Sprite Color Codes

MK 1: 1958-1960

MK II: 1961-1962

MK II: 1963-1964

MK III: 03/1964-10/1966

MK IV: 10/1966-1968

MK IV: 1969

MK IV: 1970

MK IV: 1971

• From: "Roger Garnett" <rwg1@cornell.edu>
  
  Manufacturers provide paint dealers with cross reference tables- IF you can find a peticular code in their tables, then the shop should be able to mix it using their paint. The more codes you start with, the better your chances of finding a match with that manufacturer.
  
  Codes often aren't crossed to different types of paint- it's easier to match a lacquer with a lacquer, and enamel with enamel, etc. But if you want to use a modern 2-part paint, you're probably going to have to search through the paint books for something close.
  
  
• From: "W. R. Gibbons" <gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu>
  
  Because so many modern colors are metallic, it can be difficult to match older non-metallic colors. One good source of non-metallic colors in a variety of shades are books with chips of "fleet" colors. I have one from PPG/Ditzler. There will be a couple pages of variations on each of the primary colors.
  
  
• From: Gary Anderson <editorgary@aol.com>
  
  My understanding, from a discussion with the paint code librarian at PPG, is that the paint company can provide a modern formula equivalent to the original if it originally made the paint. Sometimes the company has records of the equivalent OEM paint code, sometimes not. It is worth noting that a "paint code" is not a mixing recipe, but rather a "parts number" reference to an internal mixing formula. Thus, if you know the ICI paint code, you can contact ICI and they should be able to supply the modern equivalent. Similarly, you can call PPG's main number and talk to the paint librarian, and they can look up by make, model, year, and their code or the standard name (e.g. Ice Blue Metallic (Healey Blue) for a 1967 Austin-Healey 3000) and reference the modern paint formula in PPG or Ditzler paint that can be provided to the local supplier nearest to the customer.
  
  
• From: Steve Dubrovich <sd.dubrovich@worldnet.att.net>
  
  Here's my experience.... I was interested in original color paint for a '59-'60 A.H.3000 BT7. Book References on Healey's show:
  

