Paint finish and colour for November 1946 Split

[rod_vw]

The time has now arrived to be considering exactly what the finish of the paint should be on our 1946 Saloon (1-063289).

The body colour was black before stripping confirmed by that showing under the engine bay seal and the birth certificate so I am in no doubt about the original colour but how matt (or not gloss) should it be?

The same question applies to the floor pan, investigation within the tunnel (centre backbone) confirms that it was green. Can anyone provide a paint colour code for this green? How matt (or not gloss) was this part of the car? Also did this green colour extend to the front beam, rear axle tubes and brake back plates etc?

All opinions will be considered so please let's hear them.

Thanks for your help.

Here are some pictures of the shell taken recently...

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_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[virtanen]

Maybe you can find something from these album pics:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_keywords=46
_________________
Mika
Split beetle restoration panels
Oval beetle restoration panels
New projects

[Two Glove Boxes]

The hood and apron look like great reproduction parts.
If they are were did you get the hood from?

[rod_vw]

Hi Mika, thanks for the link there are some useful pictures there.

German Crew,

The apron and spare wheel well are from Wolfparts

http://wolfparts.com/?product=front-apron-pre-49

and

http://wolfparts.com/?product=spare-wheel-well-pre55

respectively.

The front hood is an old one (but not as old as the car). It was dismantled into its constituent parts so that there were no seams remaining. Then acid cleaned and etch primed before repair and reconstruction with an inner panel from Mika Virtanen to enable a turn catch fastening.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1739046
_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[kevm]

Hi Rod,

Your car is looking great. I have original dark grey paint under the body to chassis seal on my 47, engine tin was also the same colour. So I will match the grey paint for the chassis and tin. General opinion when I asked a few people suggested the front beam, axle tubes etc would have been black so I was going with that.

Kevin

[rod_vw]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the compliment, yes it's coming along well now and so it should after almost forty years in limbo!

The quality of the metalwork is all down to Steve Hook, meticulous to the last detail.
_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[usariemen]

[rod_vw]

[virtanen]

[rod_vw]

I wonder what the worker with the gas welding torch is doing at the rear!

Is he the person responsible for the horrible welding in the engine bay of our '46?

And why was welding still being done on a car that seems to be in the final stages of construction?
_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[Mr. OGPaint]

I was thinking the same thing about the torch guy. The guy in the lab coat at the table is smiling also. Maybe the photo is staged
_________________
https://instagram.com/mr.ogpaint
-
Patrick Hall

[usariemen]

[usariemen]

Well, there has to be some shine.
But how much exactely?
You have to find out.
Here´s more pics.

Tis one is cruising through London. Yours?

_________________
Master of my domain!

[56samba]

Hallo Carsten,

thanks a lot for sharing this awesome photos with the community!

Jan

[mr magyar]

Hi Rod,
I went to my local car paint shop to get some L21 Pearl grey paint mixed up for my '49 wheel rims. Surprisingly the paint code was on their database! After ten minutes the chap came out from the back of the shop where he was mixing the paint to show me a glass beaker of grey paint he was stirring. He said it was a bit of a strange mix with grey and bits of green, blue etc in it and also he said it's not 100% gloss but a kind of semi gloss finish. It looks like the proper paint code mix isn't just correct in colour but also in finish too. Maybe your black will display the same characteristics if you can get the proper '46 code?
Fantastic car by the way!
Cheers,
Andy.

[DDub]

From hanging around a body shop I've found that thinner, pressure, humidity,and spray technique all contribute to gloss or lack of.

[mr magyar]

In the photograph where they're lowering the body onto the chassis the only thing that looks black anywhere is the voltage regulator! And are those reduction boxes on the rear axle?

Andy

[virtanen]

I think it's type 51 with raised chassis.
_________________
Mika
Split beetle restoration panels
Oval beetle restoration panels
New projects

[qwerty]

I have had 2 painted - will check to see what the paint/flattener combination was and let you know. There were a few trials to get what we thought was right. I seem to remember is was some form of paint currently available for Mercedes bumpers....??
There are some pictures in the gallery if you search my name qwerty.

[rod_vw]