matching interior color to exterior color

[tubbs]

searched but did not find anything on this subject. I would like to know what all your secrets are for matching the interior color of a car to the exterior. do you use dulcoats, clearcoats and glossgoats? maybe rub the seats down with your finger or something else to get that "vinyl" look? I have read little blurbs in some posts, but can't find anything.

thanks in advance,

Tubbs

[Ramfins59]

You can use either matching colors to the exterior, or, colors that "compliment" the exterior, like lighter or darker shades of a color.  Whites, blacks and grays can also be applied for contrasts.  Flocking can be used also in matching, complimentary or contrasting colors.  If you use gloss paints on interiors you should tone down the shiny gloss with a dullcoat or a coat of semi-gloss.  If you use flat paints you can use the oils from your face to give the flat paints a slight sheen... rub your nose or forehead with your finger and then rub the painted interior parts.  I hope this helps.

[SfanGoch]

If you want to paint the interiors stock, you can check OldRide or Auto Color Library to get interior color options. Embossing powder is a better true-to-scale choice than flocking powder because the particles are finer. The smaller particles give the carpeting a more realistic appearance.

You can also buff the flat paints with a Q-Tip to get that nice vinyl look. If you're using flat enamels, you can use a soft bristle toothbrush to "polish" the paint to obtain a semi-gloss sheen. Use a stiffer brush to scrub the shine off the sidewalls of vinyl kit tires to get a more realistic flat rubber look. 

[tubbs]

You can use either matching colors to the exterior, or, colors that "compliment" the exterior, like lighter or darker shades of a color.  Whites, blacks and grays can also be applied for contrasts.  Flocking can be used also in matching, complimentary or contrasting colors.  If you use gloss paints on interiors you should tone down the shiny gloss with a dullcoat or a coat of semi-gloss.  If you use flat paints you can use the oils from your face to give the flat paints a slight sheen... rub your nose or forehead with your finger and then rub the painted interior parts.  I hope this helps.

thanks Richard, very helpful tips. the oil on the nose thing is an old bowling trick, if your thumb sticking, wipe the side of your nose. I am surprised I didn't apply this sooner. thanks.

[tubbs]

If you want to paint the interiors stock, you can check OldRide or Auto Color Library to get interior color options. Embossing powder is a better true-to-scale choice than flocking powder because the particles are finer. The smaller particles give the carpeting a more realistic appearance.

You can also buff the flat paints with a Q-Tip to get that nice vinyl look. If you're using flat enamels, you can use a soft bristle toothbrush to "polish" the paint to obtain a semi-gloss sheen. Use a stiffer brush to scrub the shine off the sidewalls of vinyl kit tires to get a more realistic flat rubber look.

auto color library is a great site, that is where I picked the medium turquoise color for my 64 Plymouth project. I heard about the embossing powder but have way too much flocking to get rid of. I am using a duplicolor paint, it comes out kind of flat si I may be able to take advantage of that. thanks for the tip on the brushes also.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I use mostly flat enamel paints & mix my own colors to match or contrast the exterior.

Many times I'll use the same paint on the dash, steering wheel & occasionally the tops of the doors that I used on the body.

A trick that I like to use to replicated the metallic vinyl on cars from the late 50s & 60s is to shoot a mist coat of pearl acrylic craft paint over the interior after the colors are on.

This not only gives you a slight metallic finish, it also gives you a bit of that vinyl "sheen".

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2015 by StevenGuthmiller

[Jantrix]

Is there a place on the web that will tell us what interior colors were available with which exterior colors?

Say I want to build a factory blue 77 Pacer. What color interiors were options?

[SfanGoch]

Check the links I provided in a previous post.

[AzTom]

Is there a place on the web that will tell us what interior colors were available with which exterior colors?

Say I want to build a factory blue 77 Pacer. What color interiors were options?

The post above by SfanGoch   has the link to Auto color Library, check it out. 

 

I'm too slow,

I don't get too detailed on the interiors so I normally just paint them with a flat paint, sometimes cheap craft paint airbrushed, and then dull or semi gloss coated. 

Edited August 13, 2015 by AzTom

[Longbox55]

Here's another site with interior color codes and chips http://historicalcolorlibrary.axaltacs.com/hcl/servlet/com.dpc.hcl.search.HclSearchServlet?Operation=102&carRegion=1&carType=GM

 

[Jantrix]

Check the links I provided in a previous post.

Yep I did.

http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/aclchip.aspx?image=1977-Americanmotors-pg01.jpg

This tells me what colors were available and it's very helpful. But it doesn't tell me that what interior colors were used in '77 for a Pacer painted in Brilliant Blue. I'm sure they didn't use a maroon interior with bright blue body paint. Catch my drift?

