15 replies to this topic

[W. J. Dougherty]

What do you experts use to create famous paint colors like McLaren Orange or Petty Blue on Lexan slot car bodies??

Thanks,

[Lucky Me]

Lots of mixing cups.

[Mopar Rob]

What do you experts use to create famous paint colors like McLaren Orange or Petty Blue on Lexan slot car bodies??

Thanks,

There's a PPG lacquer formula for Petty blue. When I was in the paint business I mixed up some for myself. Later I'll look to see if I actually put the label on it. If not any automotive jobber that sells PPG and handles Duacryl lacquer (DDL) should be able to mix it for you.

[Mr. Frank]

Lots of mixing cups.

DON'T LAUGH... Thats the best
Lots of testing, lots of mixing..

PAINT ON..

Mr. Frank

[Zippity]

try http://forums.autosp...showtopic=85480

1375 CVC Pantone (or FF7B08 Hexadecimal) would be a pretty close match up to a good McLaren orange

http://www.automotiv...e_across__.html

http://www.thebrucem...m/wscolours.htm

http://www.britmodel...showtopic=67258

good luck

[Mopar Rob]

Duh, forgot about the Mopar deal


It's probably not an exact match to the actual race cars, but in 1971 PPG # 12785 coprorate blue was refered to as Petty Blue. In 1973 #2423 or B3 is also refered to as Petty Blue. I believe the color I mixed up that I didn't label was from the old paper "Fleet Selector" paint code list? I remember it was a much older color based off of the PPG number.

[Hworth08]

I believe the first Petty Blue came from the fact that there wasn't enough blue in the shop so Lee Petty mixed in some white.

Exterior house paint was the norm with stock cars. The body wasn't going to last long and house paint was a lot cheaper.

[Wizard Of Iz]

Make Petty Blue the same way the Petty's did ---- mix it yourself.

If you're using Createx/Faskolor, then darken Sky Blue with Opaque Blue. If you get it too dark, just add a little white.

[Frankie Schaffier]

Sorta off topic but kinda cool Petty paint story.

In the early 80's I wanted to paint one of my endruo kart chassis the Petty day glow orange. Called Petty Ent. to get the paint number or formula hoping to get the excat color, explaining to him what it was going to be used for. The gent I talked to said he couldn't give me the numbers, but said they would send a quart of the paint for free. A few days later UPS dropped off a box with the quart of paint, signed picture of King Richard and a hand full of Petty Ent stickers.

[Mopar Rob]

Make Petty Blue the same way the Petty's did ---- mix it yourself.

If you're using Createx/Faskolor, then darken Sky Blue with Opaque Blue. If you get it too dark, just add a little white.

I believe the blue they first used on their race cars came from the "Fleet" color that was used with their family trucking business?

[Lucky Me]

DON'T LAUGH... Thats the best
Lots of testing, lots of mixing..

PAINT ON..

Mr. Frank

Even though I was laughing, I am dead serious about the mixing of paint. Do it all the time.

As far as coming up with a specific color, paint companies like PPG and others can get you where you want to be.

I often mix paint to come up with something a little different or just to see what it looks like.

My problem is if I like what I mixed up, often I dont take note's on how I arrived at that color specifically, soooo,,,,,I have started taking notes on what color and how much was mixed so it can
be reduplicated if need be.

[Ron Hershman]

When asked directly about the "Petty Blue" color, Richard related, years later, that indeed, it had been a fluke. Late in the 1959 season, after having to rebuild one of the '59 Plymouth Fury's, Maurice told Richard that they didn't have enough white paint for the painting of the entire car. Being brought up to waste nothing, Richard found some dark blue paint, but not in a sufficient amount to paint the whole car. Richard said they he looked at Maurice, and Maurice looked at him, and they just dumped the two paints into one tub, then proceeded to paint the Plymouth in the color that came out. When they got done, they were impressed themselves with the hue. Lee came back from an out of town race, and marveled at how that color set the car off. Almost electric is what he said. Of course, Richard and Maurice had to scramble to remember the right mix. Once they did, the formula became their secret, even to the point of being patented by a paint company as Petty Blue.

[Ron Hershman]

http://www.forabodie...ead.php?t=64479

http://www.art-paint...Petty-Blue.html

http://www.amazon.co...t/dp/B001B38QU6

Another guess would be BASF. I think they took over Johnson Polymer and have a patent for a Petty Blue paint code. I don't know who originally had it in the 60's and 70's. I read that it was a result of the team not having enough white paint so they also had some dark blue paint but not enough of it to paint the car either so they mixed it together and that is how they got Petty Blue.

I know there are different paint codes for some years. In 1970 there was a Petty Blue that had a code of C37D. I have read of other paint codes for Richard Petty Blue.

It also seems like I have seen some color charts from Imperial Paint Company from back in the 60's/70's that carried a Petty Blue.

Maybe that will help get you looking in the right direction.
---
There was also a 999 paint code. Also some referred to the paint as TB3 code and also Corporate Blue, and Basin Street Blue.

[Ron Hershman]

This guy got his Petty Blue direct from Petty Enterprises

http://www.mopardealer.com/petty3.htm

[Ron Hershman]

Check out this source for Petty Blue(s) and Mc Laren Orange

http://www.mcwautomo...t/racelist.html

[Brenden Selvig]

I would love to find the actual Gulf blue that was used on the Porsche 917...