses it for cabinet/furniture painting. He's been very happy with it so far (he only sprays Vermont Coating/C2 Polywhey stuff these days...for those into woodworking it's an awesome product which uses whey from cheesemaking to crosslink). We've been wondering how it would work with an automotive enamel but haven't tried since I have an 80 gal compressor and guns.

One thing that's really important: make sure you have the turbine as far from the paint as possible. If you're painting in the garage that means out a window and under something. Overspray will kill it really fast.

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

[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.

[BillJ]

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.

It can never be easy can it? lol

[930cabman]

Is anyone making the original synthol enamel single stage paint, complete with orange peel. I have looked around and have not found it.

[Superhawk996]

Orange peel is free all day long if you want it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[windforfun]

Try paintscratch.com. They matched my marathon blue metallic perfectly.

[john77]

@BeatNavy I've been considering turbines for when I paint my car. From my research Fuji say you want a 4 stage or 5 stage for automotive paint, so it looks like you're on the right track.

I follow this painter on youtube and he seemed pretty impressed with the Fuji model above that one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWcDgILe13k

I was about to pull the trigger on a Q5 so I'm really interested to see how this works out for you.

Just pulled the trigger on one of these. It's not cheap, but I'm looking forward to seeing how well it masks a newbie's lack of skill and knowledge. Some people suggest you can do a great job with the model below this, but I think Fuji recommends this one (or higher) for full car painting. I'll share my experiences.