Paint code cross-reference needed. Any hot rodders want to help a brother out?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I know it's a woodworking forum, but I don't want to go joining another forum, and we have a lot of hot-rodders and bikers here who do their own painting, so I'm casting my net and seeing what I catch here. I am trying to find a cross-reference that will match a PPG paint code to a Sherwin Williams or NAPA code. My situation is that we have TWO stores here that sell automotive paints. Both are mom and pop operations and don't seem to really know a lot about paint codes. I have the paint code for the color I want, which is Creme that Harley used between 1987 and 1990 (my bike is newer, but I like this color). The code is 98603 EX. Neither store was able to match that code to their own paint. They typed it in and said it didn't match anything in their database. I'm wondering if there is a cross-reference online or a way to find out the exact mix if you enter a PPG paint code.

Here is the paint scheme I want to do. The black and red are easy, but the creme is the issue. I even tried matching it to other automotive colors, but nothing even comes close. I want that creme, and it's a very yellow creme. All the automotive paints I've found so far are very white, or the off-whites are more of a tan. Harley Davidson apparently does not make their formulas known, so although PPG has figured out a color that matches, Sherwin Williams and NAPA don't have a listing for it, and there is no cross-reference for it. I have found places online that sell it, but paint is a flammable liquid, and shipping outside the US is very expensive even if you can convince them to do so.

Here is a bike painted the way I want to paint mine:

harley-davidson-flstc-heritage-softail-classic-1990-moto.jpg

[Tom M King]

Maybe here: http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcod...ley%20Davidson

Sorry, busy doing something else at the same time, so I didn't look through the pages.

[Bill Dufour]

Any chance that is a standard USA government color? There are 650 colors, no more, no less. I believe Europe has a few more allowed.
I used to know the color number for my Harrison lathe light green. It is a European code not USA. (1970's)
Bill D.
https://www.federalstandardcolor.com/

German RAL colors here
https://www.e-paint.co.uk/chart_options.asp

[Brady Watson]

The color you show reminds me of the Butternut Yellow '67 RS/SS I used to have...

There are several places online that sell that Harley color - just not in PPG. Maybe it is worth buying a pint and have your local shop match it up in PPG. Any shop worth its salt should be able to do a pretty good job matching...modern shops can scan it and give you the exact color breakdown. Sherwin should be able to do this for you. Once you have the color breakdown you can mix up any brand you want.

[Wayne Lomman]

Malcolm, can you get hold of the SW or NAPA sales rep responsible for your area? Get him/her to ask their lab to work out the formula and send it to the shop for mixing. I have been able to do this a couple of times with other manufacturers. Harley may not hand out paint codes but it will have been done.

Be wary of matching colours on computer screens. No two screens look the same and the colour standards for paint and screens are totally different. Had a client complain about a colour once and it turned out to be an error based on computer screen rendition. It cost them an $80K repaint.

Does anyone on this forum own a Harley the same colour? If so, go get it scanned and send Malcolm the formula. Cheers

[Malcolm Schweizer]

The color you show reminds me of the Butternut Yellow '67 RS/SS I used to have...

There are several places online that sell that Harley color - just not in PPG. Maybe it is worth buying a pint and have your local shop match it up in PPG. Any shop worth its salt should be able to do a pretty good job matching...modern shops can scan it and give you the exact color breakdown. Sherwin should be able to do this for you. Once you have the color breakdown you can mix up any brand you want.

My friend had a butternut yellow '67 SS!!!

That's what I'm trying to do is get the breakdown, but Harley doesn't give out their color codes or formulas, and neither does PPG. I can't order it online because of restrictions on shipping Flammable Liquids outside the US- although it can be shipped, nobody will do it because of the hassle.

Any chance that is a standard USA government color? There are 650 colors, no more, no less. I believe Europe has a few more allowed.
I used to know the color number for my Harrison lathe light green. It is a European code not USA. (1970's)
Bill D.
https://www.federalstandardcolor.com/

German RAL colors here
https://www.e-paint.co.uk/chart_options.asp

Leave it to the government to limit the number of colors! I took a course in color with Ms. Poodry, who was literally known globally and people came just to take her color course. She used the Munsel Color System, and we had to buy these color chips that were hundreds of shades, tints, and hues of different colors. By the middle of the class, we had organized all of them on cards with the color in one corner, white in another, black in another, and the complimentary color in the other. All other chips were variations in-between. For the final, we had to mix color chips to match all of them.

Maybe here: http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcod...ley%20Davidson

Sorry, busy doing something else at the same time, so I didn't look through the pages.

Yes, I spent an hour on that page, but didn't find it. It seems the database is growing, but they don't have that color yet. I was so disappointed!

Malcolm, can you get hold of the SW or NAPA sales rep responsible for your area? Get him/her to ask their lab to work out the formula and send it to the shop for mixing. I have been able to do this a couple of times with other manufacturers. Harley may not hand out paint codes but it will have been done.

