['ol Pinion head]

In the pic on the back of the color samples of the license plate, only one color of enamel when it is subject to years of engine heat cycles is going to add a greenish tint & turn into another color represented. I'll give everyone a clue, the late '73 paint formulation is not it!

Its also amazing that transformed color just so happens to be evident in a high gloss form in the samples shown... why the high gloss on that particular paint sample? Is it because it looks pretty? I know Bill O can answer this, the question is for the rest of you

[Bentwheelbob]

Ok, so preparations are underway for the big paint test this weekend. In case anyone thinks that I am approaching this scientifically, the main preparatory items included buying a fresh bottle of bourbon and a brisket for the smoker. The paints that will be sampled will be the OEM rattlecan, the Ames rattlecan, the Tieman mix and the Pontiac Power mix. To keep everything on an even basis (and because it has been a real long time since I used my HVLP) I stopped at NAPA this morning and had them put the Tieman and PPower mixes in rattlecans. I think I will stop this evening and purchase some melamine at Lowes to use as the test object. This way I can then cut it into smaller pieces and efficiently mail it out to those who are interested. I will also shoot samples on the oil pan, but I have no way of knowing if that paint is original.

When I got back from NY last night I did do a little playing around in the Hot Rod Garage. Below are a few pictures which show the "new" engine with Tieman paint, the oil fill cap from the Black Car with OEM paint, and as a tribute to Greg "The Hose Man" a license plate with Ames. As you can see, three very distinct colors. Also below is a picture from NAPA for scientific documentation. Hah.

One question I would like to hear a little feedback on is whether I should clear all the samples after they are applied to give an even sheen to all the different formulations.

['ol Pinion head]

Bob, not sure what reason there would be to clear any of them, they weren't shot with clear at the Pontiac engine plant. Neither were radiators shot with a gloss black so shiny their tanks looked like hand rubbed lacquer...

The formula you have listed as the Pontiac Power Formula, is it the one Horst Fiedler contributed? If so, it should be the one Lars had published in the Legend in the late '80's. That is the formula I had mixed several times in the early 90's- late 90's & put in cans. The last time around, had a low mile pair of valve covers color analyzed (these had been removed & placed in a box for an older pair of Cal Customs in the Summer of '71). The mix was again, very very close.

As we know, the finish out of a can is not as nice & smooth as it out of a gun, so I'm glad you are going to shoot samples out of gun. I should have another pair of original valve covers off a 4,000 mile original '72. Know I still have the original engine out of that car & it has not been exposed to setting outside in the sunlight. Not sure if those components have had enough heat cycles to color shift or not. Was not concerned with that when I bought that particular Lux LeMans for parts.

Heat cycling brings out more of a green tint & thats is what we are seeing in one sample.. The other extreme, I often run across on the '71-early '73 paint is with the hood off on a parts/project car, or an engine setting in a core pile, the engine enamel tends to fade (bleach out) quite quickly.