Painting Nightmare!!! (People with red cars - I need your help)

[Tiggie]

So I've silently be working on the wagon for the past four weeks. I got all the body work done finally (it took almost a gallon of bondo) and primed it. This morning we sprayed it. Only the bottom half of the car was painted because the rest should look okay with wax and I don't want to invest a ton of money in the car right now.

The car was originally dark metallic red and the exterior paint code is 2D, for Scarlet. Is Scarlet a bright red?

As soon as the paint hit the car, it was bright. Real bright. Like fire truck red bright, or maybe brighter. It's almost red-orange. EKK. I am trying to figure out if the wrong code got on the car somehow or the paint store messed up.

I need you people with red cars to give me your color code (on the data sticker on the drivers door) and also a pic of your car if possible.

Here is the icky mess:







Tell me what you think of my two-tone.

[Nathan in MI]

Hey, Ben, good to see you around again! I was starting to wonder what happened to you.

Can't say as I like the two tone too much, but at this point, which would be cheaper/easier? To repaint the bottom half the same color as the top half, or to paint the top half the same color as the bottom half? Unless there's a lot of body work that needs to be done to the top, I'd say just paint the rest of the car. What you've done already looks pretty good, and I like the color. Now finish the job!

[Mr. Land Yacht]

yea, nice to see ya again Tiggie! :banana: I missed your cragars.

but yea, looks great to me...good job mang.
I think I would have liked it better all bright red or all dark red, but the tutone sure is different and looks great!

[Rojas109]

cant you read... he said the paint isn't what he wanted. its not supposed to be that bright. he wants the same color as the top. you gotta read first before you post.

[Grand Marquis GT]

The scarlet red would be nice though...

If the car was all one colour...

[P72Ford]

My car wasn't red from the factory. However, I would say that scarlet is a bright red rather than a darker red. I believe the color on my car is crimson. Did you cheack the decoding section of a service manual to cross check the 2D paint code?

Dude, it fuckin sucks when you mess shit up that you are painting. One of the worst feelings in the world to me. That being said, the two tone red isn't that bad, to me. I would paint the header panel (or a portion that matches the other break off point) , and make a clean line and leave it. Buff the piss out of the top portion, and then maybe add a stripe to seperate the two. Really, isn't this your daily driver? Doesn't need to be a beauty queen, just make a clean line. I personally would seperate it with a stripe of some kind too.

Either that, or paint the top half too, and then your wagon will match my car!

[P72Ford]

Okay, so I have my 1989 service manual. Different from 1988 in colors/ codes? I'll list what I found anyway. There is no scarlet red

Single Stage:
-2F: Currant Red
-2H: Med. Cabernet
-2I: Vermillion
-4N: Wild Strawberry

Clear Coat:
-2S: Bright Currant Red
-9G: Currant Red

No 2D code, and no Scarlet Red. I think vermillion is dark red, no?

[gadget73]

No listing for 2D in my 85 or 86 manuals either

1985 single stage
2C Mid Canyon Red Metallic
2E Light Canyon Red
2J Mid Canyon Red
2R Jalapena Red
51 Md Dk Fire Red

1985 clearcoat
2M Med Canyon Red Mettallic
2T Dk Canyon Red Metallic

1986 single: same as 85 except for the deletion of 51 Md Dk Fire Red

1986 glamour colours
2A Med Canyon Red Met

1986 clearcoat same as 85.

[86GmLsCoupe]

Pop the back panel off the front seats? the build sheet with the color code is on there to cross reference at least. Paintscratch.com has some color info (codes/ swatches) that might help you out.

[gadget73]

might be best to pull the gas door off and match it that way. could be either the car has been re-painted at some point, the door sticker isn't correct (diff door perhaps) or the paint is just aged to the point that its not the same color as fresh any more.

[87_crown_vic]

damn....where is Zack when you need him...his waggin was same color...that paint is definately wrong if it was supposed to match the header panel cover. i would check into the threads Zack made on his waggin.

[88MercWagon]

Say what you will, but I think the 2-tone red looks pretty good. Leave it as is for now and take care of the upper 1/2 of the paint and see how it looks when both are shined up.

[Tiggie]

Crapity Crap Crap Crap. It is my faught. I read the code on the door tag wrong. According to the '88 Service Manual, There are three reds to choose from for reds: 2D, 2E, and 2H. I looked at the tag before I ordered the paint and it was kind of hard to read do to previous overspray from the last paint job. I knew there was a 2, and it like of looked like a 0 after it. So I figured it had to be 2D.
I cleaned the tag off with thinner and it says 2G. That code is not even in the service manual. From my PPG color charts, the color was used from 1980-1984 and called Bright Bittersweet. Judging by the color chip on the chart, it still way to bright for my color. The original paint appeared to be single stage. Freggin Special Order paint.
I have enough paint to paint the entire car Scarlet, but I am not going to at this time. I took P72Ford's advice and cut a line on the header panel. I'm gonna drive it around like this for a while, as wild as it may look. It kinda grows on ya. More pictures to come.

[murphmobile2]

WHOA Rojas, take it easy on Colin! Nothing to be angry about!

I was wondering where you been Tiggie, I almost posted a "wheres Tiggie??" thread, haha.

Good thing you're able to termporarily cope with the two-tone madness on the wagon, lol. It's a crazy idea... but... if it was all Scarlet, you could fix her up to look like an old fire department car, lol. Just an idea, just an idea...

Color doesn't look bad tho. Nice to have ya back!

[Mr. Land Yacht]

cant you read... he said the paint isn't what he wanted. its not supposed to be that bright. he wants the same color as the top. you gotta read first before you post.

sorrrrrraaaaayyyyy...geez.

it looks good anyway.