Polychromatic Grey colour match?

In preparing to refinish the cycle parts for my '54 Inter, I'm hoping to find a colour code to match the original poly grey. I plan to powder coat the frame, and have the tank replated and painted to match.  Is there a a modern colour code to match the original factory finish?

Fred Meyer

Previously wrote:

In preparing to refinish the cycle parts for my '54 Inter, I'm hoping to find a colour code to match the original poly grey. I plan to powder coat the frame, and have the tank replated and painted to match.  Is there a a modern colour code to match the original factory finish?

Fred Meyer

Hello  I can sent you a sample but its in acyilic base coat only , As for powder coating ,I would advise Not to powder coat the frame as if the frame gets chipped this will let water in and damage the rest of the coating as its hard to tuch up ,where paint you can tuch up with a badger air gun ,I will try and find the paint code for you , watch this Space   Yours  Anna J Dixon

I'm with Anna on NOT powder coating - it's only suitable for indoor use!  Has anyone ever bought steel kid's swings or outdoor toys?  Powder coating on plain, unprimed steel is hopeless!  It's the same with indoor items.  Almost anything you buy in steel is powder coated and doesn't last.  Towel rails, curtain rails (not the chromed type) and almost anything that's for a bathroom in steel will flake off and rust.  Bear in mind that they are not out in the weather and nor being driven at 100mph (I mean 70mph!)

The reason the paintshops want to do it is because it's much easier/cheaper than stove enamel - like wot our bikes were all finished with from the factory.  Preparation is quicker.  I had my local paintshop stove my frame, S/A, fork yokes, engine plates, headlamp and anything that wasn't perforated with rust (e.g. NOT the primary chaincase which is a colander!).  They tried to pursuade me to go for powder - it was a hot period in summer and the guy had to wear a full haz-chem style suit with breather to go into the blast cabinet!  (Yes, they have a big walk-in one!  It was like a sauna I'd guess!)

As Anna says, powder coating chips - it's just not suited to riding on the open road where stones chip the paintwork.  The Highways Agency had to change many sign posts years ago because of a similar problem with nylon coating - another No-No for outdoor use!  It rotted away without being too obvious until the posts started to fall over!  Another parallel is the old type of car underseal - it tended to let the water in and hold it there!

Interesting observations on powder coating!

My experience is completely opposite - I prefer p/c because of it's durability relative to paint....for road-going restorations, that live in the real world.  I've had every machine I've restored done in powder coat, including an ivory-framed BMW R75, which has seen roughly 15K miles since "new", with only normal road abrasion....and no chipping/flaking.

The only thing (aside from the possibility of not getting a good colour match with the painted bits) is that concours standards here in the US generally deduct points for p/c, it not being original.

Phil Hannam told me that it was the practice of the Norton paintshop workers to blend paints by eye.  As the paintshop was 'lit' by large skylights the exact colour of the paint could be affected by the time of year, weather conditions and the ocular health of the painter.  

This might be why a row of unrestored bikes can be many shades of grey.

I also have heard from others that the colours were mixed to a milligram by milligram formula and were always the same colour as they left the factory gate.

Consider the state of British manufacturing in the 1950s and the role of the artisans in the motorcycle industry and make up your mind as to which might be truer.

I agree with Fred on this issue I have two Commando’s one was stove enamelled 10 years ago and it got chipped while I was still rebuilding the bike (engine in & out a couple of times) the slightest knock and a chip appeared. The other bike I rebuilt 6 years ago and this time powder coated the frame and it still looks as good as new. Its much more resistant to knocks. I’m sure the powder coaters can prime the bare metal with a corrosion resisting primer before the final ‘colour coat’ goes on.

Previously wrote:

Interesting observations on powder coating!

My experience is completely opposite - I prefer p/c because of it's durability relative to paint....for road-going restorations, that live in the real world.  I've had every machine I've restored done in powder coat, including an ivory-framed BMW R75, which has seen roughly 15K miles since "new", with only normal road abrasion....and no chipping/flaking.

The only thing (aside from the possibility of not getting a good colour match with the painted bits) is that concours standards here in the US generally deduct points for p/c, it not being original.

 

 hello Fred I have phone some powder coaters I know ,and thay have siad that polychromatic is very hard to match and its not avalable in powder coating as its a trilusent paint colour witch is like a hologyrafic paint of today ? and to spray it is not easy ether you need too know what your doing , I know I have sprayed my 1954 dominator 88 witch is the same colour and I have sprayed my 1960 Norton Manxman Polychromatic Blue  Even The Professional have got it wrong the Manxman at the NMM was Spray By a Top Spray Painter and given the right paint Code but it cme out wrong too dark a blue And I know where he had got it wrong  ,He had missed out the base Coat  witch is middsummer Gold same as if you where spraying the ploychromtic grey from 1951 to 1955 witch as gold in it as well the base coat it the trick ?  I use Acyilic Metalic Base coat then lacquire over the top ,knowen as 2 pack and you need the right temperture and the right consistency of the paint mix  all this is not easy you have to do some test first before sparying the Bike Parts  Yours  Anna J dixon   For sample  Ring Me on )01430 430831