Color Theroy...

[88hurstolds]

So I dug out the code 15 Gray Metallic '87 442 bumper cover with factory paint to compare to the white and black lower 12 Silver Metallics and I swear its is in between the two in tint values. Shows how much the base coat affects the lower silver color. Granted the paint is crappy and worn but up against the black it looks like the white cars and visa versa...

Both cars have factory paint, stripes and gravel guard... decal placement and tone of the gray vary from '85 to '87... the lower gray on the other weatherd '85 442 thats twin to the survivor matches the '85 still...

 

[69hurstolds]

My 85 442 has what I call a "darker" area in the silver on the driver door where it appears something went wrong with air pressure or paint flow or something as it was being painted. Or something didn't get cleaned out properly when they sprayed the silver or had to fix a spot, I don't know. As the paint aged, I noticed a spot on the passenger quarter panel near the sail panel that appears it might have been paint-repaired eons ago. It was nothing for them to go back and repair paint back in those days since it was mostly lacquer. They actually did it more than people realize.

Maybe it's just my eyes, but my 85's silver paint looks more silvery than the 87's, although it's supposed to be the same shade.

Factory 84 H/O upper silver paint had issues matching panels as well. Whatever wasn't painted ON the car at the time of paint, usually wouldn't 100% match.

If you think it was bad tone matching in the 80s, it wasn't any better today. The 5th gen Camaro had all sorts of issues matching the tints of the colors of their flexible nose covers to the car, especially the red jewel tintcoat and the silver cars.

 

[pagrunt]

Keep in mind production line painting has way too many variables with painting. Different assembly plant, possible different paint supplier. Most parts were noton the cars when painted. As 69hurstolds noted they colors were just changed in the sprayer system & might not of been fully/properly cleaned. The manunally sprayed parts might of had the gun too close or too far away, painters attention not on the part. Refilling the supply tank from a different lot of the same color. Even the air temp in the shop could of changed the hue. Also brought was the different substrate which affects the hue but is worse with modern cars. I've seen new cars on the lot back in the '90's while checking in cars for the dealership that doors were just off that the average person wouldn't notice. In the early 2000's at the supply shop I was at we got cards from PPG for a disclaimer on color match on plastic parts. Then the PPG rep had us mix & do several spray outs during the day to show the differences with air temp & humidity through out the day. Last, don't forget weather & sun light affects the finish too.