VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 1934 Sport Sedan original colors

I am wondering how important it is to put the original colors on the vehicle when restoring it. This car is 100% original at this point, although in many pieces. It was built in Canada, paint code 1406, it says on the cowl tag. I cannot find any info on this code. When I removed the paint the original color looked to be a dark bluish green. At this point the body is off the frame, with 75% of the body work done. I sand blasted the frame, epoxy primer, and gloss black urethane. The original 207 c.i. engine is being rebuilt, as well as the trans. and the rest of the running gear. After all this work I am not sure I want to put a drabby color on it. I was thinking of black fenders for sure though. But what about the body? Thanks

Paint code 1406 is Dorado blue. Body & fenders were the same colour. Wheels were cream. Owning a Canadian car is different than the US model. I have a 1934 Master Sedan delivery that's Canadian & I intend to do the car back as Canadian as possible. The dash will be a killer to redo as the entire dash on a Canadian 1934 Master is wood grained unlike the US model. The engine could have a different casting than the US model also. What you do is totally up to you...Joe

If you can get a paint chip the size of a quarter (Canadian) most paint stores can match it up. Look at places where re-painters offten miss during a paint job. Like on top of passanger doors or other arears not painted during a quick paint job. They can adjust for discolloration. Also these areas are out of sum and weather, too. Good luck on your paint color.

Woodgrain dash? When I bought the car it was dark brown fenders and light tan body and interior, dash and window trim. I would like to see a color chip of Durado blue. I will be using a bc/cc system, for durability and ease of use. Will it decrease the value when done if it is not the original color and shiney?

The entire dash is wood grained not like the US brother. Lid, instrument area, center & impression area is wood grained. Paint chips are unknown for Canadian cars. Like Terrill says you can get a match by finding an area that didn't get painted very well. I found the panel right above the door that was never sanded so the paint didn't stick. Mine is Ontario blue. Auto color library in San Diego say they have a formula for it. Maybe they have yours. I have a picture of an original dash. I could send you a pictures is you PM an e-mail to me...Joe

How do you recreate the wood grain on metal for the interior window trim and dash? If that's what it was from the factory?

There are people who do it professionally; The window reveal
moldings on my '35 Std Coupe are metal, but were finished in an artificial wood grain finish. After numerous frustrating and unsuccessful attempts to do it my self, I sent all the moldings out to get them done! This was about 25 years ago.
It wasn't cheap, but it was well worth the cost! Look in Hemmings, you will see several listings of guys who do it. If you can't find one near you, I can get you the info on the guy
who done mine; I just saw him in May at Dunkirk NY swap meet.
He is located in Pa, not far from Erie. He has been doing this
for about 30 years, and you will have to remove the dash and send it to him. Phil Lipton

It will be quite a while before I will need to do the dash and interior. I checked out the wood graining site. Looks interesting and challenging. Back to my first question: will it devalue my 100% original '34 sport sedan if I paint it candy apple red? Thanks

If you show in vcca judged meets, it will definitely cost you some judging points. The cars are judged according to be exactly as they left the factory when new, and any deviation
will cost points. If judging is not important to you, feel
free to finish the dash however you want! I wanted my car to be as correct as possible, but I no longer have it judged in
vcca competition, and my enjoyment noe comes from driving the car and touring with it! I have enough trophies!

Absolutely! Cars were made to be driven and enjoyed!

For VCCA judging the car does not have to be painted the color specified on the body plate. Just a color correct for that year.

....thus rendering the information supplied on the cowl tag by the factory useless for judging.

I have been very sucessful at re-doing my wood grane on the garnish moldings around the windows. I used two spray cans at the same time to reproduce the color tone once dry I used the tip (soft end) of a wild turkey feather as a brush. I used thined black paint. Following the chat site's page on it and expermiting with it on another piece of metal first until profecient. I have also found that if the wood grane is there but faded it can be brought back by using clear poly seal, water base. If you don't like what it does you can just wash it off with a rag and a lot of rubbing. This also works on dull paint that you want to bring up to a shine.

