question about primer colors over the years

[Scott A]

hello,

if it is not too painful, I have a multi-part question about primer colors of the years at Porsche factory. at least up to 1973.

1. was factory primer a red-brown? if so what years?
2. was primer from reutter and karmann, and others a different color?
3. was the primer color based on the final color of the car?
4. did glasurit primer color differ from Lesonal's, etc?
5 was primer ever light green? and when?
6. was primer ever light grey?
7. is there a simple answer to primer colors?

i always thought they used a red-brown and then changed over to a different color. but what do i know.
my brother's 1973 seems to have light green primer...(maybe they were replacement panels?)
my metallic gold had red-brown primer...maybe that was or wasn't factory.

[M_deJong]

I recall both my 71 Karmann built and 74 factory built had white-ish primer. But it’s been 20+ years since I stripped them for paint.

[91133]

Primer colour is critical for high opacity colours such as aubergine. My car, original aubergine, had a light grey primer - FWIW.

[raspy2point2]

primer colors are dictated by what color the car is going to be. For example A Tangerine car will get a white primer so the final shade of Tangerine will be correct.

[718RSK]

On 5) yes, it was pea green on some of the SWB colors such as polo red and white. Grey on others such as golf blau

[Ivan Fuller]

And in 65 Signal red had grey primer then Tangerine base than red

[patrick911]

not sure if they changed this over the years. My 1976 911S was viper green from the factory over a yellow undercoat over a black primer.

[210bhp]

I’ve just done light yellow undercoat below signal yellow (glasurit) and I believe this was as the original although the 911 was bare metaled when I got it so I only saw this from restorations of similar colors on this forum.
It certainly makes the top coat zing.

Regards
Mike