My autobody guy only paints water based. Unfortunately PPG only makes my paint code in a solvent nowadays. He’s tried to color match but the color match machine doesn’t work well on my older corvette. He’s tried to visually match but I prefer to get as close to the original factory color as possible if Im going to pay for a paint job. Does anyone know where I can get a fairly large paint card of the factory color in solvent (at least 2-3 coats) made up so I can give it to my guy to match with the machine in water base?? I’m willing to pay for someone’s time etc. Thanks

 

Google ebay the gm paint code and paint mfr codes..I actually bought a master panels as many were available…
worth a look..

 

Just to make sure I'm understanding you right, are you saying your guys sprays mostly PPG?

1) Might be worth a call and talk to a PPG rep or the factory. See if they can "try harder" to come up with a (waterbased) formula for your color. If so you could keep your current paint guy.

2) Call up your local PPG paint store near you where your body guy buys his paint. Ask if they 'think' they can mix up a pint ....if they shoot the car with their high-tech paint color-matching gun? That's a good place to start. He may have had the paint vendor come out and try their color matching gun already. But generally the paint shop can mix up a pint and do up a few test strips. Re-compare it to the car. Even spray out a larger test piece, if needed, and then tweak the formula a bit as needed to get it like 'right-on', and spray out a piece to ensure it's what your car needs. Our paint supplier here will do all of that.

____

 

thanks for the reply. My autobody guy says the PPG has come to take a look a few times but wasn’t very helpful. He told him they stopped carrying paint chips for my color years ago (assuming because it’s not popular) so couldn’t use that to color match. And they only make the color now in solvent. My guy seemed to indicate they’d have to pay for a pint of paint to make a paint card ($300) and then obviously you can’t even use that pint since it’s a solvent. I might give local PPG store a call myself tomorrow

 

oh man that’s awesome dude! May I ask what website you ordered that from? That would be super helpful for me in my situation. thanks!

 

ebay..
if ppg can’t match try another vendor.
with clearcoat as originally it had no clear,will be very difficult.
i will be using solvent monocoat paint no clearcoat when doing mine.
i like the look n a solid..

 

good point if PPG isn’t helpful I can try asking another vendor.

I searched eBay and Google couldn’t find a paint card in my color. I can find original GM paint chip books from 1979 that have my color chip. Any idea if that’s too small a sample to color match?

 

Well that's why I suggested you (OP) go directly to the paint place or contact the local or regional (preferred) paint rep yourself. Obviously your paint guy hasn't been persistent enough. Just because a paint color like your car doesn't exist, doesn't mean they can't formulate one. It probably doesn't exist because there hasn't been a call for it. Or else find out what other vendor sells PPG automotive paint in your area, and go to them ...with the same request. Ive bought a lot of paint in my day. You need to find the right guy who cares to get it right. Lot of people these days don't want to lift a hand ...or they barely make a reach. They just want to go home and watch TV. Find a guy who's going to see it through. You should call the regional (not local) PPG paint rep and complain and I guarantee you'll get satisfaction.

I worked for a Fortune 75 company for a long time. Global company. Every once in a while one of our local customers (my customer) who we didn't realize was pretty unhappy with our service .....the customer would send a nastygram to one of our VP's or higher-up's they looked up on our corporate website. They just sent it out to any ole VP. Oh yeah.....believe me, that note would quickly go up the chain then make it's way back to ....me. And trust me, the higher-ups, usually the VP directly in our company would want a status report right to him ....again and again to make sure we got the customer taken care of quickly and to their satisfaction, without delay (price or profit be darned)!

These VP's seemed to thrive on finally being directly involved in helping solve a real-world customer's problem. It works! Suddenly, our service manager who was always worried about profit/loss ...he had to move whatever resources necessary to get that customer taken care of Pronto! All on our dime -- like tomorrow! ha ha. So...consider running this up the PPG chain. Send a pic of your car, let them know how much you've liked PPG paint in the past ..lay it on man. Give the local shop the business just like our higher-ups would give me!! lol (note, it was usually bad service our technicians (not me) were giving the customer...)

Or like others have said, just go to a different shop that uses solvent-based paint.

______

 

Find a painter who does solvent paint.
stupid epa.

