WTF was Grabber Green in 71?

[1sostatic]

Since posting this a while back ... https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-1971-m-grabber-green-glam-shots  ...and you guys know I love doing history ...the question of Grabber Green came up in the conversation. The thing is about History - I like being wrong -- its the finding out that is fun. 

and here it is in the sun 





You guys know I imported this car from Denver Oct last year... before that it was in Oklahoma and its first customer was Idaho Falls in 1971. So I went to those guys at CJ Pony and got this. https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/mustang-paint-codes#1971  - unhappy with those pantones in the sample list  - I looked further. 

The colours change depending on who you ask http://averagejoerestoration.com/1971-ford-and-mustang-exterior-paint-colors/ 

https://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?color=Grabber%20Green&tditzler=2293&rows=50

I went under the car looking for anything that could contain the original coat 



I then went here https://mustangattitude.com/cgi-bin/statsexplorer.cgi?year=all&f1=clrpaint

and here https://mustangattitude.com/mustang/1971cars11.shtml#/1971/1971_00041_04 

Now I'm thinking I've been resprayed. Thats ok ...but all my rubber weatherstrip looks untouched and I think I have spotted the Original colour on points that normally rot in a car of this age - I can see a margin where clear urethane coat has not gone all the way -- that could be modern. 

Then went here and found "Grabber Green Poly" from 1971 http://www.urekem-paints.com/paint-colors/1971-ford-mustang-car-paint-colors 

which is ... https://shop.thecoatingstore.com/1971-Ford-Mustang-Grabber-Green-Poly-Z-Car-Kit-1971-FORD-MUSTANG-Z-CKIT.htm 

https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/colour_swatch_ford_usa_1971

This has sent me off on a chase - and I found a Company in Germany that does paint cans for all the European Japanese and American Ford colours. and rechecked my numbers here http://www.mustang-s.com/years/1971/1971_colors.htm 

Here's the tin that cam last week from zee Fazzerlant/ Germany



OK ... so I shake past twin ice ages then do a test spray - covering bare metal and as if having a black base



OK ... all I can conclude is that perhaps Ford produced a mintier Grabber Green in 1971 or these results are obtained by flowing the colour coat over a black base

 

[donkost]

Your car has always looked darker than 1971 Grabber Green in all of the pics you have posted. It's still a beautiful car regardless, and I wouldn't consider something as bold as having the car completely repainted. It's really hard to tell with pics on the internet. In the direct sunlight your paint looks pretty close, but in regular lighting it looks darker. It's not much to go on, but my car in the avatar pic is 1971 Grabber Green. Of course it's a respray from the 1990's rather than factory original paint, but it always looks to me like other 1971 Grabber Green cars I see posted. Ford had Grabber Green in 1970 as well but it is a noticeably different shade.

 

[1sostatic]

Your car has always looked darker than 1971 Grabber Green in all of the pics you have posted.  It's still a beautiful car regardless, and I wouldn't consider something as bold as having the car completely repainted.  It's really hard to tell with pics on the internet.  In the direct sunlight your paint looks pretty close, but in regular lighting it looks darker.  It's not much to go on, but my car in the avatar pic is 1971 Grabber Green.  Of course it's a respray from the 1990's rather than factory original paint, but it always looks to me like other 1971 Grabber Green cars I see posted.  Ford had Grabber Green in 1970 as well but it is a noticeably different shade.

Yeah ... Now I have this tin it makes more sense to me -- I had Solihull Bodyworks here in UK go around looking for signs that give away restoration ... where we can get under the old weatherstrip ... we find more of the same deep colour coat

I put the two colours side by side once the paint had dried  :chin:



unless ...this was done a long long time ago and the weatherstrip has aged naturally  -- then someone in recent years has chucked a flow urethane clear over the top to preserve. .. i just don't know ... but that Tin of Grabber is very telling.

 

[Don C]

I always thought your car was closer to the Jaguar British Racing Green color



Here's a picture of a Grabber Green car that I found someplace

 

[71mach351]

Definitely a hair dark for grabber green. But I really like that color.  I wouldn’t paint it.

Don,  I think that’s a pic of my car 20 years ago.

 

[Don C]

It could be yours, I downloaded it in 2006 when I was looking for colors.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I ordered a Grabber Green Maverick Grabber in 1971. It has a tree growing into it now, lol. I thought it was a great color.

Difficult to get true matches with today's paint for sure.

You can see part of the car next to the Mach 1. Notice it has 5 lug wheels on 6 cylinder it cost $10.00 called H.D. suspension. 

 

[Stanglover]

Okay, I know this won't look exactly right as it's a scan of an original PPG colour chart for 1971 Ford .

Take a look anyway. Colour code is "Z"  #2293

Geoff.

71 PPG colour chart.pdf

 

[Trevynd]

that definitely seems darker than a lot of the pictures ive seen online, however i have noticed that Grabber green metallic has quite the array of colors depending on lighting. I didnt go EXACT paint code, but had my paint guy mix up some from a paint sample i picked off his wall of samples i felt resembled grabber green the best. Obviously it looks different here, but the color sample was pretty close! regardless i dont mind because i think this is an amazing color. I also think yours is way cool too! i like that it has a little dark to it. 

 

[B229218]

Ohhh. I like it it’s going to look Pitchin with black stripes Tutone Hood and chrome magnums