Colour Question

Post by **plastic_orange** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:20 pm

Got round to polishing Bessie today, and have discovered it has had a full respray at some time in the past. I had thought that the grey was a bit darker than i remembered (originally Birch Grey I believe - November 1957), but only by polishing the flat paint and noticing some very light overspray on the front window rubber aroused my suspicions.
Once I noticed this, I then realised the dash etc was lighter too (must be going blind

), and so was underbonnet (normally is a slightly different shade after years of no cleaning).
Question is - I'm sure I've seen this shade on Minors before, so can any one tell from the pics.
I can always get a colour match at a paint store for touch up I suppose.

Pete

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Post by **MarkyB** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:11 pm

Its hard to know if the colour I'm seeing on my screen is the same as your car.
Having said that I would say it doesn't look like a standard colour to me.
On my screen it looks very blue but not quite Trafalgar blue.
How many colours were available the year it was built?
You could go to some rallies and park next to birch grey cars and compare them.
It looks like a quality job anyway.

Post by **plastic_orange** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:32 pm

It's quite a good job, but needs touched up in a few places. Colour is a blueish grey. I'll take it and try and get a match from a paint shop.

Pete

Post by **MarkyB** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:55 pm

If there is over spray on the screen rubber you could lever up the rubber and compare the colours.
They will never be the same but you should be able to tell if one is the faded relation of the other.
Happily you should be able to get a good match for the colour you have without any problem.
There must have been thousands of different car colours since then but at the time the car was built they were mostly variations on the theme of grey

Post by **stag36587** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:42 pm

Been racking my brains and suddenly my childhood came flooding back - this colour looks very similar indeed to a 1960s milky mid-blue that was used for Minis - presume you've checked out the colour chart sticky on this site too?

Post by **jaekl** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:20 pm

Based on memory for early series III the grey choices were Birch and Claredon. Birch being medium to light grey and Claredon darker with a slight bluish tint.

Post by **DAVIDMCCULLOUGH** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:46 pm

Yes looks like clarendon grey to me, same as my traveller, bluey grey and a lot darker than birch grey.<br>

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Post by **MarkyB** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:06 pm

I've had a quick search for "colour chart" but can't find it

Birch and Claredon grey

Are both more more or less grey. Rose taupe is also grey, So is smoke grey

There are probably more variations of this grey theme.
It looks like a decent paint job from here and you should be able to get a good match from a paint place for touch ups.
The question is, do you want originality (greyish) or are you happy with what you have?
I'm actually resisting having my car ( Rafferty ) resprayed as I feel its character would be reduced by losing some of the shades of green its been painted with over the years its been around for 40 and I'm quite proud of that.
Its not up to 40 shades yet but well on the way.
I spent a few hours with an electric buffing machine trying to raise a shine on some very sorry old paint to this end recently.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:08 pm

Indeed it does look like that 'Mini' blue - I think you are right Stag!

Post by **MarkyB** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:38 pm

If you save both pictures and compare them side by side they don't appear to be the same at all.
The mini colour seems like a good bet but the pictures we are looking at have been through several different processes before we saw them.
Different cameras, different versions of jpeg compression then different graphic cards and different screens.
Even before that there were different light conditions and reflections.
I would guess that its an early 70s colour.
There is no reason to think it is a BL colour at all.
My friend has a Minor which is painted with a Ford colour which is admired where ever it is seen.
I painted my old van with Dulux lime green which I liked then with VW rocket red which looked great.
At the end of the day its your car Are you happy with the colour?

Post by **plastic_orange** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:43 am

Happy with the colour, but just wanted to find the shade off the shelf so to speak, to save going for a match.
I know it's difficult to recognise a colour from a pic - my other minor never shows it's true colour in a photo.

Pete