The Quest for Alice Blue

I'm nearing painting my Alice Blue TF21 but have found that getting a good paint match near impossible! Has anyone found a paint manufacturer who can replicate a similar product?  The difficulty is that 1960s metallic paint was cellulose with an ultra fine metallic, quite poor quality and difficult to apply.  Metallic cellulose paint is no longer available, the later 2k paints are in my opinion so far a little bit heavy on the metallic flake and so give a look of a later period paint meant for 80s onwards style motors and im quite apprehensive to use water based but so far seems to offer the best colour match and smallest flake available. I discovered the painted panels under the doors on my TF to be original paint under the grime,  underseal and over spray from its last paint job back in the early 80s so have a perfect sample of original paint that hasn't seen the light of day for 30+ years!  The dilemma now is I know what it should be.  I really want a period looking paint finish and anything less than very near isn't going to please. I had a colour match in a flat cellulose which would look good on maybe a frog eyed sprite but definitely too dull for my TF. I have seen Internet images of what looks like good replica paint finishes,  hopefully someone on here can help me with my quest. Ignorance is bliss and had I not unearthed some original paint, I doubt very much I would see it as such a dilemma! Posted by Hewitt OPC 03/04/2014 13:04:36

Chris,  have you tried "Ken & Lyn" in Buxton, Derbyshire, phone no. is 01298 814813?   They managed to supply some cellulose semi metallic paint for a friend's rare Jensen PW (1950s) which he was very pleased with. Posted by DaveT 04/04/2014 11:17:00

You can try talking to Alex at Earley Engineering. They finished my TA21 in Alice Blue a few years ago, and the colour / appearance is excellent, so they must have had a good materials supplier. If you have an email address I can send a picture which shows the colour / finish reasonably well.  In order to avoid any material compatibility problems you will need a fully compatible primer, base and topcoat system. Your finisher will be best placed to advise. A light coloured (e.g. grey) primer will be needed for Alice Blue. Either a 1-K or 2-K low-temparature curing material, but if not going back to bare metal, be sure it will cure correctly over whatever it is covering. The Alice Blue basecoat would probably be best as a 1-K material, overcoated with a 2-K clear Lacquer. Cellulose may not the best way to go for a metallic finish in today conditions. There is an excellent range of modern materials that look good and probably have a longer life than cellulose. It should be possible to mix A 1-K basecoat to match Alice Blue. The 1-K basecoats are finished with a 2-K clear lacquer which has all the required UV and weathering protective properties, and can be polished as much as you like without affecting the basecoat colour. 1-K basecoats may be metallic or mica flake, which a specialist supplier will hopefully match to your colour sample. But it may need a couple of attempts at tinting and doing test plates (with the clear lacquer on top) until you get exactly the shade you are looking for. The `Clear over Base´ combination should avoid any dull effect you noticed on the colour sample you had. The true colour-shade and metallic effect will not be seen until the full 3-coat system (primer, basecoat + clear) is applied to a test-plate, and viewed under correct light conditions, from different angles. Often a light metallic colour may become darker as it is applied more heavily, so the Basecoat application can also be critical to the colour-shade.  Hope this helps, Giles Lacey Posted by lacey giles 04/04/2014 22:21:36

Thank you both very much. My email is <!-- e --><a href="mailto:chris@hewittsafeopening.co.uk">chris@hewittsafeopening.co.uk</a><!-- e --> I would like to see the pictures Posted by Hewitt OPC 05/04/2014 08:40:20

I have the colour reference match to the original factory swatches. If you are interested, I'll send you the colour spec. Posted by Philip 06/04/2014 17:38:40

That would be fantastic Philip, can you send by email or do you mean send samples? Le me know if you want my address and I will return any postage costs Posted by Hewitt OPC 07/04/2014 12:24:30

Hi Chris  The colour code I matched for Alice Blue to the original factory colour swatch is: 61091, 72.0 61090, 14.5 61088, 5.0 61063, 3.0 61081, 1.0 61090, 4.5 BLVC, Zirkon Clean Shade  the final  &quot;61090, 4.5&quot; was a balancing shade to get it just right after the other 5 were mixed (so it's not a mistake).   I'll be at the Club AGM this weekend, if you're coming, and I have a small sample which peeled off the lid of the paint pot I painted...... Posted by Philip 11/04/2014 09:29:16

The information supplied by you all has been very helpful but causes me with the same dilemma ...what to do?! This has been enhanced by visiting Ken from Buxton who can supply me with a near perfect matching cellulose metallic paint or a good colour match in base and clear.  The problem is that I know I can have either, the reality is that painting a car in cellulose metallic is an almost lost skill, labour intensive and if I'm not happy with the final result I wouldn't be able to do anything about it because I would be putting the painter out of his comfort zone. With unlimited time and money I would 100% go for the cellulose but on limited time and budget along with having to be realistic on a painters abilities purely down to the uncommon nature of the paint I'm probably going to have to go with the base and clear.  For those who aren't so well up on painting methods(it's also new to me), a straight colour cellulose can be done panel by panel but the metallic has to be done in one go with far more labour and over a couple of weeks between coats and curing. I do know I can get a stunning finish with base and clear, also that the colour match will be good and much harder wearing but that doesn't fully suppress the desire for period paint and better than factory finish. I will keep you posted! Posted by Hewitt OPC 14/04/2014 17:56:20

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://s91.photobucket.com/user/hewitt300/media/20140423_160720-1_zpsmkghcbk4.jpg.html?sort=3&amp;o=1">http://s91.photobucket.com/user/hewitt3 ... sort=3&amp;o=1</a><!-- m -->  My quest now near complete and a very good compromise found with the assistance of Ken &amp; Lynn of Buxton.  Ken worked his magic and has mixed me a 2k base almost identical to my original sample with a period style metalic and the turquoise,  blues and silvers you would get in the original paint. The end result wil be a little more glossy with modern lacquer finish but all in all a very acceptable compromise!  Follow the link for a picture of the original sample of my paint which is the panel from under the door. The last 6&quot; of it is the new paint and I'm sure that you will agree an excellent match! Posted by Hewitt OPC 27/04/2014 22:07:38

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://s91.photobucket.com/user/hewitt300/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140718_161805_zps1c7c0025.jpg.html?filters">http://s91.photobucket.com/user/hewitt3 ... ml?filters</a><!-- m -->[user]=139450457&amp;filters[recent]=1&amp;sort=1&amp;o=3 I hope to see you all at international Alvis weekend, just a few things to fall in place to make it happen though.  The TF is back from paint on Sunday and our first child is due to be born in the next few weeks! ! It's all go in the Hewitt house and taking the week off next week to see what I can achieve.  Fingers crossed my wife and I with new born and newly restored will make it for the Sunday.  If you want to see a preview of the paint,  I have added a peek on photo bucket of the roof. Very pleased with the colour but want to give Gilles (my TF's previous owner) first viewing of her complete. Posted by Hewitt OPC 18/07/2014 23:57:42