General Tech 1960'es Dunlop wire wheel pint colour code

[kha1967]

Hi! My name is Kenneth, I live in Denmark.

I'll try the Triumph Forum to see if any luck here, though I have a 1964 Sunbeam Alpine.

I really do hope that some of you are able to help me with the original paint code for the Dunlop wire wheels, which among other British car manufactors The Rootes Group used for some of their vehicles back in the 60'es.

I'm in the process of restoring an original set of Dunlop wire wheels, and actually I've been that for quite a while, since I can not find infomations on the original Dunlop wire wheel paint colour. I've been told from a MGA guy that he is quite sure the correct and original colour should be the ICI Belco P031-2358 (Meralichrome Aluminium), but I can not find any further paint info. anywhere, nor any people that can be of much help, in order to have the original paint mixed. Also I have a scan of an old Rootes Group wire wheel drawing, that says that the correct colour should be Platinum finish, which makes me even more confused!

Please let me know if anybody can be of any assistance, or maybe know someone who can.

Thank you very much.

Kind regards
Kenneth Hansen

 

[DNK]

A dull grey is all I could come up with

 

[martx-5]

I believe on the TRs, wheels were painted what was called argent silver. The wires look to be the same color.

I have a new set of Dunlops on my TR3, and they are of that same color. There are a lot of rattle can paints out there in "argent silver". Of course, they all vary in their color slightly. The grayer ones seem a closer match rather then the ones that look more aluminum. Just google it and see what you can come up with.

Edit: The link below has a bunch of paints that should help in finding the right one.
https://mgaguru.com/mgtech/paint/pt104.htm

 

[DNK]

Thought the same thing Art,
My wondering...was the wheel color by the wheel maker or the car maker?

 

[martx-5]

...
My wondering...was the wheel color by the wheel maker or the car maker?

Well, the early TR2s for example had the steel wheels painted to match the body, whereas wires were painted the silver color. Of course, later on, all the wheels (steels & wires) were painted argent silver, so I'm sure it's what the wheel maker decided.

 

[tomshobby]

In 1965 I painted my '64 TR4 wheels with rattle-can Rustoleum silver. It seemed to match pretty good.

 

[DNK]

Art- Did the wires for a TR4 (in this case to match Kenneth's year) made by the same manufacturer as the Sunbeams ?

 

[kha1967]

Hi All

Thanks for all your usefull responds! What I'm actually looking for is if anybody has any knowledge of what paint and colour code Dunlop originally used for the wire wheels in the 1960'es, as I determed to go for the real deal! The closest I've got is the ICI Belco P031-2358, but the company that has taken over ICI Belco does not have that exact code in their files, though I've got a photo of the actually paint can, from the MGA guy who that one to be the correct!

Any further good sugestions from here?

Kind regards
Kenneth

 

[DNK]

If there is any paint in the can it can be matched to a new manufacturer.
But I'm sure you knew this

 

[kha1967]

Unfortunately the MGA guy with the can he claims to be the correct, has provided me with a photo of the can, and unfortunately that's all I can get from him. (By the way I got the ICI Belco paint info. from the same link that Art attached from mgaguru)

I'm all ears if any other good sugestions to get the right ICI Belco P031-2358 mixing info.

 

[martx-5]

Art- Did the wires for a TR4 (in this case to match Kenneth's year) made by the same manufacturer as the Sunbeams ?

I'm not sure, but most wires supplied back then for British cars were made by Dunlop, although Aston-Martin have used Borranis.

 

[kha1967]

Maybe I should try and ask the question in the Jaguar forum. As far as I believe Dunlop supplied Jaguar at least with steel wheels, which should have the same colour as the wire wheels recording to the mgaguru link.

Kenneth

 

[Vila]

For the TR4 there were actually 8 different combinations of wire wheels available.

First there were 48 spoke on most 1961 and early 1962 TR4s that had wire wheels, then in the early summer they switched to 60 spoke wheels. At some point some cars were made with 48 and some with 60 spoke wheels. Each of these styles came in two different type of chrome and two different paints. According to my original "Triumph 20 TR4 Spare Parts Catalogue" the chrome came in "bright" and "dull" finish. For the painted wire wheels they were available in "Aluminum finish" and "Lacquer finish". The Aluminum is just that, the standard shiny bright silver aluminum paint. The lacquer finish is more of a grayish silver that most people thing of for wire wheels.

My suggesting is fine a color you like and go with it. No matter what color you end up going with you are going to find those tell you it is exactly correct and the others who say it is no where close to original. If you chose the color you like, then is doesn't matter what others thing since it is the color silver you like.

Vila
1933 Chevrolet
1962 Triumph TR4
1984 BMW 633 CSi

 

[3798j]

Kenneth, This photo doesn't answer your question for the Dunlop paint code - but I thought I'd put it up because it does show that silver/gray color....and I've always thought it's a cool picture.