Need Paint Code Info

[Mr9146]

As you all know, I recently sold my 914 and have taken a step "backward" and gotten myself into a 911. The project is now underway.

Step 1: Paint

I have decided to pay tribute to Mark Donahue and Roger Penske by painting the car in SUNOCO/Penske colors. Therefore, I am looking for any information on the color codes for the blue and yellow used by team Penske (Chuck Miller, you were my first thought) on the 917-30 and Trans-Am cars.

[pwd72s]

I don't have the codes. But there is a blue/gold ex Donahue Penske Camaro that showed at PIR for last year's historics...whoever owns that car would know for sure. So...I'm offering a lead here.

[Mr9146]

Thanks for the tip. I'll start tracking; I may know the restorer of that car. Thanks for the idea.

Anyone else? Please help.

[fryardds]

Marco,

My friend Tom McIntyre owns the '68 Donahue Trans Am campion car. These are not very good photos but I'm sure he would glad to help. It is one of my all time favorite cars. Tom drives it in several historic races each year and it is always a thrill to see it out on the track.









Tom's friend Ken Epsman owns the '69 Campionship car and the colors seem different. I wonder how these colors compare to the '70s Sunoco Blue and Gold?

[GreenT]

Here are a couple of more pictures of #6 and #9. Every camera will make them look different. Great cars. Sunoco sponsored everything from Javelins to Offenhausers to Ferraris to Lolas to Corvettes back then. All were supposed to be the correct corporate blue and yellow. So one way to go at it is skip trying to figure it out from old cars that may not have been accurate in the first place - you can buy the colors for redoing old Sunoco pumps and other memorobilia made straight from the corporate codes. Here's a place just like that - you can get a pint of each (Eastman automotive acrylic enamel) of the blue and yellow gas pump paint from these guys made from the real codes, then any good paint shop can do an exact match from those samples -

http://www.bobs-garage.com/parts/

Gulf colors can be done this way too -

[Mr9146]

Brian,

You know it's interesting - both of those cars have slightly different colors (maybe it's the lighting in the photos) as does the 917-30. The 917's blue seems to be richer and the yellow seems to be brighter. Again, maybe it's just the lighting.

Regardless, if you could PM me with your friend's e-mail address I would really appreciate it; I could really use his help/input/experience. At the very least it'll be a good jumping off point.

Thanks for the photos ... BTW, do you know if MAECO Motorsports in Northridge, CA did the restoration?

[Mr9146]

Here are a couple of more pictures of #6 and #9. Every camera will make them look different. Great cars. Sunoco sponsored everything from Javelins to Offenhausers to Ferraris to Lolas to Corvettes back then. All were supposed to be the correct corporate blue and yellow. So one way to go at it is skip trying to figure it out from old cars that may not have been accurate in the first place - you can buy the colors for redoing old Sunoco pumps and other memorobilia made straight from the corporate codes. Here's a place just like that - you can get a pint of each (Eastman automotive acrylic enamel) of the blue and yellow gas pump paint from these guys made from the real codes, then any good paint shop can do an exact match from those samples -

http://www.bobs-garage.com/parts/

Gulf colors can be done this way too -

Sounds like the way to go. All very good responses and I thank you. This is turning out to be a good thread ...

Also, what about the red on the 917-30? There is a red pinstripe ...any ideas?

[GreenT]

Yeah, find some old yellow stripe Firestones and do the pinstripes in yellow too, like on Penske's Lola 18 - it was a gorgeous racer to begin with, but in Sunoco blue and yellow - just a killer car

[fryardds]

Marco,

I think John's suggestion makes the most practical sense to get the color codes. I remember having a discussion with Tom about the restoration of the '68 car and he told me that the Sunoco colors have changed since the late '60s. He did extensive research to come up with the correct colors for his car to be as accurate as possible. In 1968 that is what Sunoco Blue and Gold looked like on this car, later the blue was lightened up and the gold became more yellow.

I don't remember what shop did the restoration of his car. He literally found it in a barn sometime during the 70's.

[Mr9146]

I spoke with Bob at Bob's Garage - GREAT guy, btw - and he told me that the paint they mix is a Sherwin Williams single stage paint. This will not translate to a PPG two stage (base coat/clear coat).

My questions:
1)Does anyone have any experience in translating paint codes between single and two-stage paint?
2)Does anyone have any cross reference info for Sherwin Williams codes to PPG codes?
3)If I have to buy a pint of each color (blue/yellow) - which I'm not stoked about at $35 a pint - can a dual stage paint be derived froma single stage paint?

Also, Brian, I'm still interested in your friend's e-mail address or phone number so I can speak to him about his Penske car.

Thanks to all who've chimed in. This is turning into a fun little search ... and I like the photos.