1970 Cadillac Superior

[John ED Renstrom]

once again I stand corrected, superior did use the GM code. just finding the paint code tag is a feat in itself as most of them fell off over the years. the 1957 color will go back and up a few years . now to get some one that can cross the old number to the new formula is a challenge. Ditzler did fairly well upgrading all there older formulas to new paints. now that you know the year and it's a good GM code use that instead of the name to get your paint.
your looking for 1957 GM code 50 red. from looking at the chip I'm guessing it's really close to the color on Steve's. on the blue side of red. in 67 Oldsmobile called that Spanish red. by 70 Caddy had dropped almost all there solid colors.

 

[Jack Ramsey]

Ditzler PPG 70811, seventh from the bottom: http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?manuf=GM&model=Cadillac&year=1957&con=myo&rows=50

 

[John ED Renstrom]

once you have the GM code and the year for the code you can find it in a number of places. what you can't do is put in GM code 50 without the year and come up with it. here are some examples of what Paul was saying. Me to.
the gm code 50 showers up in 57 the 55-56 red is code 52. visual it the same red but the Dupont numbers are different. mixing you can get to the color a number of different ways. by 59 they dropped the solid red went to a metallic and keep the 50 paint code number. the solid red same shade appears some were around 67 and with a letter code of R in the new paint types.vanishes again but you see it again in 1970 paint chips as GM code 75.
you will find it also in the fleet colors with a different number as the page that Jack put up will show you Ditzler (PPG) and the Dupont numbers. you will notice the name changes and the name for the same color changes in the different divisions of GM also. but with jacks page you now have a current Ditzler number and that can be crossed referenced. you will end up with a color as close to the older paint as the new paint's can do.

the other page Paul put up explains how two different people can take the paint out of the same can and come up with different shades in the final product.

now remember when looking at these chips your looking at them ran threw my scanner view on you monitor, not in natural light. here they are all washed out with the scanner they are much darker then scaned

but from human interest the 58 code 26 is the color we are using on Virgule's 58. the light shades are chip damage from the page on top of it.

 

[Mike Owens]

Wow Ed, you really went above and beyond and I thank you!

 

[John ED Renstrom]

now Scott found the first chip. that was the necessary clue. but on this theme as to what's in a name. I was putting the book back together and this stood out on the 66 gm pages.

remember Steve's mention of Flamenco red. will here it is. GM code 48. in the Cadillac colors. but notice the it also appears on the plain old GM car line up as GM code R. but if you have a C,B,P or O it has a different name. both paint codes are using the same DuPont number. which is drop in Caddy in 67 but is offered in the other GM lines still code R in 67 but under each of the lines is a different name for the same color. which by the way is the same color as the 57-58 Dakota red. I love the color. it's a blood red but not as dark as the standard ford pick up red. I was the third owner of a 67 Oldsmobile convertible in "Spanish red" that now resides in Midland Tx.

the last pictures is the chip book this one is from early 60 some 50's to 88 Domestic. I always loved it when someone would ask to look at the chip book as they wanted to look for a color to paint there car.

 

[James Fischer]

Factory Colors

Okaaay...
All that being said ...so just what COLOR is "American LaFrance Red" that Superior and probably a few others used ??

 

[Jack Ramsey]

Unless specified otherwise, "Standard ALFCO Red", as shown on the following "Paint and Lettering Sheet" from a 1970 order, was provided.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

now Scott found the first chip. that was the necessary clue. but on this theme as to what's in a name. I was putting the book back together and this stood out on the 66 gm pages.

remember Steve's mention of Flamenco red. will here it is. GM code 48. in the Cadillac colors. but notice the it also appears on the plain old GM car line up as GM code R. but if you have a C,B,P or O it has a different name. both paint codes are using the same DuPont number. which is drop in Caddy in 67 but is offered in the other GM lines still code R in 67 but under each of the lines is a different name for the same color...

What's in a name indeed. The color on my ambulance is listed as "Flamengo Red" (presumably "flame-n-GO") and not "Flamenco Red" (like the dancer). So one letter in the name will make a lot of difference as well. I believe the shop found it was a '69 GM color.

 

[Peter Grave - Deceased - 1938 - 2022]

Had a friend back in the 60s who bought a new Cadie Convetrible every year for $26.00 extra from GM it was painted 69 Seminole Red a bright red good ambulance color check it out.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

right Steve but if you look on the MM plate is #48.

most of the fire trucks were the standard Ford truck Red. ford called it candy apple red the paint code for it was T. ford used that color from the 30s up to the base coat clear coat years.

but the fleet service colors are easy to match you can look them up in the fleet service book under there company name. i do not have one but most paint supply do but according to the the info posted the #48 DuPont I'm thinking is a tint color. no reason it could not be used for finish you would add the right amount of base to it. that would explain why no one can find the color. the dark red DuPont 4737 I believe is a current color. so doug out the book here it is in 76-77 ford. sprayed a lot of that.