Studebaker Paint Formulas:

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This page will be the site of a collection of paint formula's for various year Studebakers. I am trying to create modern paint formulas that match original Studebaker colors. I have developed a lot of the formulas myself, using original pieces from original cars and custom mixing them. I have spent the time needed to spray test panels and color correct the formulas to attempt to match as closely as possible. Some formulas are from other restorers that used them on their cars. There is no guarantee that these formulas will match YOUR car's original paint exactly, but it will give you a starting place. There can be manufacturing and supplier variances.. Temperature, gun pressure, dry-times, and even spray technique all affect the color's final outcome. I recommend these formulas for restorations and over-all repainting of your car. They may be used for touch-up, and spot repair, but I recommend custom blending to create a "match" for your particular color.

I know of some current colors and some things you can do to make them closer to original, but I do not want that sort of thing on this page. If I start doing that, It'll turn into a "close is good enough" page. As I work on these formulas and expand them, I'll be able to include some of them here.

I could use the help of some of you Studebaker fans out there. If you can get a hold of pieces that have nice original paint on them, either send them to me, or take them to your local Dupont Automotive finishes store and see if they will scan them with their Spectramaster. They will need a piece about 5"x 5" such as a gas tank door. The scanning process only takes a few minutes. I will accept any and all formulas (even from other manufacturers) for posting on this page. I normally use Dupont, and with their nationwide distribution, these formulas can be mixed anywhere. Just e-mail the formulas to: Studeman@triad.rr.com

Dupont Auto Paint Color Matching   1-800-3 Dupont  (1-800-338-7668)
Call them with the year and color name and they'll give you a modern paint code that can be very close.

I also have several Studebaker Color Charts on the website located here: Studebaker Color Charts

**Photos below show actual vehicles painted using these formulas

1950 Bahama Mist Irridescent:

1954 Studebaker Exterior Colors Color Chart: (refer to this chart for the 1954 colors listed below)

(click for larger image)

1954 Lance Green: Color-matched to original part

1954 Azore Green: Color-matched to original part

1955 Cascade Green:  formula thanks to Bob Johnstone and Dupont's Color Hotline
There is a very close modern equivalent to this shade-  Car: TOYOTA  Code: 6Q6   Year: 1997  Color: Shade Green valueshade #2 Matches B/C in color only

1955 Cascade Green:

1955 Pimlico Grey Metallic: Formula Courtesy Phantom Autoworks

1955 Congo Ivory: Formula Courtesy of Phantom Autoworks

1955 Speedster Hialeah Green:  Formula Courtesy of Phantom Autoworks

1956 Snowcap White: Formula Courtesy of Phantom Autoworks

1956 Romany Red: Formula Courtesy of Phantom Autoworks

1956 Ceramic Green: Formula Courtesy of Phantom Autoworks

1957 Arctic White P5711: Formula Courtesy Phantom Autoworks

1957 Arctic White P5711: Formula Courtesy Phantom Autoworks

1957 Tiara Gold Metallic P5714: Formula Courtesy Phantom Autoworks

1957 Woodsmoke Grey: Formula Courtesy Phantom Autoworks

1957 Silver Hawk- Turquoise over Glenbrook Green

1957 Turquoise (see above pic light green)

1957 Glendale Green: (see pic above)  For exact match- choose 1993 Ford Truck Caymen Green Metallic- code 43  Formula posted soon.

1958 Shadowtone Red: Formula Courtesy Phantom Autoworks

1959 Dark Green (interior color):

1959-1960 White Sand:

1959 SeaMist Green: (see pic below)

1959 Lark VI finished in Seamist  Green.

1960 Colonial Red: interior color (see pic below)

1960 Jonquil Yellow: (see pic below)

Restored 1960 Lark VIII Convertible in Jonquil Yellow with Colonial Red Interior

1961-1963 Ermine White: This is a formula I created several years ago. It is a perfect match. I have painted several Studebakers using this formula. You cannot get any closer to original.

Both the cars pictured below scored 1st-place at the 2004 SDC International Meet
Brad Treganowan's 1961 Hawk in Ermine White/Blaze Red

Lee Aanderrud's 1961 Hawk in Ermine White

1961 Blaze Red: This is an EXACT match to 1961 Blaze red. I had 1969-1977 Ford Truck "Candy Apple Red" mixed.. because the color-chip appeared close. When I sprayed a test panel- to begin my "adjustments", the color-match was perfect! It matched an untouched original piece from the interior of my '61 Hawk. You can ask for this formula (Ford truck '69-'77) from any paint manufacturer, in any "type" of paint- ie: Urethane Basecoat/Clearcoat, Acrylic Enamel, Single-stage, etc....

1962-63 Silver Mist: This formula was custom tinted to match an ORIGINAL '63 Studebaker Dealer's Fandeck (click for photo) of colors available for 1963. This color has the SAME formula for 1962 Silver Mist. I would recommend this color for overall painting only. Your "original" paint will be faded and aged, so it is unlikely this color will be close enough for panel or spot repairs.

***NOTE!: This formula will make "slightly more than" 1 Quart, so don't try to mix it in a 1 quart can. We started with a quart of a close color, and custom-tinted from there- using a GALLON can. I rewrote the formula to include the added colors... so it might overflow a quart can.

An original dealer fandeck- laid on the hood of Winn Beckner's 1962 Silver Mist GT Hawk

1962-1963 White Wheel Color: This is a creamy white. It is NOT Ermine White. Neither is it very close to Astre White(1964). It was color-matched to the spare wheel of a 16K mile original 1962 GT Hawk.

1963 Green Mist Poly: This next color is a modification of 1978 Olsmobile Lt. Green Poly. Fine metallic was substituted for the medium metallic in the Olds formula, and black basecoat needs to be added to darken it to match the original color more closely. The amount I used was 10 grams/gallon...and it turned out great. Another member has used this formula and said it was a bit lighter than his original color (the PPG black basecoat may not have been as intense as the Dupont black). You will need to adjust the amount to match your car. If you are doing an overall paint job, you can use the Oldsmobile formula as is, and add 10-15 grams of black per gallon. This should work for any paint manufacturer.   Thanks to Jack Breen for this formula!

1963 Daytona Wagonaire- Green Mist Poly

***1963-64 Rose Mist: Ray, you will have to tint a little by adding more DMR474 which is red and  adding a little DMR450 which is deep vio.
I have found this is a very close match to rose mist. Like I said you will need to tint a little to match. This is formula for PPG Delstar. Hope this will help you in the future.
Doug Atchley ....                 THANKS DOUG!!!!!!

1964 Super Red:  from Nelson Bove in Jet Thrust News.
This is for Dupont Centauri Acrylic Enamel -He notes that "a little change in the red will make a significant difference in shade."

1964 White Wheel Color: This color is several shades brighter than the 1962-63 color.

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