Question about MKIV Paint Colour?

Hello again,

Would someone be able to confirm for me if this lovely MKIV car is Birch Grey on the Colour Chart, please?

http://classicshowcase.com/gallery/J48-175/


Cheers,

Tim

I would say probably not, that it looks green, and birch gray is just a straight up medium gray, does not have any tendency towards green.
http://www.jag-lovers.org/snaps/snap_view.php3?id=1140152785

image

The problem with photos is that the colour is not always reproduced well or it could be reflecting surrounding colours like trees, etc. Also the car you post has been no doubt repainted and new leather seats - so might not be true Jaguar colours. My Battleship Grey car is almost black, so the pictures look more like Gunmetal as opposed to Birch Grey.

I did post some information about paints and Colour Chip charts for the MK IV a while back which you may find useful: Paint colour for 1948 Mk iv

Yes, you are quite right David. However the colour is very handsome and quite ‘period’. I wonder what it is?

I’m still unsure about painting my MKIV in the original colour of Lavender Grey as it’s not that appealing. I have to decide in the next month!

Best wishes,

Tim

Looking at the Battleship grey MK IV in at present, it has a greenish suggestion dependiing on the light.

These 2 cars are I am told BOTH in Battleship Grey, but the two cars have been re-painted during restoration (I guess in modern paints) and do look different shades.

Battleship%20Grey%202

When I uncovered some old Battleship Grey paint (inside door casings, bulkhead, etc) on my 1948 MK IV it was certainly on the “black” side of the grey shade rather than any hint of “green”.

Thank you, David.

Does anyone know this car or what the colour used to paint it might be called?



It has a Suede Green interior.

Cheers,

Tim

Tim,

Its not a factory original GREEN - so anyones guess exactly what colour it is.

Closest factory colour is SUEDE GREEN, a fairly common colour for Mark IVs that were not most commonly BLACK. But shade does not look right on my screen (you can never match a colour from a photo, let alone an electronic image), and it looks far too glossy.

Trouble with restored cars - their paint colour is usually just the owners personal preference, with no real effort to closely match original shades through either disinterest or lack of accurate colour matching information.

Thus the regular debate on this forum re colours of various restored paint cars.

Most repaints use excessive high gloss modern paints, with no effort to reduce gloss to their period gloss level, then aggravate that by then applying ‘clear over’. Net result the colour shade just looks totally wrong, even if the original paint shade used was reasonably close.

Just look at a row of BRG or RED cars at a Jaguar car show - all claiming to be original BRG or CARMINE RED, but all different shades of Green and Red.

Roger

Hello Roger,

I’m now fairly confident that the colour is Suede Green, applied in the way you have suggested though, I suspect, without the clear lacquer. As you know from previous posts I am looking for a fall back position in case the Lavender Grey is not to my liking. I have a first rate person matching the colour and will have the spray out this month.

This was the best sample of the original paint I could find on the car which shows the green hues.

/Users/timothyfox/Pictures/Photos Library.

Tim

Hi Tim,

I’m totally confident that this colour is not Suede Green. I haven’t found any photos that accurately represent Suede Green but it is a much paler colour that that on GVC 677. Something more like this:

Peter

Yes, Peter, that’s what I had assumed as well. Though I’m told this is Suede Green too.

Here’s a shot from Foyle’s War! Suede Green also with Silver wire wheels.

All the banter is confusing. Black over cream might be nice?:wink:

I’m pretty sure I’ll choose Lavender Grey but might have Silver enamelled wire wheels with chrome spinners. I know that was a choice and it might be better than body colour, especially when combined with the brake drums in body colour too.

Tim

Looking at the MK IV { Battleship grey] atDug’d today, they is definitely a greenish suggestion to the colour.And it was matched to some ofhe original paint on th e car. Thinking of it,If i wanted to camouflage a battleship I 'd look at a similar colour to the ocean which definitely has a green tinge.
Two tone would definitely be non-original The sales brochure specifically mentioned no special colour finishes.
I feel here are some s conceptions about 2 pack paints. yes putting a clear over the base will end up looking like a beetle embedded in plastic. But straight colour is no more glossy and for some parts a matting agent can be added, e.g chassis and mechanical parts. And 2 pack is vastly more durable.

BTW , Tim

I drove your car must be be out 50 years ang. I think when Mrs Gerner had it. or perhaps earlier. a student a at Balwyn HIgh had it.but I remember it as a green.
There seem to have been a few Mk IV owned by BHS students.

Hello Ed,

You do make me laugh. How did the car drive all those years ago?

According to Allan Crouch’s records, the car left the factory wearing Lavender Grey with a Suede Green interior. At some stage it received a Red interior (do you remember it being red?) which may well have been due to it being damaged on the trip over, subsequently being replaced by Brylaws, or perhaps swapped with another interior at the buyer’s request (not a huge job I guess)? Nevertheless it received its Kalamata Olive Black livery at some stage. What was Mrs. Gerner like? She sounds formidable, rather like my Great Aunt Ethel. Now there’s a name that hasn’t made a comeback!

Best wishes,

Tim

Timothy Fox

Timothy2963@gmail.com