Thanks for the comps. I call it Obnoxious Orange, but it’s often called Carousel Red on a Pontiac and Hugger Orange on a Chevy. The shared name is ’69 GM paint code #72.
I was parked offset to a ’69 Nova claimed to be painted in #72 Hugger Orange, but it wasn’t correct, not enough “blood,” and it was pretty washed out. In fact, it was so washed out that I didn’t “see it” as #72 until I overheard the guy talking about it being Hugger Orange, code #72.
Mine is a spot-on match, documented by spot testing on assorted factory color palettes on the car. The ‘other’ #72 was high dollar PPG, and it was pulled from the paint code. I was in the collision industry for 17 years, and it was my experience that GM-dealer body shops never trusted GM’s paint codes, EVER! Instead, they computer matched the color, or used some other formula/reference for the correct color paint. Occasionally, I have thought about mentioning this when people reference paint codes, but you can’t argue with an expert who knows his numbers, so I stay out of it. Hell, I can’t even add, so I don’t stand a chance!
In all fairness, if internal GM cannot figure out its own colors, how the hell is PPG supposed to figure it out? In hindsight, I have seen lots of correct #72, so there isn’t a shortage of it on the market, and someone is selling the correct color. But I have also seen many cars painted with this washed-out color. How many of these owners ‘think’ this washed-out orange is correct #72. Perhaps it would be a good project to start asking the owners of these washed-out cars what color is their paint.
Anyway, you know how it goes; at least that’s how it goes on my local cruise lots. After I told the guy that my car was also done in #72, multiple people were becoming involved. One looks, another one becomes interested, and hollers out to another to join in. To top it off, people walking by also get into it, and the next thing you know, you have 15 guys gathered around comparing notes. And the guy actually started defending that his was the correct #72 because PPG wouldn’t be selling the wrong color paint.
His car wasn’t a born-#72, so I showed him the code plate; then, he looked at the rockers below the moldings, at the color line between factory paint and new paint. The color match is so spot-on, it’s ridiculous. Once he verified mine was the correct color, he was pretty upset. Looking at his washed-out paint, I understood why, and I felt sorry for him.
I don’t have any decent shots of the car this year, and I don’t consider the ones I just posted as decent. But I’ll post some from last year. It’s the best I can do for now, and if I posted any more, it would become redundant because it’s the sos, different angles.
I know a professional photographer who does high-end, professional digital photographic work. Perhaps she can capture what I obviously cannot because the paint looks more like metal than paint, as I suspected it would. The photographer doesn’t have any car pictures and sees it as a chance to diversify her subject matter. If I let her use the pictures in her portfolio, giving her exclusive rights, including selling for profit, she will do a detailed photo shoot for free, and give me all the high resolution copies. I will be free to use them however I wish as long as she gets credit as the photographer. You know how it goes; let a professional do it when it’s obvious that you cannot do the job.
