I understand that at one time someone published a color chart for the Durant or Star automobiles, and it was published in one of the Gillis years Durant Standard. Does anyone have one of these charts, or know of where I can obtain one. It would be great to have one scanned and have it posted by Rick here on the web site under the Tech page for anyone who is doing an authentic restoration.
Thanks Frank & Walter for replying to the posting. We could use some real clear and good scans so Rick could post them on the Tech Page for the other members to use. I'm sure that many are always curious as to what colors are provided. Bob Porter was gracious enough to supply me with a paint color sample of the correct engine paint color. As soon as I can scan it I will send that also to Rick.
Mike, At one time Jeff Gillis was compiling paint, and upholstery information on all the durant products. We were to provide original samples of unfaded material from hidden spots in our interior, and a 2"x2" square of thin steel dipped in the paint we matched to our car. I very carefully scraped original paint from a hidden spot on my car,dissolved it in laquer thinner, and applied it to a piece of steel. I sent this to Jeff, and explained to him how I obtained it. I imagine a lot of members responded to his request, but never heard any more about it. This would be invaluble information if anyone knew what happened to it. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks Curt for your information. I'm sure the information that Jeff Gillis had would be treasure trove of valuable information to current members and future members but and a big BUT it seems that Jeff's wife Eileen from those who have had contact with her infatically will not share any of Jeff's information. I for one can not understand her thinking on this, but I've written her twice about getting access to Jeff's information for the book I'm researching, but she has not replied, and those who have contacted her say's she wants nothing to do with the DMAC. We must collect this information from some other source. I'm sure that there is some old paint charts out there with the Durant colors on them. I just received a copy of one scanned by Walter Pre' in Argentina, that I asked him to rescan in a larger size for us. Let's see what shakes.
Hi Mike, one of our members informed me awhile back that Jeff Gillis's son ended up with his 1930 Durant 614. There might be someone that can contact him, to see if he has access to his fathers information he would be willing to provide the club. Sure hate to see this valuable information lost forever.
hey mike,
i found the color booklet with formulas for 1930 cars i printed in the old original club letters...it should also be in the copies i sent to rick for the club reference ..i will send you a copy .gary k
For those of you who detected sarcasm in my comment listed above about Eileen Gillis not wishing to share Jeff's treasure, I'd Like to apologize for these comments. Without personally speaking or knowing Eileen or her reasons, I should not have openly in a public forum voiced my frustration and personal opinion.
mike
dont feel bad...gillis disrespected me when he stole the durant club work i did and cast me aside..he deserves no consideration..even if what he did for the club was positive.....he was always a negative factor...it was just his personality and what goes around comes around ......
gary k
Why has this thread turned from paint formulas to Gillis bashing? Go back through your "Standards" and you will find probably all of Jeff's information. Do you think he just sat on this info? He spent 23 years helping you Durant owners. He's been gone 7 years.....get over it.
I'm a relative newcomer to this Club and never met Jeff. If this were the first time I had looked at these forum pages, I sure wouldn't be very impressed with the Club or its members. I never thought I'd be suggesting that some rules be established to prevent this kind of bad manners, but I am....
Comments about personalities-past or present-have no place on these pages!
Mac your absolutely right, and I was totally wrong to show any sarcasm in my posting. Let's not speak ill of those who have passed on. I was having a bad day when I responded to that post. Enough said we don't need to continue this. Getting back to the paint chips. If we can not come up with any good clear copies of the paint colors that were used on the Durant's, Let's try to put together a list of the name of the colors at least. There is a site on the internet where you can look these colors up so if if would like, you can email me with the colors you are aware of and I will start compiling a list.
If we want to define colours, there are several international patterns as "Pantone" that define the colors and faciltate reproduction anywere.
Any relative that works with desing, publicity etc. know those colour standards.
Names of colours are not universal and may vary with time. Scanning colours is not reliable to define tones.
