Paint Mixing Formula

[mnahon]

Hi Everyone,

I'm wondering whether it's possible to obtain the paint mixing formula for a particular color of paint; or whether this necessarily has to come from the paint manufacturer. The specific color I'm interested in is 350 H. How could/should I go about finding the formula for this color?

Thanks

[getsmart]

Hi Meyer,

350H where H stands for Herbert. Dr Herbert was one of 2 main paint suppliers on our cars. The other being G for Glasurit.
So yes you should be able to go to any paint system and get their equivalent mix ratio. Maybe a call to the technical dept of whatever paint you want to use. Mine is 568H but when I sprayed my car I used 568G - colours appear identical to me. I was with the guy that mixed it up for me and he was showing and telling me what he was adding and in what quantity and what was the base/tints etc...

By the by this is an interesting link for reference....

http://www.mbzponton.org/ponton3/colorcht/colorcht.htm

Rgds, Joe

[johnk]

The current paint line goes by the name of Herbert Standox. It’s a high end paint that I had very hard time finding a dealer around Ohio. Seems to be more popular in europe. I bought Standox for my car as that was the original manufacturer of my color. I did try a cheaper paint for looking at test colors and they just didn’t get the color right.

If glasurit is more assessable in your area I would go with that. Both are expensive. Color clear and thinner were just under $2,000 with a discount. Thinner was $400 a gallon but found out later I could have used PPG’s high end thinner for half the price.

[Vander]

Any reputable paint supply company can mix that formula. The exact formula will vary depending on which brand you choose/they offer, this is due to each manufacturer uses their own toners.

Top companies are Glasurit, and PPG water based (what certified MB shops use), Herbert Standox is good if you want to use it in homage to the original supplier.

And if you are doing an entire car, paint and supplies can be $4,000.

[mnahon]

Thanks Joe, John and Vander for your answers. This has been very helpful.

Meyer

[MikeSimon]

I second Vander's remarks. PPG has an outstanding system out there that is available to the paint shops that use their paint. They can analyze any paint and come up with a mix that is so close to the original, that you can hardly see a difference. I have one vehicle with a very difficult color to reproduce. It is originally a shade of metallic red over a silver base coat, and my friend's shop did a paint match and the result is perfect.

[Cees Klumper]

When I was trying to source paint for my '72 Lancia, the original manufacturer told me they were unable to mix the proper color and I was unable to source it elsewhere, even though I had the original paint code. The problem seems to be that not all mixing formulas still exist for all older car color codes. So, yes, they can match what they see on a car today automatically using some sort of scanner, but reproducing what the original color would have looked like 40-50 years ago is not always as straightforward.

[mnahon]

Thanks Mike and Cees for this additional info.

Meyer

[getsmart]

Meyer,

Other than the quality of the paint and the good stuff others have mentioned here was that for me I needed a supplier who was willing to supply information on how to use the paint system and who I could call and discuss any questions I had and believe me I had plenty, being an in-experienced painter. It just happened for me that the Glasurit guy was by far the most helpful, knowledgeable and accessible and to add to that was nearby!!! I tried without any luck the Standox and PPG guys here and could not nail them down for a chat. Initially I was not going to use Glasurit due to the cost but in the end I think the extra cost was worth it. I used their complete system from primer to clear and used both their single stage and 2 stage lines. Fantastic paint, fantastic technical support for a novice like me. You on the otherhand may not be a novice and have slightly different requirments so best of luck!!!!

Rgds, Joe

[WRe]

Hi,
there is a Glasurit online mixing database: https://www.glasurit.com/uk/find-colour-code-glasurit-color-online.
BUT formulas are not universal because they depend on the specific ingredients, and every paint company has different ingredients. Formulas are typically not transferable, even within the same company. See att. examples for MB 834 moss green met. with 2 different Glasurit "lines".

For 350G exists 4 different Glasurit "lines" with 9 modifications over the years.
...WRe