[FWDLK] 1959 Dodge Paint Code

["Richard Woodside" <rwoodside@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi, ForwardLookers:

Ray wondered about the 1959 Canary Diamond color's PPG code number, and
the answer is involved enough that I thought one or two of the rest of
you might be interested.

1959 Dodge, Canary Diamond, code YY, is 81057. However, only a single
tone car would have been YY. A two tone car would be two differing
letters, each representing one of the two colors. There is no white
listed in 1959 Dodge, so I am guessing that white would be what is
listed as "XX-1 Pearl", because the paint code given is 8131. The same
8131 was listed as XXX Eggshell for 1958 Dodge and as LLL Glacier White
for 1957 Dodge.  My guess is that the paint store mixes up a can of
8131, and then it is up to the user to call it Glacier White, Eggshell
or Pearl, depending on what year of Dodge the paint lands on.
Alternatively, there could be a misprint or an omission in the book.

The issue of whether the color code is one letter, two letters or three
letters, is simply that the number of letters indicates the number of
colors that could appear on the Dodge of that year. In other words, 1959
Dodge Canary Diamond's color code is Y, but in 1959, both single and
two-tone paint schemes were offered, so an all-yellow car would be YY-1,
while a yellow car with black fins would be AY-2, a yellow car with
black fins and lower section would be AY-3, and a yellow car with black
roof, fins & lower section would be AY-4.

The following is a quote from the book:

Color combinations can be identified by the arrangement of the paint
code letters followed by a paint code number.
For example: CC-1 Single Tone
CB-2 Fin Only, First Letter is Fin Color, Second Letter Balance of Car
CB-3 Fin & Lower, First Letter Fin & Lower, Second Letter Balance of Car
CB-4 Roof, Fins & Lower, First Letter is Roof, Fins & Lower, Second
Letter Balance of Car

Further confusion, as if more is needed, arises from the addition of
1958 Spring Colors, JJJ Frosted Turquoise Poly, RRR Poppy and TTT Paris
Rose Poly. IF the book is correct, my GUESS is that the triple digits
suggest that a three-tone combination was available with those colors,
but my sense of car colors tells me that those are three colors that
don't go so easily with any two other colors, so I would have to defer
to someone who really knows this stuff. But maybe, "only your Dodge
dealer knows for sure".

Hope that helps.

Dick Woodside