For restorers and car owners who are
diehard originalists finding a set of paint chips for
the year and model of car that is being restored is
equivalent to finding a gold mine. These sets not only
show the exact colors that were being offered for a
particular year, but they also include mixing information,
color combinations that were available, code numbers
and other identifying information.
While researching this article I found a fabulous resource
for those of you who are restoring a car on the DuPont
web site. They have a Historical Color Chip Library
which can be accessed by clicking here.
If this link does not work go to www.performancecoatings.dupont.com
(and click on) >>> Visitor >>> Color
>>> Color Chip Library - Historical. You will
arrive at the 'DuPont Refinish' page.
Now you're probably wondering why I'm giving you this
information when our parent company, McLellan's Automotive
History, has the actual paint chips for sale. That is
the exact reason I'm doing so. To quote the DuPont website,
"Have you ever had difficulty hunting down the
original color information for a restoration job or
a clean, older model in need of repair? Like most painters,
we would bet you have. Out-of-print color chips are
extremely difficult to obtain, and getting harder to
find every day." I couldn't have said it better
myself!
And they go on to say that "These scanned color
chips [which they show on the website] are only a representation
of the actual color. Colors may vary due to differences
in monitors as well as chip production methods over
the years." For this reason it is always better
to have an original paint chip chart if you're lucky
enough to find one for your car.
With those chips the company can use their color matching
tools (i.e. ChromaVision, AcquireX, X-Pert, VINdicator
and DuPont Top Mix) to match and mix the exact color
you need for authenticity.
But how about fading and/or discoloration? As long as
the paint chip charts were not exposed to direct sunlight
the colors should be true. And the chips we have were
in books and haven't seen the light of day in years.
If we have the one you need you can be confident that
it is the color that was used on your car in the 1930s,
40s or 50s.
Here is a list of the years and makes that we have at
the present time for DuPont and Ditzler Automotive Finishes:
