UKragtop

I need to arrange some paintwork and whilst I know the code for Millennium Yellow paint, I'm sure that I've seen somewhere that the lacquer has a yellow pigment to it.

Can any of you guys confirm if this is the case, and has anyone got any idea of the lacquer code and where I can get it from.

Thank you very much.

NJ Vette Guy

That I know of......

Millennium Yellow is comprised of a white base coat, yellow tint and a clear top coat.

If you are having any paint work done, have them use the RPO codes off of the RPO sticker in your glovebox. Any reputable painter should be able to match the color, using that code. I had some minor chips done and they used the codes from the RPO sheet and it turn out fine.

Cheers....

(PS~ The paint code they used is not 79U When I get back home, I'll look it up for you and post it)

AU N EGL

dont think Millinium Yellow is lacquer at all. Enamel paint

FKING1

Millenium Yellow has a tinted clear coat, not clear. That's the reason it is an extra cost option. Body makes 2 trips through the paint booth.
Fred

UKragtop

That what I thought I'd seen, but how do I get hold of the lacquer for my paint shop??

Ettev01

It's my understanding that lacquer is illegal in most states. Corvettes have not been painted with lacquer since about 80 or 81? Can anyone confirm.

AU N EGL

Lets be careful of the use of the word "lacquer" here. The British may ( and I may be wrong) use the word "lacquer" to mean PAINT.

Lacquer is a type of paint, that is no longer used in the US, accept on antique cars. Enamel I believe is the type of paint used on cars in the US now.

Most of the GM enamel Paint is made by Dupont or PPG


Here are the Corvette Paint codes: http://www.corvettepaintcodes.com/

Millinium Yellow
GM code = 79
Velspar = Y1272
PPG = 5593
Dupont = MD413

NJ Vette Guy

Okay.... I'm back home now.

The paint matching code for Millennium Yellow is: U423G

The painter should be able to match it, with that code.

When the guy painted the small chips, he used that code to make the match. I remember him mixing the tint and then applying a clear coat over the colered tint (the chip went down to the white base). The color matched perfectly and those chips are effectively gone.

Good luck.....

widewheel

I'm no expert but I believe most automobiles today are painted with a base coat/clear coat paint. The base coat (color coat) has a dull finish and thus the need for the high gloss clear coat. I've seen my paint and body man clean up surface scratches to the clear coat with 1600 grit wet sand paper and then buff out with a machine glaze. As stated by others laquers haven't been used on automobiles for years. I think the main reason for base/clear coat paint systems is that they are more easily applied by robot paint systems at the factory and produce a good finish. Does anyone remember the orange peel paints of twenty or thirty years ago? Lousy paint straight from the factory!

Humanoid 2.0

It is a tri-coat, base coat, tint coat, and a clear, clear coat.

leadfoot4

The primary reason for the switch from acrylic enamels/lacquers to basecoat/clearcoat was due to air pollution standards. The paint manufacturers were required to greatly reduce the VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) in the paint compound. While the bc/ccs are very compatible with robotic spray systems, robots have been painting cars for a long time....

Joe C

i don't know if it's legal or illegal, but i thought i read somewhere that for the 1981 model year, corvettes were produced in both St.Louis and Bowling Green. St.Louis corvettes were painted in lacquer until the end of plant operations, while Bowling Green Corvettes were BC/CC urethane enamels. like i said, thought i read this somewhere. we need some c3 corvette expert here...

BINGO! found it - reference Corvette Black Book, 1981 - "The St. Louis Corvette assembly plant continued to use lacquer paints through the end of 1981 production in that facility. Meanwhile in Bowling Green, a new paint process was developed which used enamel basecoats followed by clear topcoats."

IrishJoker

You are correct - and the quote is correct - I have a St. Louis 81 which was painted in Lacquer; but not anymore - it's now base coat/clear coat.
Lacquer is illegal to use anymore in most states - our British friend I think uses the term Lacquer to refer to "PAINT" in general.

UKragtop

Firstly, I'm sorry if by using the term "lacquer" I have caused any confusion. By saying "lacquer" I mean the clear coat which is sprayed over the paint to give the end result its gloss appearance.

In the case of the Millenium Yellow I thought the clear coat had a yellow tint to it and I have since found this link whish says - "This $500 option featured a colored lacquer layer over the base coat, which gave the finish an amazing depth and luster"

http://www.is-it-a-lemon.com/corvett...millennium.htm

Incidentally the Oxford English Dictionary defines lacquer as "Any of various clear or colored synthetic coatings made by dissolving nitrocellulose or other cellulose derivatives together with plasticizers and pigments in a mixture of volatile solvents and used to impart a high gloss to surfaces."

Any help you guys could give me in trying to find the correct clear coat would help, or do you think this is a wild goose chase?

2K14C7

I would call, or better yet visit, a good body shop and ask them. They would have the info needed.

FKING1

The GM paint code for my 2000 Millenium Yellow Coupe is 79U. I am having my Rockers & Front Bumper repainted today with Urethane Enamel. Base yellow, tinted clear, then clear.
Fred