[StevenGuthmiller]

For most cars it was just common sense.

If the car was blue, you're options were probably blue, black, & some combination of black & white.

One of your best options may be to just do a photo search of 1977 Pacers.

That's how I usually start my research on a build.

Just go to you're Yahoo or Google start page & type "1977 AMC Pacer pictures" in your search box.

You may be surprised what you'll be able to find.

Here's an example of what I found after about 1 minute searching this way. This is from '75, but you get the idea.

 

Steve

 

[SfanGoch]

I'm sure they didn't use a maroon interior with bright blue body paint. Catch my drift?

 Well, my friend Mikey Yugo (He was from Yugoslavia. We couldn't pronounce his last name; so, he was known as Mikey Yugo  ) owned a used Turquoise 1968 AMC Ambassador with a red interior. He repainted the car that color using a paint roller. He ended up with an interesting stucco finish.

[Longbox55]

That goes along with what I was thinking. I've seen some pretty strange combinations over the years. For example, we had a customer bring in a mid '90s Taurus, champagne metallic exterior, dark green interior. Then there's some cases where the simply are no options, such as with pickups from the early '50s. Take the Advance Design Chevrolets ('47-'54), most of those have a champagne and maroon interior, and the '55 2nds have a tan/brown interior, regardless of what the exterior was painted.

[Snake45]

On the rare occasion I don't do the interior in black or white/black, I'll use whatever I can find that's closest to the color I want, gloss or flat, airbrush, brush, or rattlecan, and then hit it with a mist coat (or two) of a matte or "satin" clear from a rattlecan for a vinyl/leather look.

[charlie8575]

Is there a place on the web that will tell us what interior colors were available with which exterior colors?

Say I want to build a factory blue 77 Pacer. What color interiors were options?

Unfortunately, I have yet to find one single source that does this. The Old Car Manual Project's brochure section is a good place to start. 

SMS Auto Fabrics, which sells reproduction upholstery, has a lot of pictures of their upholstery materials, so you can get an idea of colors and so forth. 

Beyond picture searches, if a club's librarian is benevolent, they might help you.

Lastly, a lot of the Facebook make/model groups have helpful people, as does the AACA board. 

Charlie Larkin

[DaveM]

I agree with Old Car Manual as a great source, but the brochures weren't always perfect.  They were usually produced ahead of a model year run, so some color options that were available on the real car weren't in the brochure.  Occasionally, a color or interior option would be drawn in a brochure that never made it to the real car.  I just search Bing and Google for pictures of real cars.  I also keep an eye our on Barret Jackson and Mecum auctions, Hemmings and search Ebay.  When searching ebay, it also helps to search completed auctions, although some sellers pull their pictures pretty quickly.  Remember that Chrysler had "recommended combinations", but would let you order any interior with any paint for a few years.  There are occasional examples of Butterscotch GTXs with orange interiors and green 'Cudas with blue interiors.  I think the practice stopped sometime after 1971, as I have seen some really mixed up '71s, but when my uncle bought his '74, he had to take a combination from the list.

I often use Createx or Wicked colors for interiors.  They are easy to mix, and can be rubbed with Q-tips and cotton balls to get the right sheen, or they can be coated with Tamiya semi gloss clear.  You can also use a gloss paint, or gloss clear, and use a polishing kit to make it a semi gloss.  A local modeler uses Micro-Mesh to about 4000 or 6000 for dull or slightly worn surfaces and up to 8000 for newer or smoother surfaces.  I have tried his technique, but I left a visible "Grain" of scratches.  He must be better at varying his direction and smoothing out his final surface.  I am sure any of us would get it if we practiced, but I only tried it once.  (So far.  It's on my list of things to try again when I am working on the right project.  )

I used to use flocking for all of my fuzzy surfaces, but I like embossing powder for velour seats and panels.  I still use flocking for carpeting quite a bit, though.  It makes the carpeting look coarser than the seats, which is true in real life.  In truth, I am glad that the auto makers stopped using the velour seat material.  I had a Plymouth Reliant that used to shed all over me when I had to wear black pants for work.  I needed a cat hair roller in my work locker.  Even a towel on the seat wouldn't stop it!  I ended up getting rid of the car at less than two  years old because of mechanical problems, but the seats would have been redone if I had kept the car.  Also one of our minivans with the fuzzy seats would generate so much static electricity that you would get a big shock every time you got out of the car and tried to shut the door.  that always made Cathie nervous at gas stations.