Automotive paint colours in N Scale

[TinyTurner]

I got a Showcase miniatures 61 C class pickup kit very cheap.  Amazed at the quality and detail!
Might even put a steering wheel and column in it.   

Providentially, there are many colour reference cards online so I can get the exact colour 'from back in the day', but I don't know if there any cross references paint chart for model makers?
Quite fancied Chevrolet Brigade Blue 707.

I will have to try to mix from the closest colours otherwise.
I was thinking Humbrol enamel gloss (easy to get) but the Mr Hobby seem to be top rated along with Tamiya acrylic.  Not sure about gloss finish with acrylics.  Maybe have to buff with tiny Dremel wheel for that car show finish!

[peteski]

Many modelers consider glossy finish on N scale automobiles as not realistic.  They prefer satin or even flat colors as appropriate for N scale.  I however do like them glossy.

There are companies out there which can customer mix any color matching 1:1 automobiles from pretty much any time period and supply them in small bottles of airbrush ready paint, but it is fairly pricey.  Those companies use actual automotive paints and formulas, so they can match thousands of different colors from automotive manufacturers. Those are mostly used by modelers building larger scale car kits (like 1:43, 1:32, 1:24 and larger).

https://mcwfinishes.com/
https://www.zero-paints.com/  (these paints have mixed reviews)
https://www.splash-paints.com/

Personally, for tiny N scale model vehicles I would just try to custom-mix a color using paints you already have to get a "close-enough" match. I doubt that  someone will come up to your 2cm long model with a color reference card and tell you that the color is inaccurate.

[Pizzaparty]

Well thanks peteski you’ve ruined my weekend plans.

In the past, I owned a color laser printer and would print a color on the printer then mix and paint it on the color to see how well it would blend in.

Now days I just go for “close enough” on things that aren’t passenger trains. I’ve had awesome luck with Vallejo paints for airbrushing and believe it or not, those cheap craft paints for brushing.

[Rasputen]

Have you seen the Miniature Painter app for smartphones?  It will give you a good starting point for mixing many popular paint brands, like Vallejo, Tamiya, Mig, and AK. I think you have to use your phone's camera as an input reference.

[nickelplate759]

Tru-Color has a line of Automobile colors:  https://trucolorpaint.com/model-automobile-colors-high-gloss-and-metallic/

[TinyTurner]

I was going to try the Mr Hobby Aqueous paint, but realised that I don't know how to mix colours.  It seems that it is not as strait forward as 'add black to darken' or 'white to lighten'.

What's a good approach? 

 

[Lemosteam]

Dupli-Color has nearly all colors used by automobile manufacturers back to 1972.  You can buy a touch up tube of the color, thin and airbrush or just by a can.

https://www.duplicolor.com/en

As for shiny vs dull, using a matte finish solves that issue.

[Brill-21E]

I have a book that has automotive color formulas and I can scan it.
I think I will be able to find It in a few days, as is inside abox... I moved and still ordering all my stuff.
I can scan it If you need It.

[TinyTurner]

Feel free to post if you find it.  It's a funny thing with all the different monitors and lighting, never quite sure what is close or far.

I am bit limited in location to get solvent based touch up pens, else I would grab loads.

I ordered a good amount of Vallejo paints based on the RW colour list and found Model colour 70.962 with a little white 70.951 mixed in, looks close, again with a caveat: I have never seen it for real 

[sirenwerks]

I've been using close-enough colors from Tamiya since the closest shop caters to military modelers and the RC crowd. They have a big case of N scale but I've never seen anyone buying, considering their prices.


I am one of those people that believes glossy doesn't scale down well. If anything I'll apply Future. But my experience has always been glossy model paints apply too thick.

[peteski]

Feel free to post if you find it.  It's a funny thing with all the different monitors and lighting, never quite sure what is close or far.

I am bit limited in location to get solvent based touch up pens, else I would grab loads.

I ordered a good amount of Vallejo paints based on the RW colour list and found Model colour 70.962 with a little white 70.951 mixed in, looks close, again with a caveat: I have never seen it for real 

You just stated why trying to get an accurate paint match is a huge rat hole (for all the reasons you mentioned).  Especially since as you mentioned you never seen those colors in-person.  Then to muddy things even further,  there is the "scale effect" some subscribe to.  And of course there is always the fact that for metallic (aka. "poly" or "mica") paints have metallic particles way oversize for  a 1:160 model.  And will it really be *THAT* apparent that some color is slight off on that tiny 20mm long model car when compared to the 1:1 vehicle?

I'm all for quality modeling, but sometimes we seem to want to go too far.

[gi-depp]

The AV 71.333 looks very close to me, straight from the bottle.

[nickelplate759]

I'm all for quality modeling, but sometimes we seem to want to go too far.

Isn't that a secondary motto for Railwire?

[peteski]

Isn't that a secondary motto for Railwire?

Sure! 

[TinyTurner]

That 71.333 does look very close.
Got several blues to be sure, they will all be used eventually, messing with bits of sprue to see these effects.
Too far, not far enough, haha it can get quite comical sometimes.
My main concern was getting enough paints at the time in one order to avoid massive shipping costs, whilst not actually knowing what I was doing, with highly optimistic standards.
Pretty much the usual 

Gotta aim high.