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By ChrisD
#89763
Hi guys. The paint on my current rebuild, a 1951 G2, is "polychromatic silver". I am in Cape Town so cannot take it to one of the UK companies who know exactly how to mix the correct colour and its a bot of a mish-mash anyway. Can anyone tell me what exactly is the code - or Ford (or other) equivalent? At least I can start by getting the replacement parts (eg. headlamp shell) the same colour with rattle cans
Thanks
ChrisD
By ChrisD
#90507
I now understand why it has proven so difficult to match paint colour for my 1951 G2. The factory spec is ‘polychromatic silver-grey’. What that actually means is two-tone silver and grey.
Of course, that makes the problem even more difficult as I now need two unmatchable colours. Why unmatchable? Because the bike actually has several different colours – the only part that demonstrates that it once was two-tone is the tank. Very dirty it is but unmistakeable, affected by ethanol stains from our lovely petrol, and now also stained with black molasses (yes, I’m going that route to remove internal rust).
I have bought, so far, 9 different silver and grey rattle cans. None match. They are not even close. The ones that seem to be close are from the US (old chevrolet and chrysler colours) and they are unobtanium here in South Africa.
I have taken to carrying a clean piece of the mudguard around parking lots looking for a vehicle near-match. Nothing so far other than a lot of strange looks.
Why don’t I take it in for respray?
I don't want to completely strip the bike for someone else to respray - I can do it piecemeal, Besides they'll charge the earth and, post-covid, that's too much. I'm also wary of taking all the precious tinware to some large enterprise where they will "look after it like it was their own".
Maybe the answer is to make the frame gloss black and select any old light grey for the tinware. Anyone have any suggestions? Has no-one got an original one and discovered what colour paint to use?
Cheers, ChrisD
By BrianG2
#90577
Hi Chris, I sense your frustration at something you would think is fairly simple to resolve in the modern day of advanced technology. Have you visited an automotive paint supply shop with a sample of the color you want? Not the car spares shop that also sells paint and spanners and rags etc., but the paint shop that supplies the panel beaters with the correctly matching vehicle paints. They will easily be able to match your paint color and mix the paint for you and supply you with a rattle can or a tin of 2 pack paint (preferred for automotive use as it will be more durable than rattle can which can dissolve or smudge if you touch it with an oily finger or petrol or solvent)
I have previously borrowed a tank from another restorer and taken it to a paint shop here in Australia to get the right mix.
Good luck.
By ChrisD
#90657
BrianG2. Thanks for the suggestion. I have indeed tried an auto paint shop. They told me, essentially, "don't have much call for mixing to order - we only use what the supplier says". That's why I was hoping somone coudl advise. Hitchcocks helpfully told me that back in the late 80's someone said that Toyota Windsor Grey metallic was a close match for the silver- the frame components are the darker grey (the early 50's G2 bikes were amongst the first with two-tone and metallic paint jobs). So I until clarity smacks me in the face I will stick with the near-original paint job (tank looks awful). I'd like to get back to the original silver and grey but may respray differently as the fancy takes me! If it works when back together after `10 years mouldering.
Cheers, ChrisD
By papasmurf
#90658
ChrisD wrote:
Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:39 am
BrianG2. Thanks for the suggestion. I have indeed tried an auto paint shop.
You need to go to where the auto shop gets its paint. They don't stock a wide range of colours they mix to order with base colours to match the colour required. (Fascinating to watch the machine used.)

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