Austin Vert...Need help!!

Austin Vert...can you help here? Have been trying to help Pastel Blue, but feel like I haven't been much help to him. Trying to find a non spray can source of charcoal black metallic paint for the metal part of the dash board. As you well know there was no actual interior paint code like there is for the exterior. The Ford system used the second digit of the trim code to ID the interior color. The part# for the Ford 15oz charcoal black metallic interior paint was M4J-2083-P. Is there any way to cross reference the "2083" to a competitors P#? I know our body shop had a similar system where if you knew the paint part # was "1724" but did not know the code, they could cross it. On my "5E" (vermillion) or Pastel Blues"1W" (white) you would default to the "A" black code. With their new system they were also able to scan a color sample and mix that color. Need a paint expert's help!

Thanks!!

Also wanted to add that my Pewter Mach 1's interior is 5A (black) and had toyed with the ideal of painting the metal part of the dash board, so I would also need the charcoal black metallic. Our body shop manager retired a few months before I did, and the new Manager is not an old car guy.

Has already told a few people he doesn't like "messing" with or researching anything on old cars! So no help there!

Austin Vert...can you help here? Have been trying to help Pastel Blue, but feel like I haven't been much help to him. Trying to find a non spray can source of charcoal black metallic paint for the metal part of the dash board. As you well know there was no actual interior paint code like there is for the exterior. The Ford system used the second digit of the trim code to ID the interior color. The part# for the Ford 15oz charcoal black metallic interior paint was M4J-2083-P. Is there any way to cross reference the "2083" to a competitors P#? I know our body shop had a similar system where if you knew the paint part # was "1724" but did not know the code, they could cross it. On my "5E" (vermillion) or Pastel Blues"1W" (white) you would default to the "A" black code. With their new system they were also able to scan a color sample and mix that color. Need a paint expert's help!

Thanks!!

Also wanted to add that my Pewter Mach 1's interior is 5A (black) and had toyed with the ideal of painting the metal part of the dash board, so I would also need the charcoal black metallic. Our body shop manager retired a few months before I did, and the new Manager is not an old car guy.

Has already told a few people he doesn't like "messing" with or researching anything on old cars! So no help there!

Click to expand...

Hi Steve,

This topic has been raised a few times on the Forum, but remains somewhat of a mystery i guess. For starters, if you type in - charcoal black dash paints into the Forum search engine, you will find older threads that have addressed this topic.They make interesting reading.

But in regards to me giving you direct help, well, there is only so much i can do to help. My biggest problem is that because i don't live in America, i have limited access and useage of American paints and companies and the products they make. So at the end of the day, the Internet becomes my main source of knowledge in that regard.

I did do some fast research for you, and came up with one strong lead that you might want to seriously look into yourself. It appears to be a PPG Lacquer product. You will have to check it's availability and if you can buy and spray it in your State. I got it from a web site dealing with 123 Mustangs.

Reference:

Paint for dash (black) - it's a metallic black color.

-------- Research led me to part# D1A32586 - Charcoal black poly. My local paint store mixed a quart of laquer for me (PPG Duracryl DDL). It's a perfect match to my original dash and steering column. Mix was 1:1 with lacquer thinner.

Another web site that might interest you is:

http://www.mach1restoration.com/painting-the-dash-frame-on-71-72-73-mustang-fastback/

Other references are:

http://www.npdlink.com/store/products/1971_mustang_interior_paint_spray_lacquer-107611-2978.html?shop_by_year=1971

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-1972-interior-paint-colors

If you find you run into brick wall, and can't find any lacquer paint in a tin out there, you can always go to your local spray shop, and they should be able to mix up

some matt black lacquer paint with a small shot of metallic tinter in with it. Look at what you've got then by going out into the direct sunlight to see how much metallic effect you have.

Start with a very small amount of metallic, check it in the sun, then add a little more metallic if needed, checking in the sun as you add more each time. Don't add too much.

This process can also be duplicated using a 2 Pack flat black as well if you want to go that way for a more durable paint finish.

Hope all that helps,

Greg.

Appreciate your response. I know there had been some other discussions on this same subject, but like I had remarked to Pastel Blue, the room seems divided on the spray can issue. I know there is a "little" bit of water between our locations which limits any direct help. But I trust your knowledge and advice. Problem with a lot of paint shops is like the present situation at the dealer I retired from. New faces with little or no knowledge of our dinosaur cars. Most of them will stare at you like you asked about their girlfriend/wife's underwear size when you talk about factory metallic paint for a metal dashboard!

