An Exercise in 1974 Mopar Colors

PeugFra

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In the category "So what?" I am trying to get a handle on those brown colors that grace the 1974 Mopars. There are five of them on that year's color chip card:

KL8 Dark Moonstone Metallic, Ditzler 2633; #473216 sRGB(71, 50, 22)
KT5 Sienna Metallic, Ditzler 2634; #A45C40 sRGB(164, 92, 64)
KT9 Dark Chestnut Metallic, Ditzler 2590; #3A2921 sRGB(58, 41, 33)
JY6 Golden Haze Metallic, Ditzler 2509; #765A39 sRGB(118, 90, 57)
JY9 Tahitian Gold Metallic, Ditzler 2510; #3D2F20 sRGB(61, 47, 32)

(The hexadecimal code is in the source code of the 1974 PaintRef page and the sRGB numbers are another way of saying the same thing.)

Most Chrysler names sound rather exciting (-- "Do you prefer your new car in Golden Haze or Tahitian Gold, sir?" -- "Can't I have both?") but do not help me very much in understanding which color is meant. For those who have seen these colors on actual cars this may be all right, but apart from Dark Moonstone this is not the case for me. The digital codes I added may pin it down for a web page designer, but again do not immediately produce a color in my mind. Even on my computer screen it's hard to see the difference between KL8/#473216, KT9/#3A2921 and JY9/#3D2F20. So all these names and numbers are mostly identifiers, with little descriptive power.

General color descriptors are contained in the ISCC-NBS system, that works with a controlled dictionary. A limited set of words is used to describe 267 distinctive colors points.

So I tried to map the five Chrysler browns to these descriptors, helped by conversions to hexadecimal equivalents done by David Mundie, John Foster and Paul Centore. Each of them used a slightly different method with inevitably slightly different results. Leaving out the gruesome detail, this is what I ended up with:

Dark Moonstone Metallic = Dark Yellowish Brown (NBS 78)
Sienna Metallic = Light Brown (NBS 57)
Dark Chestnut Metallic = Dark Grayish Brown (NBS 62)
Golden Haze Metallic = Moderate Yellowish Brown (NBS 77)
Tahitian Gold Metallic = Dark Olive Brown (NBS 96)

where "=" here means 'corresponds more or less to'. For KT5 Sienna and JY6 Golden Haze the Delta-E color distance metric was not very close to the assigned descriptors, but I couldn't find anything better. The five NBS descriptors do agree that we are dealing with browns here, so basicly we're on the same page. For instance, HL4 Sahara Beige and KY4 Golden Fawn, two more earth tones, do not turn up as browns in the ISCC-NBS system.

Maybe members who have first-hand knowledge of these colors could chime in and tell if they can live with these descriptors.
 
Another deep dive into the depths of Mopar. I love this stuff, but have little input for these “modern” cars.
 
As I recall from back then, "Dark Moonstone" was more of a higher-metallic dark charcoal rather than a "brown". "Tahitian Gold" would have been a more tawny/darker gold, but not a "brown".

Find some sales brochures online which might give a better representation of the desired colors, rather than a paint website with small color chips to preuse, which might yield better results. Seems like many of those brochures can be found via the Detroit Eaton Spring catalog website?

CBODY67
 
Moonstone is a rare colour...shadowy pic, but this car is in Moonstone metallic:

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A picture is worth a thousand words in this case...this is a really good representation of the colours:

imperial1974paintcolors.jpg
 
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Here is my 1978 which is Golden Fawn - KY4 It has no metallic base or look, unlike the majority of the 1974 color offerings.

I had a 73 Dodge that was the Dark Chestnut. It had a copper colored metallic type additive mixed in with what I would describe as a semi-clear root beer - dark brown "base/syrup". Overall, it was beautiful waxed in the sunlight.

The other two colors Tahitian Gold was the dark brown "base/syrup" with a gold colored metallic. The Golden Haze was a lighter - blonde "base/syrup" with a gold colored metallic.

When I was looking for touch up paint, I found the paint codes on file at the Sherwin Williams Commercial Auto Paint store do not have the "exact" formulation for some of these older colors. They used a scanner to get it close, then the guy took a rear fender skirt out in the sunlight and adjusted the paint until the dried color was a perfect match. I placed an order first with the AutoColor Library , and what I received was incorrect. But, it did match the interior paint on the steering column. Not impressed with their service.

IMG_E0706.JPG
 
This is my 73 Plymouth in chestnut metallic.
I did have it repainted to match the paint under the tail lights. Great color when the sun is out!
20180417_101551.jpg
 
Thank you. Its a 72 sport suburban. 25-30 years ago I used this car daily for work and about 5 years ago I sold it to a friend . It was sherwood green metallic but he has painted it in a Bently metallic green and it quite suits it. The engine and trans was worn out so I put in a 66,000 mile engine and box from a 72 Dodge Monaco wagon that i had that was in a wreck. Put new woodgrain on this and the 73 at the same time and hopefully if the covid goes away we will finish it this year. The Chrysler is now my daily driver.
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IMG-20200526-WA0013.jpg
 
Thank you. Its a 72 sport suburban. 25-30 years ago I used this car daily for work and about 5 years ago I sold it to a friend . It was sherwood green metallic but he has painted it in a Bently metallic green and it quite suits it. The engine and trans was worn out so I put in a 66,000 mile engine and box from a 72 Dodge Monaco wagon that i had that was in a wreck. Put new woodgrain on this and the 73 at the same time and hopefully if the covid goes away we will finish it this year. The Chrysler is now my daily driver.View attachment 438524 View attachment 438525
I would love to have either one of these wagons as a daily driver. I agree, the green really pops and highlights the body curves and the wood tone. I am in the suburbs of Chicago, so finding a large parking spot outside of Home Depot or Menard's is a challenge for my 78 New Yorker. Thanks for posting the photos.
 
Thanks for the pics, guys, and keep them coming! I still need

KT9 Dark Chestnut Metallic (the 1973 Chestnut Plymouth posted above is Ditzler 2425; #4A3021, sRGB(74, 48, 33), and is a touch brighter than the 1974 color)
JY6 Golden Haze Metallic
JY9 Tahitian Gold Metallic

I'll throw in my own 1974 Fury III in Dark Moonstone:

1974-III-Mississauga-x.jpg


In pictures it often seems rather dull, but in reality it is a smashing color!
 
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Sorry to offend but Dark Moonstone is possibly the worst color I have ever seen.
My opinion only. Not hating.
 
Here's Golden Haze Metallic...not my car...just a representation of the colour on a car.

Note that these colours have a lot of variation with lighting conditions and add aging and fade and two cars with the same paint can look wildly different in pictures.

Add-Watermark20200303122338.png
 
A trip to Italy to look at a C-body, no need to ask me twice. The clients I visit are located in Pogliano Milan , Rome and Avezzano. Are you anywhere close?
 
I'm about 35 miles from Venice.

I guess this is KT9 Dark Chestnut Metallic:

1974-Newport-Iowa-aa.png


1974-Newport-Iowa-cc.jpg


1974-Newport-Iowa-dd.jpg


Ripped off Flickr. Seeing this color I can't help myself calling it chocolate brown. With chestnut brown I associate dark reddish brown.
 
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My 73 fury is HT8 dark tan poly. Which I have read was was used with a different name in other years.
But I think same code.
 
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