Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Topic: Center console trim gray, what is the paint code? (Read 12225 times) previous topic - next topic

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

June 13, 2017, 12:10:37 PM

Does anyone happen to know the paint code for the gray trim around the window/mirror/seat controls on the full length center console? The ashtray lid on mine could use a repaint and I have no idea how to find the paint code for the color gray Ford used. I've circled the area I'm talking about in the attached picture.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #1 – June 13, 2017, 12:33:43 PM

I have never found a paint code for the interior panels. There are lots of SEM greys available and one of them has to be close, I'd think. Or you could try a custom match if a paint shop can scan a panel with a digital eye.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #2 – June 13, 2017, 01:02:17 PM

I'll call a couple local places and see if they have the ability to scan a part to color match it. I'm sure one of them does.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #3 – June 13, 2017, 08:03:18 PM

this would be a very handy thing to know because of the discoloration of some interior parts being behind others due to more or less light.

example shown where center console is a tad lghter in color than some of the vertial dash stuff

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #4 – June 13, 2017, 10:53:33 PM

I have a camera, one of these, http://www.axaltacs.com/us/en_US/products-services/liquid-coatings/cromax/color/find-color/acquirerx.html . It can come up with an axalta color formula in certain qualities depending on the color. Such as chroma premier single stage, chroma premier base coat, cromax pro water borne base coat and a few others, not sure about a vinyl for interiors. Sometimes it comes up with a match that is very good, and by that I mean a blendable match on todays base coat colors, sometimes it takes a spray out to read and then adjust what it came up with.

I could try to read one, but then it's probably faded different than yours and wouldn't match anyway.

All that being said, I don't think it's going to read very well if it is a textured surface. I just looked at one of mine and it looked like it could possibly be flat or semi gloss black, but has a charcoal look because of the texture. Here are my DuPont book interior colors for 87-88 and the usage chart. Not sure if any of these are intended to be codes for the parts you are looking to paint.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #5 – June 14, 2017, 09:23:56 AM

I asked Eric this same question not too long ago. My interior (aside from the front seats) is the '85 charcoal interior. The top half of my dash and the "trim" around the dash panels through the top of the center console is this same darker gray. I think most of the cats/birds from 85-88 used this color either on the dash itself (like mine) or throughout the trim (as seen on thunderjet302's) unless you had a brown/tan interior. Unfortunately, I don't think it is shown in the above color samples ... if so, you should see the same color appear across multiple years. Even though it looks to be a Lincoln color, the 1988 interior color "Dark Titanium" looks about the closest in my own opinion ... might be worth a try ... then again, "Dark Smoke" looks close to me as well.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #6 – June 14, 2017, 01:32:28 PM

The interior of my Thunderbird isn't red, I just grabbed that picture from the internet. It's actually "smoke".

The upper part of the dash is what I assume to be "dark smoke". The trim around the wood grain dash pieces and center console seem to match it almost perfectly.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #7 – June 14, 2017, 08:02:23 PM

Ahhh ... my apologies on the red interior. So your dash is the same set up as mine just Smoke for the lighter gray versus Charcoal. I wonder how close Dark Smoke would be. I have some 87/88 speaker grates and a center console that are both a gray that is darker than my charcoal ... I think they were all out of a Turbo Coupe and I would guess it had the Raven interior. Your Smoke gray looks lighter than my Charcoal.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #8 – June 15, 2017, 03:32:13 PM

Essentially any 1985-88 super dark interior color (like Shadow Blue or Raven) had solid colored dashes. Everything that was medium-to-lighter (such as Smoke, Sand Beige, and Scarlet) was painted a darker color on top to cut down on sun glare. What that top color was depended upon the model year. In 1986, for example, the Canyon Red dash had a dark grey top (likely Dark Smoke). In 1987 when the interior color switched over to Scarlet, the dash top was painted Dark Scarlet. There really seemed to be no rhyme or reason when/why any of this was done, or who determined the colors.

I have some of that color info, but not all of it, on my site: http://www.coolcats.net/modelyear/index.html
Ford was better at supplying the info in the dealer books in 1987-88. For earlier cars you're actually better off with the DuPont/PPG paint books supplying the information, as bodyman shows above.
However, I'll start going through the books and get the info for everyone as I find it.

So Matt, your 1985 Charcoal dash would likely have a Dark Charcoal top color for 1985 (just guessing by the naming conventions). Next time I'm at the paint shop I'll try to get a snapshot of the 1985 and 1986 colors for verification.

By the way, Titanium was a Mustang interior color from 1990-92. It's close to our Smoke but not exact. My buddy has that in his '92 LX.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #9 – June 15, 2017, 05:19:09 PM

At some point over the next couple weeks I'll hit up the local paint supply shops and see what I can find. Some of them have a collection of old DuPont/PPG paint books.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #10 – June 15, 2017, 10:33:25 PM

The upper dash could be Dark Charcoal I suppose, but I think whatever this dark gray trim color is, it is was used from 85 to 88. I've mixed and matched the dash trim panels (instrument surround, radio surround, lower switch covers) and the center console trim panels from any number of cars and they have all been this color ... again, outside of any brown interiors.

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #11 – June 15, 2017, 11:13:19 PM

Alright...I found some info in the dealer upholstery books.

1985:

1986:

1987:

1988:

So according to all this...the 1985 colors aren't very descriptive (and really, neither are the 1983 and 1984 charts, which is why I didn't scan them).

HOWEVER...the 1986 one starts to get much better as far as describing the colors.

It looks like the top of Matt's dash is Raven. And that means the dark grey used throughout non-tan interior 1985-88 cars would therefore be Raven. The key is in the description of the steering wheel and steering column...it's consistently listed as Raven from 1986-88, but we know that color was unchanged for 1985, so that has to be it as far as I'm concerned.

Thoughts?

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #12 – June 15, 2017, 11:33:18 PM

Are they calling "instrument panel" the dash pad? Being the upper is darker than the lower, fits the dark smoke/smoke look of his dash?

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #13 – June 15, 2017, 11:40:36 PM

For 1983-85, the books just listed the overall interior color for the instrument panel. Beginning in 1986 there were actual color breakdowns for the top and bottom. So it's still a guess as to what Matt's 1985 dash top is called, but if it matches the steering wheel and column in color, then it's likely Raven.

On my '84, the interior is Academy Blue but the dash top pad is actually a very dark blue. It's the only dark blue component in the entire interior. And I don't have a color name for it because the book lists the instrument panel as "Blue". Thanks, Ford, that really helps. :rolleyes:

Center console trim gray, what is the paint code?

Reply #14 – June 16, 2017, 08:32:20 AM

Yeah, I think Raven is probably a pretty safe assumption. My dash is original to the car save for the cluster and modified pieces. Just to add a little more complexity to the situation ... several weeks ago, I ordered an NOS ashtray/light switch panel for the back of my full length center console. This piece would have been 85/86 specific (83/84 uses a very similar panel but the panel is more "textured" if you will). While having the part number researched, it was shown in two different colors ... black and brown. I ordered the black assuming that would be correct when I received it ... and it was ... it is also not your traditional "black" by any stretch of the imagination. This is the same color as the rest of the trim pieces in the car. The leather covering on the thinner style armrest is also this same color, so perhaps a Raven leather?