I like the suggestion on the PPG paint and that you've had personal experience with it. Thanks for the quick response and I'll be sure to relay this info to Pastel Blue!!!

Appreciate your response. I know there had been some other discussions on this same subject, but like I had remarked to Pastel Blue, the room seems divided on the spray can issue. I know there is a "little" bit of water between our locations which limits any direct help. But I trust your knowledge and advice. Problem with a lot of paint shops is like the present situation at the dealer I retired from. New faces with little or no knowledge of our dinosaur cars. Most of them will stare at you like you asked about their girlfriend/wife's underwear size when you talk about factory metallic paint for a metal dashboard!

I like the suggestion on the PPG paint and that you've had personal experience with it. Thanks for the quick response and I'll be sure to relay this info to Pastel Blue!!!

Click to expand...

Hi again Steve,

Just a quick follow up on your reply to me if i may. That reference i gave you to try the PPG Charcoal lacquer was not from me personally, but a recommendation from a person that has used the product before, and posted his feedback on a website relating to our 123 Mustangs.

I will give you the web page with that reference on it to see for your self.

http://429mustangcougarinfo.50megs.com/mustang_interior.htm

Yes, it's sad that today, a lot of younger folk have either lost touch with or have not been properly educated in older paints and formulas that were once used on older cars. It's a situation too, that the major paint companies don't really care too much about older paints and keeping older formulas that were once used as well. That's where my skill of color eye matching any colored paint comes in handy when an original car color formula can't be found. That skill was taught to me when i did my 4 year apprenticeship trade training a long time ago. I believe that does not get taught to the younger folk these days, which is more the pitty. Today's high tech world gives us the Spectrometer gizmo that does all that for us, but the jury is out as to how accurate these machines are for all applications.

As for myself, i have not used that product and therefore can't make a comment on it personally to you i'm sorry. The only other things i could say or suggest if that lead ends up being a dead end for you, are - It appears to me (and i may be wrong) that the rattle can from NPD should give a decent representation of the original paint finish. If that's the case, then you could always buy a can of it, then spray out a metal test card sample of that paint, then go to your local spray shop and get them to make up and eye match a matching tin of either Acrylic Lacquer or 2Pack paint to marry up with the test card sample. Also, if you can find an original dash with that original color still on the car, then a good spray painter should be able to eye color match some paint to marry up with that dash as well. A good match can be achieved by going through that process. If you decide to go that way for example, then get the shop to formulate the color as it's being made up and adjusted, so if you need any more paint made up in the future, you will have that formula to go by, and you will know that the next can of paint will end up being the same color as the first batch you got made up.You could share that formula with the Forum folk too as a future reference and help to them as well.::thumb::

To finish, i will add my personal opinion here if i may. When it comes to refinishing the metal dash on our cars, i know there has been a lot of mixed comment and opinions given on this Forum about the type of paint and finish that is the best to go with. From my point of view, i don't place a lot of importance on using a so called correct black/charcoal metallic paint finish on the dash. Now i know that some folks do., and want the end result to be as close to original as possible. I understand and respect that, and that's OK. But for me, i would be just as happy to go with using a straight black low gloss/ semi gloss finish for this job. Why? Because you need a freakin' microscope to see any metallic effect in the original finish in the first place. My dash was original factory, and i swear i never saw or thought there was any metallic effect present at all, until i learnt that on the Forum much later on. On that basis, who really cares? A low gloss or matt black looks sensational as a finish anyway, especially teamed up with new black plastic trim panels you can buy as i did. Just my opinion there.

Thanks,

Greg.

I believe this is where the concours boys go for this type of stuff:

http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/

http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/aclchip.aspx?image=1972-Ford-pg01.jpg

HTH

Hey Tommy,

Thanks for that contact info. Fantastic. Could be and should be what the doctor ordered.::thumb:: Great to see a company providing such a wonderful service to the public.

Greg.

If this is not a match, I can't tell the difference. Given the parts being painted, a rattle can works fine. workhttps://www.npdlink.com/store/products/mustang_interior_paint_spray_67_73_black_metallic-146355-2979.html

Chuck