Old paint color?

[GS1000S]

I'm looking for some paint for a good match on my 1981 GS1100EX. It is Marble Lemans Blue and paint code 08D. When I go to the local paint shop and give them this information they get this puzzled look on their faces and cannot come up with anything that matches close to the original color. They even tried an optical device that is supposed to be able to give them a close match but the color turned out to green in appearance. Anyone know who might be able to mix up a good color match?


thanks, Pat

[Nessism]

Find a new paint store. Any auto paint store worth dealing with will have someone that can mix you some paint to match a sample (bring a sidecover or similar). The computer is just the starting point, then the guy with experience takes over and tunes the formula.

[chuck hahn]

AND you can try Colorite or this place.

http://www.rsbikepaint.com/en-us/colours.php

[GS1000S]

Find a new paint store. Any auto paint store worth dealing with will have someone that can mix you some paint to match a sample (bring a sidecover or similar). The computer is just the starting point, then the guy with experience takes over and tunes the formula.

That sounds like a good idea but unfortunately all of the pieces have been sanded down, primed and shot with a new color so there is none of the old exposed paint to compare to. I do have photos of the parts before I started the work and we have tried to find a color from a chart to match the original but the new color is now is a darker blue, with less green than the original. I've also got an 1979 GS850 in marble ontario blue that is actually closer to the original color then what we have ended up with. This is a picture of another bike in the original color: http://www.2040motos.com/_content/ca.../38714/002.jpg. This is a picture of the original brochure from 1981: http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/G...E_blue_800.jpg. The color of the brochure bike is actually closer to the color we have sprayed on the parts now.

thanks, Pat

[RedLiner1100]

The only way to get a perfect match is to find a color that is close and do several test sprays and document how each was sprayed.

Hopefully you will come close in one of your test sprays, otherwise you will have to adjust the color and do it all over again. Different primer colors and amount of coats can vary color quite a bit.

Even the same paint codes from different manufacturers vary so just because you have the paint code doesn't necessarily mean you are going to get a perfect match. Many paint codes are obsolete and are impossible to match without going through a test spray process.