Re: [Chrysler300] cloud white info

[Kraus300@xxxxxxxxxxx]

More than a little background on mixing paint colors.The factory paint codes are on the car's data plate. Gil Cunningham will also confirm the color if you've had him do a search of the microfilm on your letter car. Once you've obtained your factory paint codes the fun starts. 
Painters typically work with one brand name and often a particular paint line within that brand name. Because of this familiarity and the amount of background chemicals (primers, sealers, clear coats, thinners and catalysts) they will not often venture beyond what they know. These chemicals are all specific to each paint line. Mixing a primer from one company with a top coat from another or a catalyst from one paint line to another might work but is not a good idea. There's way too much prep work involved to risk a bad reaction or a durability issue. 
You'll need to know what brand name and paint system your painter is using. Using PPG as an example, I can think of the old style laquer, old style Delstar enamel, Global, Concept and Shopline paint lines. They make even more. Some of these are single stage (what is called direct gloss) and some are base coat/clear coat paints. A paint code that works in one brand's paint line will not transfer to another paint line even in the same brand.
The decision to use single stage or base/clear is whole 'nother can of worms. I'll avoid that one for now. 
To make up these paints the companies have dozens and dozens of tinting agents. Just to make it more entertaining the companies phase tinting agents in and out of the product lines based on demand. You could find that a formula that worked with one brand and paint system a few years ago can't be mixed today. Other tinting agents can be substituted but it would take a scan or trial and error to get it right (see below).
Here's a outline of what to try-
Preserve some part of the car's original paint to use as a sample
Find out what paint system your painter uses
Get your paint codes
Ask on this list. Someone may already have a formula in your brand name and paint line.
Check the sites at the bottom of this email to find out if your color was used on other years and models. The color name will often be different but the code will be the same. My '57 Dodge's white was used over three years and several models. Sometimes you'll get lucky and find there's a mixing formula that is not referenced to all the applications.
You might find their computer references what is called an offset or closely matched color formula. These can be dead-on matches or not so good. You'd want to have a sampled mixed and sprayed out to check the match. It often has to be hand tinted by the painter or paint store.  
If that doesn't work many paint stores have a scanner. The scanner can read a sample part or large paint chip and develop a mixing formula in the paint line you are using. 
The scanner's accuracy has improved in past years but still don't take the formula it develops as gospel. I had them mix a sample from the scanner's formula and then sprayed it. It still needed a bit of hand tinting to match the sample.  
And just to make it a bit more interesting some colors and base/clears are very fussy about the color of the primer or undercoat color used underneath. Many paint companies recommend that the primers be tinted to help color matches. My Dodge's red showed a detectable difference between light gray primer and black tinted primer. Do make sure your primer/sealer colors are consistent between the sprayed out samples and car. 

Jim Krausmann
Detroit
http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/
http://www.paintscratch.com/__
iiiiiIf,_._,___ 

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