Be wary of matching colours on computer screens. No two screens look the same and the colour standards for paint and screens are totally different. Had a client complain about a colour once and it turned out to be an error based on computer screen rendition. It cost them an $80K repaint.

Does anyone on this forum own a Harley the same colour? If so, go get it scanned and send Malcolm the formula. Cheers

If someone owned a Harley of the same color and wanted to scan it, I would buy them something nice!


I greatly appreciate all the replies. I knew we had some car guys here and figured it was worth a shot. Today I'm going to go through more paint chips and try to match something "close enough." Also the guy making my seat is going to send me some samples of leather and what I may do is just use that sample and get something close to it so that they match well enough. As I said, I'm okay with something close, but so far I haven't found any factory colors in the books they have on hand that are anywhere near it. Suddenly yesterday I realized that AwlGrip has a yellowy white boat paint, and I'm going to see if they have the formula for it. I might go that route, since that's the color the inside of the boat is getting painted. Bike matches boat! (By accident, I promise, except if you haven't noticed, I do have a thing for red and black.)

By the way, here's the seat I am having made, but the bottom fringe will be in creme to match the paint on the bike. I'm going to have them embroider my Cross of St. James signature logo on it.
http://heathersleathers.com/images/4...mie_Deluxe.jpg

[Brady Watson]

OK...Here's the deal. I made some calls and finally wound up getting in touch with NCS in Camden, DE, which is about 2hrs from me. He said that he would use their Rapid Match camera system on a sample I brought in and then give me the PPG formula free of charge. They are a PPG Automotive line dealer (I had to hop from PPG dealer to dealer to get to him). I told him your dilemma...He said he'd do it for $0, which I thought was very generous.

Now I don't know if there's anyone closer than I am to Camden, DE. Someone could take a sample that you buy online and send to me/them (from a US source) and then take that over to PPG to scan/match. Then give you the PPG formula and you should be able to take that to your PPG dealer on the island.

There are a number of places that sell touch up or pints online in the US...although pints would be a waste. Have a look at Ebay Item: 153366191379

Does that sound doable? I am wondering even if I could ship the sample to DE, slip them a few bucks and have them just email me the code instead of 4+ hrs of driving round trip...

Not sure how much of a rush you are in. I know it's already riding season here.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

OK...Here's the deal. I made some calls and finally wound up getting in touch with NCS in Camden, DE, which is about 2hrs from me. He said that he would use their Rapid Match camera system on a sample I brought in and then give me the PPG formula free of charge. They are a PPG Automotive line dealer (I had to hop from PPG dealer to dealer to get to him). I told him your dilemma...He said he'd do it for $0, which I thought was very generous.

Now I don't know if there's anyone closer than I am to Camden, DE. Someone could take a sample that you buy online and send to me/them (from a US source) and then take that over to PPG to scan/match. Then give you the PPG formula and you should be able to take that to your PPG dealer on the island.

There are a number of places that sell touch up or pints online in the US...although pints would be a waste. Have a look at Ebay Item: 153366191379

Does that sound doable? I am wondering even if I could ship the sample to DE, slip them a few bucks and have them just email me the code instead of 4+ hrs of driving round trip...

Not sure how much of a rush you are in. I know it's already riding season here.

Wow, Brady- you are a kind and generous soul. I don't even have words. That's awesome, but I think I can make this even easier. I HAVE the PPG code- I just need the formula for that code, so I can have my local paint supplier mix it in their brand. If your guy can get that formula for paint code 98603 EX, I'll buy you a steak dinner. If somehow that doesn't work, and he needs a sample, I'll gladly order a sample and have it sent to him.

[Brady Watson]

Malcolm...your PM box is full...

Be the change you want to see or something like that...

Yep - I get that you need the formula and not the paint code. I explained that my friend lived in the islands and could not get paint shipped to him...and that I needed to match a color and send him the PPG mix formula, so his PPG dealer could mix it for him. He understood and was willing to scan it and do that for you...

[Patrick McCarthy]

Brady, you are a class act.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Malcolm...your PM box is full...

Be the change you want to see or something like that...

Yep - I get that you need the formula and not the paint code. I explained that my friend lived in the islands and could not get paint shipped to him...and that I needed to match a color and send him the PPG mix formula, so his PPG dealer could mix it for him. He understood and was willing to scan it and do that for you...

Truly a class act, indeed. I cleaned out my messages- sorry about that.

[Brady Watson]

Brady, you are a class act.

Be the change you want to see in the world...That's all we're doin' here guys.

Don't be fooled though...I'm just as much of a PITA as the next guy

[Kev Williams]

Just throwing this out there- couldn't someone, with a touch-up paint sample, do a spectrum analysis or whatever they call it and make up the paint from that? I mean, Home Depot did that for me with indoor housepaint, I took them a paint chip, and they nailed it...

[Jerome Stanek]

can you match it with a PMS sample

[Brady Watson]

Malcolm told me he found a solution via PM. Looks like it's all gonna work out.