Paint matching advice

[Peter Naulls]

I'm planning spraying up a replacement bonnet to match 40 year-old paintwork. I have a choice of (a) getting paint mixed to the same colour reference as was used then (b) sending a sample away to the supplier for matching c) using a tin of 40 year old cellulose which looks and smells perfectly ok.

My paint supplier chose (b) but the conversation I had with him didn't inspire confidence.

Anyone any experience?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

The painters I use have a machine that reads the colour, as it looks today, then makes up a unique mix to match it, exactly.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Ruairidh is right, get the paint matched using a spectro at your paint distributor. 

Over forty years, UV and weathering will have altered the colour and your original can of paint or a factory colour is very unlikely to match!

[Reckless Rat]

I was unable to remember the red colour that was applied to my RP in the 1980s so I took a panel to the paint shop. They have a machine the size of a credit card reader that analyses the paint colour and gives them the proportions to mix. Apparently mine is Red, R 3505. It equates to the Austin "Cherry Red" of the period (or as near to it as I can see)

[Denis Sweeney]

My Ruby is Dove Grey which I coach painted over a period of time and used the same supplier with the same specification and each batch was different. No one has noticed, or has been kind enough not to mention, but I know.

[Peter Naulls]

Thank you all.

My supplier said that some colours are a better match than others using a scanner. He wouldn't tell me which worked the best... I suppose there's only one way to find out.

[JohnD]

Peter,

Your local Dingbro should have a paint scanner, if that branch supplies paint anyway.

There is an independant paint supplier in Dundee who i often use and they also have one - If your struggling feel free to send me down a panel and i can enquire.

[Peter Naulls]

Thank you John, that's very kind. Getting it scanned is no problem, my concern is that it might still not match very closely. I have seen a few that don't.

I have to confess that because I spend much of my time at work mixing colours I have become very fussy. Probably a bit too fussy!

[JohnD]

Thank you John, that's very kind. Getting it scanned is no problem, my concern is that it might still not match very closely. I have seen a few that don't.

I have to confess that because I spend much of my time at work mixing colours I have become very fussy. Probably a bit too fussy!

 I recently had to repaint a Lambretta frame after repair - it had been painted in the late 70's - 80s at Alexanders, the Bus Builders, clearly a nightshift job, as it was painted in Cream and red ! 
 
The paint match i had done for the cream wasnt great, i suspect as it was originally cellulose and this was now Aerosol 2k or waterbase - lucky it was underneath i was painting that was not really seen, but had it been panelwork i would have had to review. 

Its one of those things, its never going to be the same regardless and its only new once

[Andy Bennett]

I took my bonnet to https://www.brookspaints.com/ in Romford expecting them to analyse it and the chap there said, no, my eyes are better than any gizmo. I went shopping and came back about 3 hours later to 2 pots and 2 aerosols waiting for me. I used them where I had rewelded the spare wheel holder back on and so there was quite a large flat area over the rear area of the car to blend in and the match was as near perfect as I could, and can still tell.
Even now, whilst I know exactly where I blended it in, even I struggle to find the 'join'