VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 which black is really black?

may seem like a dumb question but.. my 39 is black, (no name) black is what they called it in 39'. The paint shop is asking which black? tuxedo black, raven black, triple black, double deep black? is there a difference between these blacks?

Mike

Mike, although it would seem "black is black", black paint formulations may tend to produce either warm (red hued blacks) or cool (blue hued blacks). When viewed independently these formulations may appear to be similar, but when compared side by side the differences are apparent. Not sure how original 39 Chevy black falls into the warm or cool spectrum. If your color now seems correct you could have the paint shop do a spectral analysis to help determine the right formula or if someone here has good knowledge of a suitable 39 black formula they could respond. Good luck with your paint work, Jim

If i am not mistaken the ppg black base coat you need is 9700. I don't know if this is the same # for a single stage paint. This is pure black with no tints (blue, purple, gold etc). Probably all blacks on new cars today are not pure black. I will verify this with the shop that painted my 57 and let you know. Hope this helps. Tom

[quote=Brewskiehunter]may seem like a dumb question but.. my 39 is black, (no name) black is what they called it in 39'. The paint shop is asking which black? tuxedo black, raven black, triple black, double deep black? is there a difference between these blacks?

Mike

"double deep black" was a name used by DITZLER before they were swallowed up by PPG. my 35 chev coupe was painted with that back in 1979 in nitrocelluose black lacquer.

To quote somebody...........black is not black. There is lots of variables depending on the base minerals used say to produce the black. I think my 2003 S10 extreme is painted tuxedo black ??????

If your going to repaint the whole vehicle, who exactly is going to tell you that whatever black you chose is not the 100% correct black.?????????????

You do not have to use the exact same paint type says VCCA , so why should you have to use the same 39 black ?

mike lynch

Mike,

I'm thinking that, in a more technical vein black is black.

Definitions say that it is the absence of light, color and the opposite of white. The color of outer space. It absorbs light.

Some other material (metal flakes or shell, etc) may be added to black paint to make it shine and/or give off other appearances or take on other characteristics but then is it really totally black black anymore.

It is granted that the new car paints (obsidian, etc) appear much shinier than the older black paint (1941 Mayland black, etc). Still black is black. I think.

I'm mostly pulling your leg.

The topic, though, does pose a good, and interesting, question for we old car enthusiasts.

Best,

Charlie

When i painted the 3 front fenders on my 35 std coupe they matched the body paint as far as blackness. I used a gallon of black nitro to do all all 3.......2 lefts one with well and one without and a right fender. Paint i purchased from Hibernian resto in 1999

Then i broke open one of the two 2010 gallon of black and proceeded to paint the side panels , water sand and buff them to a mirror finish. I placed one of the side panels beside one of the fenders..............WELL , it was not a black black but a grey black and it was really noticable the difference. Eventually after ( 6 months )i got satisfaction from Hiberian but not without a lot of telephone time and sending paint remenants from the dark black can and the grey black to prove to them i was not crazy or seeing things.

So black is not black and there are variations of BLACK.

WHATS THAT ROCK AND ROLL SONG, BLACK CARS LOOK BETTER IN THE SHADE, OH SO TRUE.

MIKE

The gm color 8555 or code 41 is the old black and that matches my 1940 Chevrolet factory color Mayland black.Yes there are several different blacks ,with my time spent in Gm parts dept when people tell you they need touch up paint for their black car ,we get the V.I.N to check the code to get the right black.

I have been told by several professional vehicle painters there are 52 shades of white so I would guess there are 52 shades of every other color in the spectrum as well.
At this stage my local paint supplier cannot find a mixing code for my Aus built 38.
Tony

WHAT COLOUR IS THE CAR SUPPOSED TO BE ORIGINALLY ? SURELY THERE IS ORIGINAL FACTORY OVERSPRAY REMNANTS SOMEWHERE ON THE BODY THATS BEE PROTECTED ALL THESE YEARS ? IS THERE NOBODY ELSE IN AUSTRALIA THAT HAS AN ORIGINAL CAR WITH ORIGINAL PAINT ON IT?

THEN THE SOLUTION IS TO PICK A CLOSE COLOUR """YOU LIKE """ AND DO IT.

MIKE

I painted my 1934 with DuPont acrlic black lacquer back in the early '70's. It was really a dark black.

Acrylic lacquer is also available from HIBERNIA auto restorations, just make sure that you use ACRYLIC LACQUER THINNERS with it. According to their website nitro and acrylic are not to be mixed.!!!

Gene if you use the meguiars system to polish that black surface with their buffer and their polishes you can make that paint so clear & deep you will be able to count nose hairs in the reflection. LMAO

mike

Thank you for all of your input.

After doing some research on the phone and the internet forums, it looks like videoranger is correct, most black paint formulations are not pure black. The only paint code that repeatedly kept popping up as the purest black paint was Dupont's 99k. It is apparently the standard for black show cars. A local body shop said they will only use Glasurit 22 deep black when customers want deep pure black show car.

Now my car was acid dipped in the 80's which removed everything (which was a beautiful sight) and since the car was originally black it was always a nobrainer when it would come to paint. Well I'm here and it's not exactly a nobrainer.

Mike