A thread about an early color code with a color prefix caught my attention
63 – 6602 L
It is clearly a Polo Red car, color by Lesonal, but what is the meaning of the index number, the prefix?
There had been several manufacturers during the production times
G Glasurit
H Herberts
HL Herbol
L Lechler
Lechler (Christian Lechler und Sohn Nachfolger Lacke) was renamed in 1961 to
“Lesonal Werke”, which was later sold and regrouped and since 1994 it is one entity within the Akzo Nobel group.
From the repair manuals we do know some issues with paint.
“…….
Until early 1954, Porsche vehicles were painted with nitro lacquers, as the various advantages of oven dried synthetic enamels became apparent, a switch to this new finish was made. Consequently, beginning with early 1955, all Porsche vehicles were painted with the synthetic enamel with the exception of black and metallice effect paints. Since January 1956, synthetic enamel had been used for all colors without exception.
The type of the original finish is indicated on a small plaque which reads either “Nitrolack" for nitro lacquer, and “Kunstharzlack” for synthetice resin enamel;
If ovendrying synthetic enamel is to be used and temperatures in excess of 90°C (194°F) encountered, remove all bolt on components, such as the instruments, radio, fuel tank, celluloid or plexiglas parts, as well as electrical cables, textiles, and sealing rubber parts.
Basically, three types of synthetic enamel had been manufactured:
Airdrying Synthetic Enamels:
Due to the relatively low hardness and resistance qualities, these enamels are suitable only for very small repairs.
Oven-drying Enamels for 80°C Drying Temperature:
In general, these synthetic enamels have most of the virtues of baked enamels although they do not dry to hardness comparable to enamels dried at 120°C (248°F).
Baked Enamels for Oven Temperatures of 120°C (248°F):
These synthetic enamels had been successfully used by automobile manufacturers as well as repair shops - when so equipped. Damaged surfaces repaired with these enamels will remain practically as good as the original finish.
In this case it is of utmost Importance to ensure that ail heat-sensitive parts are definitely removed from the vehicle…….”
Concering the oven and burn temperature one Prefix is noted and mostly known:
The prefix 97 ( 97 – 6802 L) signifies that the original paint was a high 140 degree C / 284 degree F 'baking paint'
But what are the different prefixes, the types, the classes?
Are they all referring to temperature, or material?
I did ask Dave Pateman for some informations, who came out with more unknown prefixes and numbers, he had found during his work on the cars.
Due to another issue with old Porsche color codes I already had a contact to a very nice archivist, who remembered having old apprentice documents anywhere . .
He also knew that the prefixes do deal the company intern issue with color classes and color types, besides the RAL basic order of the numbering.
He came back to me with following informations. According to the Lesonal factory documents, the prefixes he could decode are as following:
11 - Synthetic resin car enamel air drying
31 - Synthetic resin enamels oven drying
40 - internal test number : small units produced in the laboratory, sometimes one car, sometimes several cars, aka "paint to sample". If the color went to standard production it got a different numbering
53 - Carcoat BT Lesonal, respectively Autocoat BT Sikkens
63 - Synthetic resin topcoat oven-drying
67 - at Lesonal synthetic resin base coat
68 - Resin Medium Solid Basecoat (KH-MS Basecoat)
76 - EP topcoat air-drying (EP = epoxy)
77 - EP topcoat oven-drying
79 - no information available
83 - no information available
97 - 140 degree C / 284 degree F 'baking paint'
Still there are unknown combinations, also from different manufacturers, so please do chime in, let us get more knowledge behind this.
Br
haul
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