A trip to a long established glass and paint shop results-- a re-acquaintance with a high school classmate (HA! Small World!). Dan spent at least a hour and a half educating me about paint systems and researching these colors. (A paint system is all of the elements, from one manufacturer, going into a paint job. i.e.- metal prep. prod., primer, primer-surfacer, filler, paint, reducer, polisher, etc.) Now to the paint angst. In the U.S. the players in the paint business are: DUPONT and PPG. These are the folks we look to, to provide the correct recipe in their paint to match the color that was put on at the factory. But our cars are old cars, and so we are talking about old technology paint systems-- acrylic laquer and thinner, or, acrylic enamel and reducer. These are the two paint types that you are apt to find cross-referenced recipes by the manufacturer. Otherwise, with the newer paint systems, you are forced to match a sample of the color you want against a book of color samples. Color matching against samples is problematic in a few ways. First you have to have a sample. [Sounds simple, but the only sample I had of Healey Blue is on an area of the underside of the front shroud, not something you want to tote around to paint stores. Also, is your sample faded by age or sunlight??] Second, you have to match it. [Also sounds simple, but here too are a couple of caveats. First, don't try to match colors in the store's florescent lighting, do it outside in the natural sunlight. Artificial light isn't color balanced, have your photographer friends explain this principle to you. Florescents emphasize blue, incandescents emphasize yellow light.] Also, compare three colors at a time. Your sample, your best target choice, and a contrasting color to help your eyes set the match. Try it you'll see what I mean. Comparing blue/blue may show a very close match to the eye with the target looking ever so slightly lighter in color, yet, when, say, a contrasting green is brought into proximity, the target shows to be a yellow blue instead. Acrylic laquer is probably used most by us 'paint in your garage' types because of its properties. It dries to the touch very quickly, so it's much less susceptible to trapping dust, dust is obviously an issue unless you have a paint booth with filtered air circulation. Also, imperfections found after spraying, can be sanded out and spot resprayed without much bother. Laquers dry to a semi-gloss so the paint job isn't complete until the finish has been polished by sanding with a very fine grit sanding medium to bring out the final gloss luster. This attribute is a minus when it comes to painting doorjams, frames, and wheel-wells, you can't very well finish these off by sanding. Also, laquer paint isn't particularly durable, it chips easier, and will fade its color over time, in other words, it's a high maintenance finish, requiring waxing and polishing to keep it up. Most importantly, its probably unavailable, as it is quickly being regulated out of circulation. Laquers fall into a catagory of High VOC substances [VOC - Volatile Organic Compound] that are being regulated out of existance for your health and mine. (That's why it dries so quickly, alot of quick evaporating solvent in its composition). Dan found Duponts cross references as follows: DUPONT 8179 Healey Blue BU 2 DUPONT 8178 Metalic Golden Beige BG 19 No listing for AL 1. He had a well worn color chip sample book dating back to the late '60's, but it didn't have either color entry so I had him make be up a quart of each for a test spray to see how they would look, and as a sample to match to other paint systems if I chose a different route. After the paints were mixed and home I took alook at the M. Golden Beige and it reminded me of the common brown metalic of the Triumph Spitfires and I wasn't too interested in it. The Healey Blue impressed me as being on the dark side and sure enough after I sprayed a sample out, it was a couple of shades darker to my eye and not what I wanted or imagined either. Acrylic Enamel is the other old technology paint. It dries to a more durable gloss, but it dries slooowly, so dust and insects are an issue. The DUPONT colors above were only available in the laquer paint scheme. When talking of new paint systems, the prevalent one seems to be the Color-Coat/Clear-Coat systems of both DUPONT and PPG where a couple of color coats are applied over the primer, and after a flash-off period the clear gloss coat is sprayed. But this system isn't designed for us 'paint in the garage types'. For one, they're a catalyst based system were you mix in a reagent like epoxy, and you have x amount of time to get the spray done and clean up your equipment before it sets up. If you have a problem during spraying, you quickly have a cascading set of problems. They're really designed for a professional spray booth with a clean enviornment, filtered air supply, with the person spraying covered head to toe with protection from skin exposure and wearing a supplied air mask. scary. These paints are isocyanate based. [Heck even the hardener I got to put into Acrylic Enamel for another project is isocyanate based.] This stuff can absorb thru your skin into your system, not good. All the paint masks with the canister filters I've researched that were rated for paint and organic solvent protection excluded isocyanate compounds emphatically. Where does this leave us? In a quandry I'm afraid. Why bother trying ourselves? To control the process and quality. Besides, now that the car is dismantled down as far as I can go I can't tow it to the body shop. In Summary: "Oh, Oh, My work in progress is unresolved!"

• From: Tomdamit@aol.com
  
  You can order the color you need from R & R Paint Supply, 5723 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90805 phone 310-428-3648 as I did. They have the proper colors ready to go. They ship UPS and do have a toll free line at 800-669-1319. I recently had my BN7 disassembled and resprayed using their Colorado Red Dupont Centari acrylic enamel with a catalyst and it is a match to the inside of the RHD master/clutch cyl blanking plate I had pulled off to match if it became neccessary. The black side panel insert is the standard code for black of 99. I had previously used a Sherman-Williams automotive code book that supposedly was valid but the paint (lacquer) was WAY too orange even after tinting so something does not translate! That was in 1979. The lacquer polished up well but was indeed brittle and prone to chips. If you like to drive your car as opposed to trailering it, I would not reccomend lacquer. I do believe lacquer was the original paint used, however because of numerous references in the service manual to "cellulose". Early lacquers were known as "nitro-cellulose" if memory serves. BTW, I have financial or any other interest in R & R other than to say I hope they continue to provide this service!!
  
  P.S. None of the paints I have seen are really suggested for use by us amateurs. Maybe lacquer can be used if you can get it ( very difficult in LA basin). I personally like the car too much to really screw it up. I did save $$ by disassembling it as far as I could then flat bedding to the paint shop. Doing it yourself is a PROJECT that would no doubt yield immense personal satisfaction but the warnings on the paint cans are enough to put the fear of God in any of us!