I will tackle the interior when I get that far, probably nearer the end of the project. I think I have decided to go with two tone candy wine berry colors for the body and fenders, the body being a few shades lighter than the fenders. PPG Radiance II with SPI clearcoat. I have sprayed the candy before (years ago) but I have never used SPI clearcoat. I am thinking it will be similar to the PPG 2020 clear? Being that my chrome door handles and trunk lid hinges are in bad shape, I am thinking of sandblasting, priming, and painting them. Otherwise find new. I am not sure I trust some of the chrome plating nowadays, plus the cost of them. I found a very nice candy yellow/gold that would make a nice accent color. Thanks to everyone for your input.

So I really don't understand....are you going to restore your car or are you just painting it? To answer your question, what you just stated does devalue your car. If your going to paint your trunk hinges then don't plan on having it judged, you will lose points for them not being chromed and for sure having a wine berry you will lose points. It needs to be a color which was offered in 1934.

As to your hinges, I know where you can get new ones. A Buick guy makes new ones.

Since you haven't identified "judging" as a top priority, I assume that it isn't. And, that's the position that a lot of people START with. There's a lot of things to think about when you first begin to restore an "old" Chevy. And thinking about having it judged may not be high on the list -- initially. I have lived through that and understand it. I don't think that it's "bad" to begin this way.

Having said that, what you might find as you progress through your journey, is that your end goal(s) begin to shift slightly. As you spend more and more time, and money on it, you may begin to imagine different uses - such as judging and showing. This is a natural evolution. Sometimes the guys on this FORUM forget this, and just try to "force" people to come to that end state way before they are ready for it.

Here's some guidelines that I'll give you - which a couple of other people found worked for them.

1. Paint your car a "period correct" color. In other words find all of the proper colors for your year and make. Pick the one that you like - ie. the one that you would have picked if you were buying the car brand new off the show room floor.

2. Add any accessories that make you happy, but again, make them period-correct.

3. If you need to paint your handles because you can't afford to chrome them, then that's okay. This is where I differ from other guys. I think that it's okay to do short-cuts on parts that are EASY to get to later on. The chances are good that after you've gotten past the honeymoon stage, you'll want to continue to upgrade your car. (And sometimes this needs to be accomplished when "finances" allow -- or kids leave home!) So the rule I would use is to do a "perfect" job on the things that you don't want to do again later on. Rims is a good example. Glass, upholstery and engines are things that you only want to touch once. Bumpers? No biggee. Paint it, wax it, what ever you want. You can easily upgrade it later on.

Get your car on the road and begin to enjoy it. That is THE GREATEST MOTIVATION for wanting to make it even better. Enjoy the ride - but most of all, enjoy the journey!!

--Bill B

Welcome to the VCCA Chat Site! I took a look on the map and found that you live awaaaaaayyyy up there! If you have not signed up to be a member of the VCCA yet, I can't recommend it enough to both help you restore your car, and enjoy it when you are finally driving it. We have a region in Canada, the Southern Ontario Canada Region. Although I realize it is slightly out of your geographical area, PM me some contact info and I can send you an information package.

We have a couple members on the forum, and in the region that own Canadian built 1934 Chevrolets that I can pass along contact info for as well...

It is a complete frame-off restoration. Where can I find the colors that were offered in 1934? Can the paint shine(sanded and buffed clearcoat)? Or does the finish have to look like it was sprayed with 1934 paint technology to get the most points? I have looked on the internet but not very successful. Do you have any contact info for the Buick guy?

If Canadian cars were lacquered the same as US cars they had a very high gloss and smooth finish as the lacquer was machine buffed at the factory.

Canadian colors are not the same as US.

As far as accessories are concerned "period correct" is not quite "correct"....they must be what was offered by Chevrolet for that year and model.
Period correct would be what was available that year from Chevrolet and after market.

Do you have all the hinges and latch parts. I have some of the pieces in pitted used.

So a bc/cc system would be ok, but in colors that were only offered in 1934? Did they have metalics? I do have both top hinges, but they are very pitted and wobbly. I only have some parts of 1 latch. The whole car was a dark blue from the factory. I would like a nice looking red/maroon/metalic with darker or black fenders.

There were no metallic colors in 1934.

34trunkback, I'm going to send you a PM

this is an interesting post about paint and wood graining.
Has anyone actually wood grained a Complete car on the outside?
Different grains and types of wood could be used on the wings and the body something else. It would be a show stopper indeed.
Had better take a G.P.S. reading if parking in the woods,or you might never find it again?
Now there is food for thought!

I really like the dark red/maroon body with black fenders, both 1934 original colors. Does anyone know of the paint codes for these in PPG basecoat?