Stressing about the color...(eating crow)

[allenfahey]

These are awesome Allen, thank you very much. I'm curious, you mentioned it before, but what does it mean "He said it is a blendable match"? It'll be interesting to see for myelf the difference between your iphone photo and the actual spray cards (including all of the online samples)! I'm excited!! ;D

A blendable match is not an exact 100% match to the vehicle. For an example..... if you were to apply color to the whole fender and and apply clear there would be a color variation on the door, grille, and possibly the hood. The proper way is to fade the color to the adjacent panels in a "/" pattern and fool the eyes of the color mis match. A blendable match is a match good enough for a painter to hide the variation. Some colors can have 5-7 different variants from the factory. Solid colors are easier to get a perfect match as opposed to a high metallic or pearl color.
HERE is an excellent video of what and how to do a blend.

 

[asinor]

Fixed link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MQ3Yx2h3Rg

 

[blamejane]

A blendable match is not an exact 100% match to the vehicle. For an example..... if you were to apply color to the whole fender and and apply clear there would be a color variation on the door, grille, and possibly the hood. The proper way is to fade the color to the adjacent panels in a "/" pattern and fool the eyes of the color mis match. A blendable match is a match good enough for a painter to hide the variation. Some colors can have 5-7 different variants from the factory. Solid colors are easier to get a perfect match as opposed to a high metallic or pearl color.
HERE is an excellent video of what and how to do a blend.

Got it, thanks for explaining and for the video. This is all very interesting and new information to me.

 

[DirtDonk]

Looks like you're due for a replacement decal too blamejane. Although many are completely missing by this time, yours is getting pretty raggedy-edged and, if you're going to be painting it sometime soon, would sure benefit from a new one.
At least you've taken pictures of it for future reference. Good to have.

Is that something that Marti does too, or is it someone else that does the replacements?

Paul

 

[JGbronc]

Looks like you're due for a replacement decal too blamejane. Although many are completely missing by this time, yours is getting pretty raggedy-edged and, if you're going to be painting it sometime soon, would sure benefit from a new one.
At least you've taken pictures of it for future reference. Good to have.

Is that something that Marti does too, or is it someone else that does the replacements?

Paul

Marti does make the replacements. Very little difference from the originals. We will likely be ordering one for the '73 project.

 

[blamejane]

Looks like you're due for a replacement decal too blamejane. Although many are completely missing by this time, yours is getting pretty raggedy-edged and, if you're going to be painting it sometime soon, would sure benefit from a new one.

You are right Paul, definitely could use a new door sticker. Not only is mine raggedy, but it's completely curled-over itself; hence the finger holding it up in the picture.

Marti does make the replacements. Very little difference from the originals. We will likely be ordering one for the '73 project.

JG, I ordered the replacement glove box tag (with rivets) but not the door sticker. I'm glad to hear it's a pretty exact replacement, and will probably go ahead and order one.

 

[4x4livn]

I am almost positive that my bronco came from the factory as chrome yellow. Here is a picture of mine... i dont think you have chrome yellow.

 

[blamejane]

I am almost positive that my bronco came from the factory as chrome yellow. Here is a picture of mine... i dont think you have chrome yellow.

Thanks for the photo reference. I agree and I do believe my Marti report is correct and the paint code is Y. I will confirm with the sprayout cards from Allen.

I love the color of my bronco. When looking online at the two "orange" examples for 1976 paint chips, I never liked the paint code Y swatches. I did however like the chrome yellow code G swatches, and thought they better represented my color. Now that I know these online swatches are low-quality screen representations of the paint codes, I'm not so worried about how they look. It is important that I know the correct paint code for future paint purposes, but it really doesn't change how I feel about my bronco. I think it just took me a while, along with reading the comments from everyone here, to figure this out.

 

[DirtDonk]

See, the internet as a stress reliever. Who'd a thunk, right?
Or maybe it's just hanging out with Bronco-friends more often that does it.

Paul

 

[blamejane]

See, the internet as a stress reliever. Who'd a thunk, right?
Or maybe it's just hanging out with Bronco-friends more often that does it.

Paul

Exactly! ;D

 

[Blue71]

Went by my local paint store today and found the "Mecca Gold" Color code "Y" for 76-77 Ford Truck. When I put up the pic of Jane standing on the trailer with her Bronco that she posted and then put up this chip of Mecca Gold...it looks awfully close on my screen. Although the Mecca Gold paint chip doesnt look nearly as orange as the pic of her door post .

 

[stupidboy]

Better just change the color to be sure!!;D

 

[allenfahey]

I put the spray out cards in the mail today. You should know 100% in a few days. I'll bet the Bronco was repainted before with a different color than original.

 

[Blue71]

Keep us posted

Blue71

 

[broncoitis]

Interesting thread with some good info from youtube. ;D

 

[blamejane]

I put the spray out cards in the mail today. You should know 100% in a few days. I'll bet the Bronco was repainted before with a different color than original.

You rock Allen...

Cards arrived in the mail today. The paint and finish on these make them look like real painted steel. Amazing.

Okay without even comparing to my bronco the winner is...

wait for it...

wait for it...

Okay seriously, it's paint code G. No question, without a doubt this is the color of my bronco. I would say it's not even a blended version...this is the exact formula; at least in my minds-eye.

Tomorrow I will go to the shop and take a few photos with the spray cards taped at strategic locations on the bronco. It'll be interested to see how far off I am about the blend.

Now I know you guys think possibly the bronco has been painted, and this is partly true due to the glass front fenders, but this has been the color (or a blend of the color) since my dad purchased it (Aug 76). So is it possible the dealer repainted it after seeing the original color? Is there any way for me to really know for sure?

 

[Skunkybud]

You may already know this but, I just ordered the build sheet for mine from Ford. You can go to http://www.shopfordgear.com and click on the build sheet & compliance letter link found on the left side of the page. Put in you VIN and give them $18 and they'll give you all the stats on your Bronco when it rolled off the showroom. IN 4-6 weeks of course. good luck!

 

[Skunkybud]

you can buy the original DITZLER PAINT CHIPS on eBay. Here's the link

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-FORD-T...720&pid=100011&prg=1005&rk=1&sd=281035567126&

 

[MartyG]

That chrome yellow looks similar to mine...but my 73 is an Audi color...papaya orange.

It's bright...but I like it.

 

[allenfahey]

Now I know you guys think possibly the bronco has been painted, and this is partly true due to the glass front fenders, but this has been the color (or a blend of the color) since my dad purchased it (Aug 76). So is it possible the dealer repainted it after seeing the original color? Is there any way for me to really know for sure?

The pictures of the sticker looks like original paint there or at least very old paint. Usually on an all over re-paint the jambs don't get re-painted if the color is staying the same. It might just be the computer monitor but it looks like they didn't blend into the doors. Looks like they painted the grille and the fender. That's not to say someone repained the whole Bronco at one time and when they did the front they just didn't blend into the doors.
You can get the paint thickness measured. A MIL guage measures the thickness of the paint on only metal, which is usually about 7-8 mils. As you can see they are not cheap! Your local paint jobber will have a tech guy that visits the body shops when he is needed. He should have a mil guage and could tell you more.