metalic paint

[Richard LeRoy]

Hi everyone!

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for being so kind and forthcoming with all their information and knowledge. I know virtually nothing and am receiving a crash couse of Pierce Arrow 101 thruogh advanced practice. Thank you.

Ok, the question of the day is that I heard that Metalic Paint was an option in 29′, First year. Can anyone document this as a yeah or neah??

[David Coco]

First, please don’t paint your car with metallic paint. It just won’t look correct, regardless of when such paint was “available”. This is personal opinion, and I’m sure some may disagree, but I’ve seen some Classics painted with metallic, and it’s like a slap in the face, just not right.

Second, my understanding is that the metallics that WERE available early on were very subtle, not the obvious big flakes you see on a lot of custom cars.

Third, remember that this is a Pierce Arrow, from a company that was fairly conservative in it’s art and color department. Yes, there may have been a few flashy cars, but as a rule Pierce stayed toward conservative color combinations.

[H. Paul Johnson Jr.]

David is correct. The metallic finishes that were available at the time your car was built were very, very soft compared to the finishes available today.

[Richard LeRoy]

Hi

I have no intention of using metallic. I was just increasing my knowledge base. Looking for documentation of paint options that’s alll. I don’t want several pas embers at my door with torches and a rope Lolol

[Bill Lyons]

I think they would have bows and arrows.

[Kim Scorah Bourget]

Your phaeton appears to be in original colors.The Arrow has published both

the early and late 1929 color charts.Pierce Arrow did do some different colors later in the 1929 series cars.There was a Pierce Arrow ad in 1929 which shows a phaeton in front of Columbia University in a color pattern rather similar to that on your phaeton.There are paint books around that show the colors for the cars of that era.

[Anthony Costa]

I am one of the fallen that have a ’35 with metallic paint. For

penance, I researched the use of metallic paint. I believe that the

Classic Car Club accepts metallic paint back to 1927. It is an

accurate statement that you could obtain any color available at the

time on your P.A. By 1932,Hupp, Chrysler, Studebaker and others,

offered mettalics as standard colors. When asked what color my car is

I respond: prostitute blue, for only a madam would have ordered a P.A.

in this color. Unfortunately, I am becoming fond of the color though

people shout “circus wagon”” when I drive by.”

[David Coco]

Shame on them for calling your car a circus wagon just because it’s a little flaky.

I believe the correct nomenclature from the Pierce Art Department would have been “Brothel Blue””……..”

[Edgar Minnie]

I have photos and factory paint chips of a silver metallic used in 1931 on a touring car. I also have a chunk of door panel from a 31 with the same paint on it. The factory called it platinum. It was very fine metallic silver and the chips still look as new. The paint on the car turned an almost dark brown over the years, I don’t think the paint was very stable. The chips show the paint was not very even in the amount of flake in it. Thus up close the finish would be called uneven. Compared to what we have today you could call the old stuff “flat” with a semi sheen. I think it wasn’t popular because other basic paints were easier to deal with, finish, and ended up giving much better service. It looks like the Estes model silver paint we used in the 70’s building plastic car and airplane models. I think very fine metallic paints look ok on certain cars in subtle colors. My 36 V-12 is quite bright non metallic…… it offends some. I like it still after more than 24 years. To each his own. Just one more thought……color can affect resale value, both positive and negative.

[David Coco]

I apologize if my comments on metallic offended anyone. For some reason it’s a personal hot button, and I’m outspoken by nature.

A yellow polka dot Pierce is still a fine car! And I know that there are some nice cars out there that look good with metallic…(and bright colors, Ed!)

[Richard LeRoy]

David. I thought your comments were funny and totally appropriate. Everyone has an opinion and some humor thrown is is always a welcome thing.

[Kim Scorah Bourget]

Beautiful puppy! Bull Mastiff?

[Richard LeRoy]

English mastiff. 228 lbs

[William H. Rolapp]

I have a 1929 factory sales office catalog (original) that shows some very wild and bright paint on their new models. I could swear that the paint looks like it could be metalic!

[Kim Scorah Bourget]

The artists in many automobile brochures did a bit of license in the colors on the cars in brochures.The dealers did offer color charts and the paint suppliers also had color chips so a shop could order paint for repair jobs.

In some cases like Packard in 1930 with their 745 DeLuxe Eight models,a client could order special colors on their automobile.

[Jim Chase]

The flakes used in the 30’s metallics were extremely fine and provided a much more subtle opalescent quality than modern paints with big flakes. The metallic colors were usually quite conservative and when done well (hate to use the work proper)are hard to tell at first they are actually metallic. Hardly “circus wagons”. You can probably tell I am thinking of using metallic on my ’35, the starting point being the 2 tone factory “Alpha Blue” and “Patricia Blue”. I have mixed around 6 sample colors now, starting with “standard” paint supplier color mixes and substituting only the fine grade flakes for the courser. Substituting the fine flakes does significantly shift the colors so it takes several tries and painting swaths on the car to fuss over what looks good (to me and my wife). Not quite there yet. So far the non-metallics just don’t quite look right. Many of the 2 tones in the ’30’s were very subtle, barely able to tell in some light, but the Alpha/Patricia combination did have more contrast than some. The Packard in the foreground departure point was a non-metallic Packard color “Dawn Gray”, but is a 1980 non-metallic Lincoln color.

[Anthony Costa]

I heard that early “metallic”” paint was accomplished by crushing

oyster shells. Can anybody confirm this? History of “”metallic”” paint

is hard to come by and is often controversial.”

[Anthony Costa]

On my research, I came across some trivia: A Toledo, Ohio ear, throat

and nose doctor, took what he learned from inventing the atomizer to

dispense medicine in vapor form, and invented the first spray gun.

Thanks Dr. DeVilbiss!

[Anthony Zappone]

I had read that fish scales were used in the first metallic paint.

[Author]

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