 

Yup that’s a work in progress. Just hate to go to someone I don’t know

 

Your painter might have switched over to water-based for other reasons too, like health reasons, lower insurance rates, or maybe he doesn't need to add special ventilation to other parts of his shop if the fumes don't accumulate (saving capital costs) ...you should ask him. I've heard good things about it. Car mfgrs have been using it for decades.

A guy I used to know, husband of my wife's co-worker was a painter at one of the largest dealer groups in our area. Good guy, we used to talk paint & body at the Mrs' company picnics. The paint fumes in the dealership he worked back by the bodyshop were always just awful. Anyway, the guy was in his low 30's and came down with a rare cancer. There was talk back then if it was due to years exposure to paint fumes? Who knows? Maybe ..maybe not. I sure wouldn't doubt it.

If I were running a shop as a carreer, I'd certainly consider it, if it would lower VOC exposure.

 

That's the best solution, I've heard some colors are particularly bad in water base.

The german paint seems to hold up pretty well on two BMW's we've owned. My daughter's infinity has succumbed to the sunlight, guessing it is water-based. Ford seems to be the worst, my truck's clear coat is peeling off right down to the metal underneath.

My message to the OP is if he absolutely has to work with guy, at least do some research into whose paint he uses. They are not all the same durability based on my small fleet.

I don't know what GM is using these days, but my C8 Res Mist Tint coat is absolutely brilliant.

 

I would highly recommend the PPG solvent based lineup for color matching the old paint colors. I’ve color matched 2 cars in the last year- 70 GTO and 69 Chevelle- and both colors were spot on.

 

Most of today's "spray out" documentation is sprayed out in water base, as far back as 10-15 years, it will be hard to find "spray out" sample documentation in solvent... nobody is putting R&D in solvent, the factory has been water since the early 90s so most paint manufacturers documentation caters to water including BASF, AKZO, PPG, Axalta (Dupont) etc.

If your going BC/CC you will be better off with water base if the color crosses over, all the above paint manufacturers have a spectrophotometer which can take a picture of a color and fully match it.

 

I’ve decided to pull my car from this painter. I got nowhere by calling PPG today because I’m not in the industry and don’t have an account with them. I asked for a local retailer but the one they gave me didn’t even carry PPG. So I’m done. I’ve contacted a recommend classic car painter who paints solvents so problem solved

 

we own automotive paint distribution along the east coast and in Massachusetts (Kemperle paint) if you let me know your location I can see if I have someone you can talk to for some possible help.

 

Thats very nice of you thanks. I’m in the Bridgewater area, and the GM code is 67 (‘79 model year) dark brown metallic (sometimes called Hilton brown)

 

Correct me if I'm wrong. I thought water based paints were limited to base coats not clear coats, so a painter that uses water based base coats has to finish the job with solvent based clear coats.

From my research I found Axalta, formerly DuPont, is the go to place for matching old GM colors, specifically their Chromabase line. Personally I found their metallics to lay down better than PPG

 

you are correct, the water base is only the color (base coat) the clear is still solvent based.
Any paint company can match a color but the private individual will not have access to the paint manufacturer... you will need to go through local distribution (paint store) and now your at the mercy of the employees knowledge and ambition to help... a certified painter in a collision center will have access to the manufacturer.
all basecoats are not created equal but all should lay down just fine and they are all sprayed at a high level in collision centers all over the world, some are older technology and converted acrylic enamel base coats and some are newer polyester based technology but all notable manufacturer basecoats will work well depending on reducer selection and knowledge of the paint.
and I am talking about the "notable" paints BASF, PPG, AKZO, AXALTA and not the lower end paints

And while the "lower brands" are still good like Omni, Limco etc there are reason why its less expensive even though it still looks great on my car years later.
there are things like solid content and UV obosrbers etc, the solid content in lower brands is why it's less expensive as well as UV obsorbers... much higher in the more sxpensive brands but if your car is going ro stay in the garage most of its life it will last some years, all depends on sun exposure, future buffing etc.

There is a reason why the higher brands actually print and publish a life time warranty and others do not.

 

OP, whatever company you go with, you might ask the shop to plan it out (in advance) so you'll end up with an extra quart of base for any future repairs. And if that means mixing or buying a stand-alone can of paint, be sure the painter intermixes the quart with the rest of the paint so what you end up with is exactly what's on your car. On some paints the mix can be off because a few extra drops of a certain mix color ended up in one can that wasn't in another. Brown isn't terribly expensive paint, not like reds/yellows