1930 Paint Color Code

Chris · February 16, 2012, 07:55:43 PM

Yes, it could have been painted back in the day, but the gentleman I bought it from said it was painted in about 1985, but it was painted in the original scheme, as far as he knew, but who knows for sure? The car was shipped to Granville, NY on the Vermont border. I have a registration card I found in the roadster top from 1994 from Westford, VT, which is only 90 miles north.

Jim Benjaminson · February 14, 2012, 10:03:48 PM

I think the clue to this being a "show car" is your statement that the undercarraige is green like the fenders. Unless someone painted it that way "way back when" and the car has been unmolested since at least the laste 1940's, it would seem the colored chassis marks it as something besides an "ordinary" production line car.....Its unfortunate the build card doesn't give more details. Where does it show the car being shipped to??? A dealer in a major city or ????

Chris · February 14, 2012, 07:52:57 PM

Another interesting post about the collegiate colors, thanks again. I guess it's possible, but not sure about my car. Mine has 3 colors (tan body+dark green fenders/stripes/undercarriage+lighter green wheels), so I would think the collegiate special would only be 2 colors and a black chassis??? I have found no evidence of any other colors on my car so far (I'm not going to tear it apart, either), so I'm assuming for now that it is the original paint scheme. The previous owner's family had it in their family in those colors since 1947 or so.

FYI...There's a photo feature on a '32 Collegiate special Sport Roadster in the Feb '91 Collectible Automobile, but it doesn't reveal much info.

GWR · February 14, 2012, 06:48:28 PM

Interesting thought about "Collegiate" colors.

I have a copy of a Plymouth Motor Corp letter dated November 20th, 1929 that talks about a New York show in January (maybe 1930) and that special colors are available to attrack visitors to the booth. I says:

"Your attention is called to our facilities for building on your order, cars in special color or with special equipment which are particularly valuable to you for Show Display. It is not necessary for us to elaborate on the inportance of having brilliantly colored cars in you Display at the Show because you - as well as we - have seen the interest displayed by show visitors in striking paint combinations which attract people to your Exhibit.

"Prices for special colors are as follows:
LIST NET
Body only $ 35.00 $ 23.00
Fenders, Splash Guard, Frame Horns 35.00 23.00
Rear Deck, Tire Carrier, etc.
Chassis and Running Gear 20.00 10.00"

"Prices for wire wheel are as follows:

5 Wire Wheels, spare mounted in rear 35.00 24.00
6 Wire Wheels, spares mounted in front
fendes, including2 spare tires and tubes 90.00 55.50"

It goes on to say:

"Other items of special equipment are listed in our Special Color and Equipment folde, of which you have a copy." ( I wish I had a copy)

Next paragrah reads:

"The knowledge and skill of the Art and Design Division of our Engineering Department is available to assist you in working out attractive color schemes"

It would appear from this statement that most any color combination could be had. It goes on to say that special colors would take about 4 weeks to produce and to plan ahead for their show.

Just makes the questions of colors a little more cloudy.

Happy Motoring, Gary

Chris · February 12, 2012, 12:55:58 PM

Thanks for the replies.

Key code was U390, listed in a separate box. The 8236 Code A is from the Paint and Trim box on the build card.

ehenin · February 11, 2012, 09:49:27 PM

Could the 4 number code be a key code?, The paint code is stamped on my build sheets. i.e. Packard Blue or Ambassador Brown. Each sheet has a4 number code but it is beside the key info.

GWR · February 11, 2012, 08:48:38 PM

I have a lot of stuff on the 1930 paint colors, including original sheets from DuPont, and non of it referes to a four digit number followed by any code. Everything is like IM-103 or IM-1126. These being DITZ-Lac numbers. These colors are giving by applicable body styles, i.e. Coupe, Sedan etc.

Some of the stuff from the early Plymouth 4 Cylinder Owners Club (1960) references the same paint colors (like Packard Blue) with numbers like MO 1762 and/or IM-949. I don't recall what brand of paint used the MO designation.

But again I don't have anything that would translate to a 8256 Code A.

Sorry, but Happy Motoring, Gary

Lew · February 10, 2012, 09:20:16 PM

Try the site, www.tcpglobal/autocolorlibrary.com. They have the paint formulations per year, usually Ditzler, which became part of PPG. Not sure if they translate into the code you have, but you may be able to go by the actual color listed or find original overspray, etc. on some body parts of your car to match. As an aside, some of the colors are interchangeable with other car mfrs. of the period.

TodFitch · February 10, 2012, 07:11:28 PM

Information on what paint and trim codes prior to 1934 translate to have been lost.

That said, your paint number sure is a different format than those 1933 and up. Now I wonder when they changed to the format used later in the '30s. '34 and up (and it looks like '33 also) used a three digit number with ranges of numbers generally being similar colors (100s for black, 200s for blues, etc.).

Chris · February 10, 2012, 06:32:48 PM

I just sent my info in to Chrysler Historical Sercvices and they sent me back a copy of my original build card. It said the original paint code was "8236 Code A." I haven't been able to translate that into any color schemes. Does anyone know what color(s) that translates into?