RE: [Chrysler300] Valve cover paint.

[Ray Melton <rfmelton@xxxxxxx>]

Hello Ross -

 

I was in the same quandary as you a few months ago while restoring my late
father's 1957 300C.  Back in the early 1970's, he had painted the valve
covers and air cleaners with the rattle-can paint recommended at the time,
Plasti-Kote #452 acrylic enamel.  That paint looked good when applied, but
was looking pretty tired 40 years later, and I found that the Plasti-Kote
paint has been discontinued for many years.  After searching and inquiring
like you are now doing, I learned from Wayne Graefen's authoritative
restoration handbook for the 300C's that there never was a specific paint
code for that color - it was generically called "Semigloss Chrysler Bronze",
or "Gold  C9090C", and was made by mixing bronze powder with clear enamel.
The air cleaners were manufactured and painted by AC Corp.,  while the valve
covers were painted by Chrysler or another outside supplier.

 

Upon disassembly of the air cleaners, I was delighted to see that the inside
surfaces of the oval end pieces had NOT been repainted with the Plasti-Kote
#452 back in the '70's,  but looked to be the original color applied back in
1957, although discolored and oil-stained in many places.  I took those two
oval pieces to a local body/paint shop and had them match the color and
gloss level on those inside surfaces, using a specialty electronic scanner
followed by a couple of trial-and-error paint dabs on top of the old
original paint for comparison.  When the final formulation was test-sprayed
right next to the original paint surface, you could hardly see the
transition.  They started with basic clear, then added silver and gold until
they got the same color as the original inside surfaces.  The clear coat
was then adjusted for gloss by adding a flattening agent - they said it came
out to about a 50% gloss level (super-shiny gloss paint is about 90%, while
new chrome is ~100%).

 

The final color match was a bit lighter (less brassy gold, more pale
slivery) and was a bit less glossy than the Plasti-Kote #452 - I would
describe it as between a satin and semigloss finish.  The paint shop then
mixed up a pint of the custom formulation in a two-stage urethane format
(base-coat/clear coat) for maximum durability in the underhood environment. 

 

Although this sounds like a lot of trouble, the valve covers and air
cleaners came out gorgeous, and I have the satisfaction of tracking down and
replicating as best as possible the factory-correct finish from 56 years
ago.  At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! 

 

I still have 3 - 4 ounces of my custom-matched paint left over;  if you
think it would help, I could brush a few square inches onto a sample swatch
and send it to you for a similar color-matching process as I did, although
you'll need to remember that there will be no final-gloss topcoat on the
sample and a brushed-on paint surface will not look quite the same as your
sprayed finish.

 

On the other hand, if you or other members are not quite as finicky as I
was, it turns out that Dad had squirreled away five extra cans of that
original Plasti-Kote #452 paint.  I have tested them all and am amazed that
they all still spray just fine nearly 40 years later!  Since I will not be
using them, I will pass them on for $10 per can plus shipping.  Don't know
for sure, but I'd guess that two cans would easily do two coats on both
valve covers and air cleaners - might even get by with a single can. 

 

By the way, I think that Wayne's excellent handbook on restoring the 300C
would be of immense help to someone working on a 1956 hemi-engined car -
many of the processes and finishes used by the factory would have likely
been the same.

 

Ray Melton

 

 

 

 

 

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Ross Therrien
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2013 6:05 PM
To: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Chrysler300] Valve cover paint.

 

  

Hello 300 friends: Need to know paint code in aerosol or liquid for valve
covers on 1956- 354 cubic inch Hemi. Much appreciated. Ross 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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