Painter question...

[speedo]

My painter is close to putting color (gemini blue mettalic) on my car. He prefers to shoot PPG products. He took the glasurit paint code I got from the board to his paint supplier, who told him the code included 3 toners that he would have to convert into PPG code and the color would likely come out slightly different. I want the color to be as close to the original as possible, and I want him to use a product he is both familiar with, and comfortable using. Anybody speak "painter talk" that can give me some guidance (other than "tell him to shoot glasurit")? Is the diference in the color using the PPG (or any other product) even going to be noticeable? Or on the outside chance...has anybody already converted that code to PPG already? Thanks in advance.

Speedo

[kllr901]

I had a similar experience recently...My painter tried ( untimately failed) very hard to change my mind about using Glasurit 22line on my car. He wanted to use a product that he was familiar with, also it was a cheaper product for him to purchase. Some larger shops have exclusivity agreements with certain paint manufacturers and suppliers so they really don't want to use any other products. Glasurit is expensive but well worth the results, my painter was pleasantly surprised at how nice the finished product looked and understood why I insisted on using it...BTW, the color match was spot on from the paint supply house, perfect match with some of the existing 43 year old original factory paint. Good luck.

[WCB4]

Most paint suppliers can scan a sample pice and get a mix code for thier product. It takes a flat, about 4 inch square painted surface. I removed the aluminium door sill, scaned and got a perfect match for Blood Orange in PPG Centiurion paint. Now yours is striped and primed and ready for paint. Maybe somebody out there has a Gemini Blue (one of my fav colors by the way) car they could get scaned for you. It only takes a couple of seconds and ya useally get a print out of the mix ratios. Sorry its not Blood Orange PPG I have that in my service records at home.
Regards Bill

[Fritter]

Either bring in an original non faded Gemini piece for them to scan to get the formula, or buy a very small amount and do a test spray to see what it looks like.

Yes, you definitely don't want to get it all painted then realize it's a bit off. That is a severe downer.

[ETexSpeedo]

To get as close as you can to the original color, it has to be color matched no matter the supplier. I can't tell you how many times the constituents of paint have been changed in 20 years, much less 50. Pigment of a single color is made of several components. The components themselves have changed chemically over the years, and the formula for the paint itself has changed chemically many times. All of the "paint"....base coat, single stage, clear, primer and everything else that goes into "paint".


If you are uncertain about the color difference from supplier to supplier or their mix, my suggestion is to have your painter provide a large sample, at least 18 inches square sheet metal....not paper or anything else, prepared exactly the same as he prepares the rest of the paint work. Same primer, same color primer from the metal up that he plans to use. Sanded to the same finish, color coated and cleared with the exact same ingredients, same supplier particularly clear, and methods he will use on the finished car. Then color sanded the same as the finished car will be, buffed and presented to you. Look at the sample in indirect sun light, and if you are satisfied, then you are done. If he has done his job and will do the same thing on your car. You are the final judge.

The coatings under the base coat will affect the appearance of the color, finished. The appearance of the color will be affected by the technique used by the painter.

Cast, hue and pitch...look that up. And remember, everyone sees color differently. How many times have you heard folks drone on about 'their original car wasn't that color'.

[304065]

L- this process is always approached in steps.

As a preamble, once the paint is on the car there is no way to tell whether it's PPG, Glasurit or otherwise. All the paint formulae have changed over the years anyway- so unless you have some NOS paint (which IS floating around out there) you always have to do the second step. I would be more comfortable having your painter shoot the system he is most familar and comfortable working with as this will ensure the most predictable quality. Asking him to switch to Glasurit is fine, and professionals do rave about the product, but there's a risk, time and money involved in that.

So. . . you can either use the published code or scan some original Gemini. I prefer the latter approach-- try to find a pristine example of Gemini and see if somebody (a board member perhaps) will mail you their gas door for two weeks so you can scan it.

Once you have a code, then have some mixed up, and then your painter should spray it out on some test cards. Take the test cards and evaluate them under a broad range of ambient lighting conditions-- indoors, outdoor bright sun, shade, howling rainstorm etc.

Once you are absolutely, positively happy, then and only then should you give the order to paint. There is absolutely no reason why final color should have any element of surprise in it-- you can creep up on the finished product to be sure you're happy because it's pretty hard to go backwards!

Hope my own experience is helpful to you.

[Longballa]

USE GLASURIT!!!!!! The new water based Glasurit paint it excellent. It sprays better then the old stuff. The reason it's soooooooooo important to use Glasuirt in your case is that the mettalic flake in the Glasurit product is very fine. Other paints use a larger flake that looks like crap! The clear coat from Glasurit is unchanged and the best. Guys don't like to use it because it's so hard and takes a lot of wet sanding and polishing but the final result is KILLER!! Don't spend all that money to repaint and compromise on the paint. Your guy will love the new water based Glasurit paint. My old school painter fell in love with it after he used it. I don't care what anybody says I just had two cars sprayed with Glasurit and both painters swore by other products until I forced them to use Glasurit and now they love it and the results speak for themselves.

[Longballa]

This is a hot topic for me. Does it cost more? Yes, a lot more. Is it worth it? Yes, way worth it. In the total restoration cost of a Porsche is $1500.00 in paint suppllies worth it? Yes. ok I'm done.

[Macroni]

Lars...... I wish I could have a re-do on my 69S...... Glausurit........ Sorry.

[speedo]

As I am not a painter, I have to respect the painters experience with his equipment and product. I don't want him to learn a new product at my expense. The good news is that my (not his) local paint supplier was able to match the 8610 (if my memory serves me correctly) code exactly. Painter will shoot a fender tonight and I will go look at it tomorrow. There is some remaining gemini blue on the interior of the car that was not stripped. I can compare the old original to the new paint and decide. Thanks for the help guys, as usual.

Luke...given your propensity for change, it would not surprise me if there weren't a couple minor tweaks to the 69 that would justify a repaint

Speedo