[DallasMalibu]

I found a silver color I think I like:

PPG Titanium Poly
DBC 35989
OEM 210.600 Lamborghini

If I choose silver, I will want to use this color as the base to make the dark grey for the stripes. What is the best way to darken a color? Can I just have them add black to the basecoat mix?

Also, If I want to make the whole car color just a little deeper and darker (after painting a test panel), is there a better way darken the paint than just adding black? I have heard that metallic also darkens a color. I will make sure my painter knows up front I will want to do a little testing.

Thanks for all the input so far, from everyone, as I drive myself nuts obsessing over my color choice….:clonk:

Here are some nice pics of the color I am currently talking about.
http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/22/t/000004.html#000000

 

[Xtreme70SS396]

Wayne,

I can't answer your specific question, but I can give you something else to consider. I've had a 2-tone silver car repainted before, and the painter suggested just a touch of pearl in the clearcoat. I was skeptical, as I didn't want the color to change - he said the paint would "pop" if I did it.

Well, I trusted his judgement and was pleasantly WOWED when I saw the finished product. That tiny bit of pearl in the clearcoat made that silver come alive. Maybe your painter can paint 2 scrap metal pieces to give you an idea for comparison.

Either way, good luck - I know it's an important pick!

 

[Skeeveman]

To answer your question simply...yeah, adding black to your base will darken it, but in the worst case scenerio later down the road...if for some horrible reason you have to do a repair and match, you will play hell getting it right, especailly with a "one off" color.

I suggest finding a color code off a production car that you like the looks of. This will give you a lot better start for when you need to do the unmentionable.

In fact that color you posted looks a lot similar to the color I almost chose for my chevelle, but decided to go with the brighter silver.

This color is the silver they use on the new c6 vettes, or chevy SSR pickups. It's called light tarnished silver, machine metal silver or something like that.

http://webpages.charter.net/rogassian/DSC04935.JPG

 

[Cameano]

I just had some PPG paint mixed last week for my Firebird. The original color, Midnight Green Poly, doesn't cross over to any of the newer PPG lines. So my paint guy took what the computer said was the closest match in DBC, and left out some of the black toner to lighten it up a bit, then we could darken it from that point. Turned out close enough on the first try that I was satisfied with it. The key is, he didn't just leave out some of the black toner and wing it. He calculated the adjustment, replacing the missing black toner with equal amounts of all the other toners, and wrote it all down on the inside of the label. So if I ever need some touch up paint, and don't have any, I can have him mix it again, and it'll be real close, if not exact. As long as I don't lose that label on the can.