Which Green paint do I have??

[ramsesosirus]

Hello Z fans,

Been getting a lot of work done on the Z lately.  

I did some extensive searching, but cannot for the life of me determine which green paint I have.

It is a 1976, but it appears to be an "early 1976" since it has the storage hatches behind the seats.  No sub floor (or at least it isn't there anymore...)

Engine bay and spare tire well are green, so I know it was originally green.

The original paint "Color Code" sticker is intact on the radiator frame, but the code is not there:  It has faded or whatever.  I've tried different angles/flashlights/etc.. but cannot make out any sort of numbers at all.

I've looked at the paint code sites.  There seems to be several shades of green used around this time 1976.  .I cannot determine which one I have.  The pictures all seem different? 

I was thinking the 303 emerald green, but my car is darker than that.  Then I was thinking the 240 racing green, but mine is a little "bluer" than that.

Any help would be appreciated-

Here is my car.  It is a green metallic, that is very dark.  In the sun it seems to turn a shade of turquoise-ish blue at the right angle, if that makes sense...

The closest match that I have found would be Gary Williams' Z from the Connecticut Z Car Club.  Here are some pictures of his car, which he states that he painted "Dark Emerald Green Metallic", but didn't give a code, also that specific name is not listed on the sites  have found...  

I was unable to contact him through the Connecticut Z site, is he a member here?  Here is his car with the paint that is basically the closest to mine I have seen:

Thanks for any help- the paint touch ups I have been doing with off the shelf stuff won't cut it for larger areas.  I spot painted a few areas just to cover some rust spot repairs.

 

[rossiz]

looks like it might have been re-sprayed at some point. mine is about the same color as yours, and was dark green to start with (visible in the back hatch deck and engine bay) the original owner had it re-painted with the same color but they added a little bit of metalflake to it and a clear coat - both of which really change the look from the original single-stage paint.

[ramsesosirus]

4 hours ago, rossiz said:

looks like it might have been re-sprayed at some point. mine is about the same color as yours, and was dark green to start with (visible in the back hatch deck and engine bay) the original owner had it re-painted with the same color but they added a little bit of metalflake to it and a clear coat - both of which really change the look from the original single-stage paint.

Thanks rossiz;  Which color code # would you say it is?  Dark green #240, Emerald green #303??  Do you think it is the stock color, with more flake/ 2 stage?  Or a totally different dark green metallic?  I'd like to get some matching paint to paint the front air dam/etc... I definitely want to keep the same color that it is now...

[Jeff G 78]

It doesn't look like the '76 or the '78 Racing Green #240 cars I have had.  It looks to have a bit more blue to the hue.

[ramsesosirus]

1 hour ago, Jeff G 78 said:

It doesn't look like the '76 or the '78 Racing Green #240 cars I have had.  It looks to have a bit more blue to the hue.

Yes, I agree with you.  Almost has a color shifting aspect to it under certain light.  It shifts to a bluish teal color.  

None of the Datsun color codes seem to match.

Does anybody know Gary Williams from the Connecticut Z Car Club?

5 hours ago, rossiz said:

looks like it might have been re-sprayed at some point. mine is about the same color as yours, and was dark green to start with (visible in the back hatch deck and engine bay) the original owner had it re-painted with the same color but they added a little bit of metalflake to it and a clear coat - both of which really change the look from the original single-stage paint.

Do you have any more images of your paint, rossiz?  So yours is the stock #240 or #303 with metal flakes and 2 stage?  

Thanks

[jwtaylor]

Maybe take it to a paint supply company and see if they can color match it?

[rossiz]

i don't have any info on my paint - the PO did it. if you're trying to match it, have the paint shop do that. if you're going to start over, pick the green you like. the metalflake does add some life to the finish - not original/correct, but then my car is a DD and modified in many ways from original/correct...

[Namerow]

I have the same issue with my Z.  It was re-sprayed over its original 907 'Racing Green' (not my favourite colour, BTW) with a darker green metallic.  Like yours, my paint has a visible, fine metallic content and shows a bluish tint under certain light conditions.

The colour used on our cars might be either the '303 Green Metallic' that was offered for 1974-75, or the '240 Green Metallic' replaced it in 1976.  There appear to have been four different paints used on the Z that carried the name, 'Green Metallic'...

113 - 1972-73 - Green Metallic - aka 'Avocado'

302 - 1974-?? - Leaf Green Metallic

303 - 1974-75 - Green Metallic

240 - 1976-?? - Green Metallic

I can see my/your paint being described as 'Dark Green Metallic' so as to distinguish it from #113 and #302 (which are definitely not dark), and maybe also to distinguish #240 from #303. 

Maybe someone who has a car with the original 303 or 240 paint can comment.

[Jeff G 78]

6 hours ago, Namerow said:

Maybe someone who has a car with the original 303 or 240 paint can comment.

Michael Good @mgood has a green (#240 I believe) '76.  He might be able to offer some help.

[ramsesosirus]

Well some good info here.  Last night I checked under the hood to look at (what I assume to be)  the stock paint.

The original stickers (weight, emission, etc.. ) are still attached.  I highly doubt the bottom of the hood was re-sprayed, based on the quality of the rest of the paint work, and I still get a little bit of the bluish tint we have spoke of, as well as the metallic flake.  

This would make me believe that one of the original greens had this bluish tint and the metal flake.  

As rossiz stated, yes I will (eventually) just pick the color I want, however for right now I'm just trying to touch up a few areas, and maybe spray the aftermarket air dam.  Whoever installed the air dam tried to paint it to match, but it's not really the same.  

That being said, I would actually choose the color that it is now if I were to repaint it.  Therefore, IF it is a stock color, it would make it easier to match by utilizing the paint code.  I've looked at variations of options for this "green with blue tint" by googling the "bluish green car paint", but most of them are too teal or too blue for what I would want.  I like the dark green, and the bluish tint/metal flake makes it unique.

I appreciate all of the advice and comments, perhaps we can figure this out.  

I should also note that the 3 pictures in my OP aren't all of my car.  The first one is mine, the second two are of a car from the Connecticut Z Club, which is almost exactly the same.  So other owners out there have this same paint, whether or not it is original.  

Edited May 26, 2016 by ramsesosirus
detail on photos.

[Mark Maras]

 My 97 Subaru Outback (Spruce Green Pearl) is darned close to what you have. It tends to shift to a bluish green when the light hits it at the right angle. Probably the pearl in it. I think yours is a stock color with extra flake. I don't remember that much flake in the factory paint jobs.

[gwri8]

I had mine painted last fall.  The original paint code sticker was #240 so I went to the Automotive paint store and they pulled up the Datsun code #240 from 1977. It does not have the blueish tint that you are looking for. The only difference is that I have a two stage paint vs the original acrylic. I suspect your PO had it repainted to his/her liking vs keeping the original paint.

Edited May 26, 2016 by gwri8
added pic