Can anyone aim me in the right direction to find touch-up paint for my 1950 Chevy 3100. Forester Green is the color I need; could use the brush-in-a-bottle for some small scratches, but if anyone makes it in a rattle can, there are a few spots where I could use that too.
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
From the website that Otto linked: "Your 1950 Chevrolet All Models is painted at the factory with a high quality basecoat/clearcoat system. This two-step paint system consists of step one, the basecoat, which is your car’s actual color, and step two, the clearcoat, the specially formulated clear paint that protects the base color and provides the luster and deep shine your vehicle came with when new." If their touch-up paint is base/clear, then it WON'T match the factory paint system (color could be correct though.) I don't believe anyone used a base/clear paint system back in the '50's.
A good automotive paint supply store can put single stage paint to match your truck in a rattle can for you. You'd just need the paint code to match the Forester Green. From Tim Lederman's Tech Tip on 47-55 truck colors HERE Forester Green would be PPG 40519 or Dupont 62006.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
From the website that Otto linked: "Your 1950 Chevrolet All Models is painted at the factory with a high quality basecoat/clearcoat system. This two-step paint system consists of step one, the basecoat, which is your car’s actual color, and step two, the clearcoat, the specially formulated clear paint that protects the base color and provides the luster and deep shine your vehicle came with when new." If their touch-up paint is base/clear, then it WON'T match the factory paint system (color could be correct though.) I don't believe anyone used a base/clear paint system back in the '50's.
I agree with Kevin. GM was using primer with a topcoat of nitrocellulose lacquer made by Dupont (Duco). Basecoat/ clearcoat process didn’t exist back then and it wouldn’t match as Kevin pointed out.
Last edited by Phak1; 08/06/202212:36 PM.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: ‘59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
Does anyone have a 1950 GM/Chevrolet-Truck document that indicates that the original factory-applied paint was base-coat/clear-coat?
Thanks
Doesn’t exist.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Phak1, I was kinda suspect of the basecoat/clearcoat thing. I know that when we started this restoration, we used the old nitrocellulose lacquer paint (dont know whether it was Duco or PPG). I do know that base/clear didn't come about until somewhere around the 80s, and I figured that option would stand out against the old paint like a sore thumb. Thanks everyone for the input.
Actually, the original body color was enamel, not lacquer, although lacquer was used for stripes.
The attached pic is a snip from the 1950 Vehicle Information Kit with paint type info.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Thanks Kevin for the schooling, never too old to learn!
BC/CC still won’t match. Like Kevin stated, have your local Auto Supply paint store mix up a can of single coat spray paint to match.
Last edited by Phak1; 08/07/20222:34 AM.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: ‘59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum