PAINT CODES

[joejag308]

Post subject: PAINT CODES

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A point to check on when having paint jobs done or if you are doing them yourselves.
I found out first hand, as most of you will know my steed was the one featured in the mag where a van took flight and decided to land on me.
I insisted on the work being done at Alan Proctors of Worksop even though i live in Leeds......good job i did, Alan found that the colour was listed as "MISTRAL".....but on application for the paint it was found the code listed on the vehicle was the wrong code for that paint colour....same paint name.... two different codes... two different "MISTRAL" paints Luckily it saved the paint being purchased...
So try and get a paint sample or a match and check against the code on the vehicle for whoever is doing the job before you buy the paint. Joe

[AlanC]

Guys (and Gals),

Something I found, when trying to get paint mixed for George (that's the V8!) is that Jaguar list one code for "Pacific Blue", yet there are two paint colours under that code, one of which is darker and more turquoise than the other.

The answer is to find a good car paint specialist and take a sample if you can (I used the Jaguar touch up pen, which I know to be the right colour). The guys matched it perfectly - phew!

May be a similar problem with other colours and codes.

Good Luck,

AlanC

[phirou]

I have just bought a late 2001 XJ 308 but I can't find any paint code on the usual place. I inspected the car thoroughly,and could not find any tag or label. Who took it out ????. The salesman (I bought it from a Honda dealer) says the colour is British Racing Green. It is green indeed but there might have been various shades of green. Could it be HGD/1753 ? Same problem with the trim code. This is a full-leather car, to me the leather is more like biscuit than ivory. Can anyone help ?
Unfortunately, photographs don't give a precise idea of colours.
I suppose that the fact that this is a LHD does not male any difference. To my knowledge there is no mention of colour or trim in the full identification number.

[ptjs1]

You should never buy paint based just on the name! Jaguar used the same name for different colours on multiple occasions. For example, there are at least 5 different colour codes for "British Racing Green"! And then sometimes they even kept the code the same and changed the name!

Always buy based on the colour code and even then recognise that batches sometimes come up differently. So also use a spectrometer if you can to determine the best colour match of your existing paint.

phirou,

If you contact your Jaguar dealer, they should be able to tell you the codes for your VIN number.

Paul

[phirou]

You should never buy paint based just on the name! Jaguar used the same name for different colours on multiple occasions. For example, there are at least 5 different colour codes for "British Racing Green"! And then sometimes they even kept the code the same and changed the name!

Always buy based on the colour code and even then recognise that batches sometimes come up differently. So also use a spectrometer if you can to determine the best colour match of your existing paint.

phirou,

If you contact your Jaguar dealer, they should be able to tell you the codes for your VIN number.

Paul

Thanks Paul
As I need the trim code too, I'll try the Jaguar dealer. We never had an argument, but I am no customer - he charges labour at £ 110 per hour - I hope he'll be willing to help.

[robv12]

this is quite a good guide to paint codes, but as has been said, each code has many shades

http://www.affordablejaguarparts.com/in ... chart.html

[robv12]

I have just bought a late 2001 XJ 308 but I can't find any paint code on the usual place. I inspected the car thoroughly,and could not find any tag or label. Who took it out ????. The salesman (I bought it from a Honda dealer) says the colour is British Racing Green. It is green indeed but there might have been various shades of green. Could it be HGD/1753 ? Same problem with the trim code. This is a full-leather car, to me the leather is more like biscuit than ivory. Can anyone help ?
Unfortunately, photographs don't give a precise idea of colours.
I suppose that the fact that this is a LHD does not male any difference. To my knowledge there is no mention of colour or trim in the full identification number.

paint and trim codes are located on a label on the radiator support panel on X308, they do however tend to rub away, so a main dealer check will give you the paint and trim codes, you will need to supply the last six digits of you VIN, if you are struggling let me have your vin in a pm and I will do a check for you

hope this helps

Rob Jenner

[phirou]

Thank you Rob, you have been very helpful as usual. I found the tag (I did not expect to find it here).
PAint code is HGG (called Emerald green, metallic), and trim code is SDZ (cahsemere).

[ptjs1]

phirou,

Glad you found the codes. Apols that I was directing you to the dealer. When you said that you couldn't find it in the usual place, I also assumed that the label was missing!

Nice colour! I like Emerald!

