Paint Codes

[Sopp]

Chassis of my 100M is ready for paint. We have decided to paint the car Carmine Red. I'm having a problem converting the BMC code of RD13 into something my bodyman can use to buy paint. Does anyone know the Dupont code for RD13? Or any other popular paint company?

We were planning on painting the car the original color, but after waiting 6 weeks for British Heritage to send me the certificate I ordered so that we would know what the original color was, time just ran out. It's ready for paint, so I guess it will be red. Kind of disappointing that those folks won't even respond to my emails. They were very efficient at putting an $85 charge on my credit card. I really expected better of them.

 

[vette]

Hi Sopp, according to Anderson & Moment there is a book by Don Pikovnik, "Austin Healey Guide to Historic Paint Colours", That will give modern mixing codes. I've never seen the book but, maybe if can be found quickly on the net. Good luck.

 

[Dave Richards]

A bit off track, but I gave an older Healey paint code to paintscratch.com and they came up with a modern match.

I would wait a bit longer for the certificate. It would be a shame to have wanted the original color after all your work and not wait another week, or two...

 

[TomFromStLouis]

It would be a shame to have wanted the original color after all your work and not wait another week, or two...

I agree about waiting, but Carmine Red sounds awesome for a 100M.

 

[AH100M]

I have paint codes (nitro lacquer from ICI, acrylic laquer from DuPont, acrylic enamel from DuPont and also from Ditzler I believe) for Reno red. Do you want them??

 

[Coastalman]

Bill, Please post those codes. I am sure several of us could use them or keep them on file. When I painted my BJ8 a dark BRG, the paint codes came from this forum. Information is always appreciated.
Charlie

 

[RJA]

Pikovnik paint codes: Carmen Red Mfg. RD.13 - ICI 2260
Carmine Red Mfg. RD.13 - ICI 8616
Jerry Anderson
Hendrix Wire Wheel

 

[AH100M]

OK, from my research, seems to agree with the std. documents.

When I restored my BN2 in 1980 and painted it the original Reno Red (per the cert.) I had a shop on Long Island get nitro. lacquer from ICI Belco in the UK per their original formula. When I test sprayed it on an area of the frame under the gearbox mount that had never seen the light of day it matched perfectly. Since then I have used other paints that I had matched to the original color. They're not perfect but you won't get any closer.

Reno red
ICI (Nitro Lacquer): 3000

DuPont Centari (Acrylic Enamel)51078A (I had this mixed to match the ICI and used it to paint the frame, etc. It was a stock color). (Note, if you append the cost code of "H" to paint code it becomes 51078AH which I always thought was appropriate!)

PPG Duracryl (Acrylic Lacquer) 72580 - Note: I had this custom mixed by William Wolf and Co. in Cleveland OH to match the Centari. He may have tweaked it a bit to match. They're on the internet and are very helpful in getting a match. This is on the car now and it's just the very slightest bit darker than the original ICI Reno Red but not really noticeable.

 

[Sopp]

Does anyone have the Dupont, Ditzler, Martin Senior, or any other available paint code for RD13, Carmine Red?

 

[jstmorris]

Perhaps this link to Guide to Historic Colors by Donald Pikovnik will help.
https://www.coloramic.com/articles/ahcgtext.htm

 

[Healeysince59]

The chips in the Pikovnik book are excellent. If you can get your hands on a copy, a good paint store can do a computer match on the chip. I did that for Cherry Red (Bugeye Color) and the match was close to perfect.

Take a look at Jerry Andersons post. Both Carmen Red (early BN1s) and Carmine Red (later BN1s) were listed by the factory code RD13. They are different colors. Pikovnik listed the ICI code which I was told is a (current)
European code. You may find someone who can mix to the ICI code.

Pikovniks book is NLA. Occasionally a copy comes up on eBay and goes for a terrible price.

Marv J

 

[Sopp]

So far I'm still coming-up-snake-eyes on this search. No one has the previously mentioned books and no one around here has even heard of ICI codes, let alone have a source to convert them. I've spent about 12 to 15 hours on the net coming up with dead ends.

I give up.

 

[Bugeye58]

Try this place. They're in the San Diego area

https://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/

<span style="color: #FF0000">Particularly, look at this page.</span>


https://www.tcpglobal.com/aclchip.aspx?image=1957-ahmg-pg11.jpg
Jeff

 

[Hedgehog]

Has anyone heard of Rinshed-Mason Company out of Detroit and Anaheim? I've got an old paint book that came with my 55 100/4 project that lists Carmine Red as 53A51.

They've got Carmine Red for 1953-55 Austin Healey. Paint code next to the color chip is 53A51. The code for their PeR-Max 253A51 and their Lacquer is 53A51.

If anyone has heard of them I'd be interested. My 100/4 chassis is almost ready for paint and it's going to be Carmine Red as well.

 

[Hedgehog]

Jeff, I went to the page that you mentioned to pay particular attention to and that's the page out of the Rinshed-Mason paint book I have.

Thanks.

 

[Bugeye58]

R&M is now owned by BASF. Hmm.......my neighbor just happens to be a paint chemist for BASF. Maybe I'll have to ask her for some information.
Jeff

 

[Sopp]

The problem has not been coming up with 1955 codes, but getting them into 2007 codes that can be mixed. The 53A51 is another one that paint shop computers don't recognise.

ICI is now Autocolor. I found a paint shop that was willing to dig, and dig even deeper. Under Austin Rover,1952-1972, was the ICI number 8616 Carmine Red, WITH a mixing formula. I had him mix up a half pint($31), and it looks pretty [censored] close. Tomorrow he will shoot a small panel so we can see what it looks like. It's a single stage paint which should work just fine.

......moving forward, again...........

Thank you to everyone for your efforts.

 

[Sopp]

Chassis of my 100M will be painted tomorrow. I heard back from British Heritage. They have no record of my car's existance. I guess I can paint it any colour I want. So it will be Carmine Red.

Question: how will this "no record of your car" affect the value? I'm still going to try for a "perfect" restoration, but now I'm a little concerned about how I'm spending my money. To say I'm a little disappointed and down-hearted at this news is an understatment. Or does the Certificate not really matter?

Sopp

 

[AH100M]

What's the chassis number? There was a switch over, close to coinciding with the BN1/BN2 changes, from Carmine to Reno Red. They're close but not identical. (And very different from Colorado Red which in my opinion is a terrible color.) If you're going for "perfection" this is not the time to deviate. It's hard to correct the chassis color at a later date!

 

[Healeysince59]

Heritage Motor Center will do a search based on engine and body number for an additional charge. There has to be a record of your car somewhere. Probably has part of the chassis number entered wrong. I would go for it.

Marv J