I've posted a list of factory color names on the Tech Page under the Manuals & Other Technical Documentation section. This list was complied from data supplied by club members (paint chips, factory Sales Bulletins) and old copies of the DFR magazine, The Durant Standard.
The list onl covers names, BUT Jim Wells at Autocolor Library has been a Big help matching names to colors.
Jim Wells
Auto Color Library
6695 Rasha Street
San Diego, CA 92121-2241
jimwells@autocolorlibrary.com
(858) 536-7960
Great posting Rick! All you fellow Durantonians look over the colors listed and see if you can add any that aren't listed. This will be great help to future restorers who want to duplicate an original color for their car.
I have paint chips and "recipes" for four '29 colours: Florentine Blue, Tunis Blue, Galway Green, and Cambray Green. The 2 1/2" by 4 1/2" samples all seem to have darkened with age. I can provide the recipes if they would be of any help.
Mike, There are two colors that I can think of by name. My 1926 m Star sedan is Bronze Green, (kind of a gloss Olive Drab green). On 1927 closed Stars and I think on the '26 open cars there was Persian Blue, (Almost a teal color). Not much info, but a start. Regards Curt
I didn't see the color "Black" in the color chart for 1929 Durant. Was Black not a factory color? My Grandfather's first car was a 1929, Model 60 Touring and I was under the impression that it was Black from factory.
Also, I noticed on the parts book that the instrument panel was called crinkled silver or crinkled gold. Does anyone know what crinkled means?
"Crinkled" is what we would now call a Wrinkled finish.
The Instrument Panel on a model 60,Choke Bezel and Ignition Switch Bezel had a Wrinkled finish with a coat of either silver or gold paint on top.
Hey guys, email me or send me in the mail the colors and the formulas for these colors and I'll collect the information and put them together so we can post them on the Tech Page. My email is listed above or you can mail them to me at 1421 Hamptead Terrace, Oviedo, Florida 32765
Mike, It is my understanding that panit chips were not widely avaiable until 1928. Someone might check with the Nethercutt Museum in Califorina. They furnished us with a chip for the 1927 Star Persian Blue. I can make a chip for you. It is a great color.
Just checked out the tech site to find out about paint colors and didn't see a whole lot of info their, according to the posted messages on this subject, I though more info was available. Can someone please update this site if details are known. Thanks.
Not sure why my latest posting was buried in the middle of this forum, I thought postings were cronalogical order. Perhaps an oversite, but I'm sure others would like to know what has happened to the material that was to be collected for posting on the tech page? as well.
The paint color names were provided to Rick who posted them on the Tech page under paint colors 1929 -1932. I also provided Rick with a scan of a color paint chart and list of 1928 colors. I'm sure when he gets time he will update the list. I will try to make it a future project to try and see if we can get actual color scans. The problem with these is that everyone's computer monitor is a little bit different so the color will be slightly different.
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65
When restoring the D-66 I took the bonnet bracket from the cowl to the paint shop and after an hour or so the owner & I settled on International Harvester "Mawson Blue" which is a Teal Blue/Green colour as best match to the underside of the bracket which had the original colour intact.
Phil and everybody that is interested. As of right now most of the names and formulas for the colors used on the Durants and Stars are documented from 1928 till the end of production. The folks at Autocolor Library which can be found on the web, have been mixing the colors for several club members and Rick and Lance has the name of the fellow you can call and he will work directly with you. If you want to take the time, you can go to the below web site and search most of the colors that were used for the cars by name. I know the Leaside Canada plant put out a memo with the standard colors used for the models that they manufactured there, and would charge an extra amount for any other color other than those mentioned. It would also delay a car that was custom ordered by several weeks. You can find that memo over on the Tech page on the Leaside color standards. I'm sure that other Durant plants probably followed as it would have slowed down production to offer "any color you wanted".
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Model 65 4dr
Might anyone have the paint chips and/or recipe for the Tunis Blue and Florentine Blue for 1929?
I am beginning to scrape away rust and to repaint.
Thank you.