Paul

[RichardSEL]

Just had to do a panel respray on my newly acquired XJ8 4L. From an argument with a concrete post that was concrete faced off by about 1" thick to about a third of it's length from bottom so didn't show as thicker in rear view mirror in the municipal car park. Scrapes were thru the colour coats to primer.
[URL=http://s1361.photobucket.com/user/ ... .jpg[/img][/url]

My paint code is labelled JHM and shop AFAIK used correct Lechter ¼L equivalent of twin pack, prepped and applied. Colour appears darker in the gloom of early evening than it does in the morning light as compared with OEM factory colour. Haven't got a DDW for this car

Any paint finish gurus here tell whether this is to be expected -- new paint vs 15 years older?
Haven't tried T-Cutting it back, or applying any polish yet. Only got the car back from the shop on Wednesday. They only took it in on Tuesday but they do have an oven. How long should I leave it before being concerned?
[URL=http://s1361.photobucket.com/user/ ... .jpg[/img][/url]

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My XJ8 3.2L (now up for sale) has a label paint code of 1275. Yet the DDW listing shows paint for this car as "Paint: Pacific Blue 1905" Which should be followed?

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The codes' site mentioned earlier in this thread is down. Have used in the past a US site for early Jags' colour codes but knew there were only a few extra codes then (Mk IX '59 to '61) for export markets. So am reluctant to try that site for X308s of '01MY. Is there a reliable site or list somewheres?

Thanks for even more info... (stay away from Worthing. From seeing all the marks on this and other pillars in this multi-storey seems others are not seeing the applied concrete face up corners either)

[BrianG]

Blimey Richard, you don't seem to be having much luck with your X308s! I would expect a slight mis-match between new and old paint. I know from the X308 I had, which was Meteorite silver, and also with various other non-Jaguar cars. It looks from the photo that you only had the scratched door resprayed? If so, I believe the better way to do this is to spray a 'fade out' across the other door to make the transition from one door to the other less obvious. Some colours can be really hard to disguise so it may also be necessary for the fade out to extend to the wings as well. Of course it all costs more......

[RichardSEL]

I'd taken the 3.2L down there and into the same car park previously. Course, that was SWB.
This time I was in the 4L LWB and got myself jammed trying to reverse park into a rare vacant space on a Saturday. Looked like I was clear of the pillar by about ½" -- nope, the lower level of facing out didn't show in my mirrors Still, first nasty in many, many, years...

Good idea about having the rear wing and lower panel of front door, and so on done with the same colour. I 'spose it could be just repeated wash 'n polish over the 15 years that's lead to the surrounding blue being slightly lighter? It was much less noticeable in the morning sunlight when I took that finished pix. Problem is, for us that are into our cars, we know it's wrong and the OCD kicks in...

[ptjs1]

Richard,

Sorry to hear of your problem. Going just by your photo, I certainly wouldn't be happy having paid for that job.

In my amateur opinion, a good paint shop should have:

- machine-mopped the adjoining panels at the outset of the job to optimise the existing surfaces in order to minimise this sort of potential issue

- used a spectrometer to get an accurate colour match for the paint, particularly if they were concerned that they couldn't match well,

- lacquered across the front door and rear wing in order to get the blend rights and eliminate any slight indiscrepancy after painting the colour coats.

At first glance, it doesn't seem as if they took this approach.

You've paid good money (I assume!). I would take it back and explain you're not happy.

Good luck

Paul

[RichardSEL]

I'll leave it a couple of weeks to harden and then try a Tee-Cut to it to see if that'll lighten it.
It's only about half a shade if that. And only shows up in certain lights -- seems as if reflections are darker. Where they've done the wheel arch moulding and blended into the rear wing it doesn't show any different at all

I'm nervous about applying another coat of laquer from a spray can. But Tee-Cut and a fresh good polish might help? Or hinder?

They're only a quick in and quick out crash repair shop mainly for minor dents and body pulls. Quick 'n cheap, but they're known for getting stuff done and virtually unrecognisably different from the original. Virtually, that is to someone else!

[ptjs1]

Richard,

I definitely wouldn't T-cut it. Quite possible it will make it worse! Modern car paints are 2-pack with top lacquer coat. The origin of T-cut was to cut back abraded cellulose paint to create a fresher brighter colour coat. You'd only be abrading the clear lacquer on your car with T-cut. And your lacquer coat will still be soft for quite a while, and it should also be perfectly smooth anyway, so you'll achieve nothing but possibly make it worse.

If you can't live with the problem and you're not prepared to take it back and get them to fix it, try going somewhere decent who may be able to re-lacquer into the adjoining panels which can be very successful in blending the visual aspect as it appears.

Good luck

Paul