I installed a brand new LS-6 crate motor in a customer's '71 Fathom blue Chevelle SS back in '84. I remember firing the motor up and letting it run @ 2000 rpm for 20 minutes for a break in... Once I shut her down, the header paint I used just flaked off and flew all over the place... Oh well!
Apologies for bringing this thread back up, but that blue is outstanding. Is that just a base coat or flattening agent used?
The Italian motor industry had a dark, dark blue in the 1960s and '70s. It could be seen on Fiats and Alfa-Romeos and just about everything else that was made in Italy at the time. My dad had a Fiat 850 coupé in that blue. It looks black in some light. It's non-metallic, and suits just about any car, though like any dark colour it needs straight bodywork. It's like black with a twist. Here it is on an Alfa Romeo:
Deuces sorta nailed it with that 63 Galaxie. The big early 60s cars are tough to get "right" when it comes to color. Modern musclecar colors never look right. In addition to that, most modern specialty colors muck up the vibe as well. It's hard to say this, but you almost have to get a color that's not very appealing by itself. The actual square footage combined with the soft curves of a 62 Ford almost demand a metallic color. So all of that blather out of the way, look to colors from 61 to 64. The mods and wheels combined with the stance will make any OEM color from the era look truly custom. Not many modern colors can pull it off that way. The rich shades like IROC or Viper, even the tried and true Marina Blue and Mopar B5, they tend to take attention away from the rest of the car. It becomes all about the color. One of these years I'll be dealing with this on a 61 bubble top. I picked a shade that I call "Grandma Blue". A lighter metallic but not too silver, not too blue, no green values, almost a cadet blue metallic. I pictured a lil ol lady on her way to the grocery store in her old metallic blue Chevy. Hard to describe but my mind's eye knows exactly what to do. The OEM color was Jewel Blue Poly. Picture a metallic blue C2 Vette. Anything else just doesn't create the vibe of an early 60s "big car".
Not much of a blue fan, but that Marina blue you mentioned is one of my all-time favorites. Wonder if the OP painted that Gal green, he ain't hit this thread in 4 yrs. Always liked those '62 Gals in the original Chesnutt color.
1975 Chevrolet code 29 dark blue metallic , very nice shade IMHO , have a look I'm sure you will like it, if you want dark blue
When asking the HAMB population to pick a "Blue Color", one has to remember, " A camel is a horse designed by a committee" Be your own man.
I finally decided on Oxford blue. It is actually a factory 62 color. I looked at paint chips and even different cars before I decided to go with this one.
Just saw this thread is 3 years old. Oh well, my $.02 cents worth. I had a dark blue ot car, never again. It's as bad as black showing dirt. The body work has to be just as good as black. I would rather drive than clean, lazy I know.
Back in high school '74 or '75. We painted my buddy's mom's "63 Belair. It was a dark blue but it had three or four colors of metallic in it. Just looked like a nice dark blue in the barn. But in the sun it really looked cool. Pretty sure it was a Lincoln or Mercury color of about those years.
Glad to see you picked a blue and painted your Ford. Will we get to see it finished? So far, so good! KK
I agree with you about dark blue showing everything ,even water spots.i have a newer ford pick up that is just a touch darker blue than the dodge pb3 and you can't keep it clean.Also just noticed that the tread is old,oh we'll maybe it's ready for a repaint.
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