Can anyone identify this color?

[johnk]

Good afternoon anyone,

I purchased this car in March, assuming the color was not a Mercedes color and that I would end up changing colors when I complete a full restoration. However since then just about everybody who sees it in person loves the color, including my wife and 20-year old kids. The original color on the car is midnight blue.

I have seen a few cars on the internet that seem to have the same color, but the actual shade is difficult to determine in many photo's. I don't believe it is the copper color noted in the tech manual, its more like a red bronze than copper. My assumption is that its not a Mercedes color from the 60's, but I would like to make absolute sure before I change it. Does anyone have an idea what this could be? Your help is greatly appreciated.


Thanks
JohnK

[johnk]

This picture is a little better in showing the true color.

[mbzse]

To me, it looks similar to Rot Metallic 571
/Hans in Sweden
.

[KevinC]

 Here's a pic of a car in that color...

[johnk]

Thanks Hans and Kevin,

Its nice to be able to say I am getting help from around the world

My color seems to be a little more brown and less red than this, however I will see if I can pictures on it.

[WRe]

Hi,
here you can see pictures of the different Mercedes colors with the different models: www.classicway.de/.
...WRe

[johnk]

This extremely helpful WRe. Thank you. I see my car's current color is not in here but it helps with deciding which color I may go with. I like the 904G which is my car's original color, but I also now see that 906 is the color that I thought I always wanted. Thirty plus years ago I fell in love with the idea of some day owning a Pagoda when I saw one being sprayed in 906.

[johnk]

correction to my note above.  Mine is 463 - Copper Metalic. the picture of the 111/112 coupe looks dead on, but the 113 looks much lighter. That is what threw me off at first.

I will see if I can get my hands on some touch up paint and try it.

Thanks!

[KevinC]

Its kind of hard to say if you don't know for sure what the PO had in mind when having it repainted. He could have stuck with an MB color or simply gone with a color that he liked. Interestingly, here's the color of my Chevy Aveo rental car today....

PS: I always thought "LT" stood for Luxury Touring but on this car its Limited Torque.

[johnk]

Nice Kevin. It does look close.

Everyone that sees mine in this color comments how pretty it is without being asked. I am going to wait to see some more colors in person before I decide whic way to go.

[Peter h]

metallic copper is a very rare color. I know in Germany only one owner. Wolfgang  http://www.pagodentreff.de/diskussionsforum/garage.php?do=view&id=1654&garage=706
Peter

but I do not know if this color was delivered in 280er
it looks more red on your Pagoda

[Bicbiker]

   I would agree with Peter. The 463 H - copper metallic - on my '67 230SL 'was' as pictured on Wolfgang's pagoda, and essentially has very little to no red hue. I say 'was', since the color has faded significantly over the past 48 years.  Best example of the color on the car now is the hubcap / wheel. Picture attached. It is my memory that this color was not uncommon on US pagodas in the mid 1960's, though I can not speak for those in Germany.
Tom

[sandcrab59]

The best way to find out the color is what I have done many times.
Go to the nearest professional auto paint supplier in your area with your car and they have cameras that will take a picture of the paint .
Then they will come extremely close to the real paint color.
It might not be a M/B color.
For example I have a 74 240D purchased from a junk car and moved over all of my 72 220D into it.
Only problem is that it is painted battleship gray (Ugly). Tan Interior.
I am contemplating painting it a bright yellow color to match the interior.
I saw this color last August at the 50th anniversary in Germany.
Recently I have seen some corvettes with this extremely bright yellow color.
So what I am saying is that your color might not be a M/B color.
Tom Mrowka

[66andBlue]

.... Everyone that sees mine in this color comments how pretty it is without being asked. I am going to wait to see some more colors in person before I decide whic way to go.

Still cannot figure out what you are fretting about.
Fact 1: everyone - including wife and kids - likes the current color and based on your photos the paint is still nice.
Fact 2: color changes are expensive to do correctly and when it is NOT the original color you may lose potential resale value.
Fact 3: In my very biased opinion the original 904G color is just perfect for these cars. 

Thus, either keep the color as is and save some money for more important maintenance or go back to the original color.

[johnk]

thanks gentlemen. I thought at the beginning it was a non-mercedes color, but started to wonder maybe it was when i saw some of the other pictures on the classicway website mentioned above. I agree that the pagoda picture does match though. I am going to order some 463 touch up paint anyways so I can see if its close at all.

[johnk]

Alfred,
I am stripping the entire car down to a bare metal chassis and will be rebuilding it from there, includiing a whole new interior, so changing color will have no affect on my cost. I have heard for a long time in high end restorations that changing the original color will not affect the value as long as you stick with a color that was available on that model. All that said I don't plan on selling after I complete the restoration so I want to choose the best original MB color combo that my kids that hopefully will inherit the car someday will like as well as me.

John

[sandcrab59]

Jasu
Sounds like a good idea.
I have in the past changed colors on my Diesel models.
Just remember when you strip the car and want to change the color, the complete car inside (including hidden spots)
and outside must have the new color. Meaning no trace of the original color can be found anywhere on the car.
Point of information:
If you are familiar with the data card, now the outside  and roof color as well as the interior codes will not match the data card.
Tomek Mrowka

[johnk]

Good points. I should get the data card and also check if the top was midnight blue as well. I did not think of that.

Thanks Tomek,

John K

[johnk]

Below is the picture of 463 copper on a w111/112 that looks dead on with my car. However its a lot darker and has more red than the w113 in 463 that they show on the same site.

[sandcrab59]

John
How close are you to Blacklick (next to Columbus).
There is a great contact for you, Joe Alexander JA17.
He knows just about everything about our cars.
Tom

[johnk]

Hi Tom,
I am a little over two hours away, but I had the great pleasure of stopping by and meeting Joe in Blacklick this spring when I was in Columbus for business. I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself so not to take up his valuable time.  Joe never met me before but would not let me leave until he showed me everything he thought I should know for my upcoming head rebuild.
What a wonderful person! Unfortunately I did not have my car with me, but I think I will get my answer soon from either buying the touch-up paint or from writing the former owner.


thanks
John