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[4est]

Anybody now where the paint codes are listed. My car is midnight blue metallic. The code under the hood is L39C, but everywhere else I've looked lists either L39C AND/or 37W. 39C is listed as midnight blue pearl and 37W is listed as night blue metallic. My hood needs painting, and I certainly don't want the wrong color nor to pay twice for a special order color. Help...

[martinreinhardt]

On my car the paint codes are inside the trunk in front and below the brake fluid reservoir.

Painting is a real painfull job . I would recommend to take a piece from your car and have a pro mix and match the paint for you or even have them paint it.

Don't ask how I know

[pdy]

There are multiple paint codes used for the same
color. Also, while pearl and metallic technically
are not the same, the two terms are often used
interchangeably.

Also, the same color can have several names,
even though the formula is identical. 'Night
Blue' is probably translated from the german
'Nacht Blau' or Nackt Blau, if you're more
adventuresome

Sometimes the same name is used for radically
different colors - Iris Blue from the '80s is
very light - Iris Blue from the '90s is dark.
Fortunately, they have different code numbers.
The Midnight Blue code is 39C, 37W or F8.

Finally, there are different formulas for the
same color, even from the same paint manufacturer
(Midnight blue might have a touch of green,
or the same effect can be obtained by adding
a smaller touch of yellow).

Now, while all this sounds scary, don't worry.
Martin's advice is the best - take it to a shop.
Any decent paint shop will mix up the standard
recipe formula for midnight blue, and then make
minor adjustments to the batch in order to have
as close a match as possible to your individual
car (due to fading, age, differences in paint,
temperature, humidity, etc.). Trying to match
any more than a pencil-diameter size area is
extremely difficult unless you do this all the
time. Metallic/pearl paints are even tougher.
Ordering some Midnight Blue from PaintScratch
(for instance) will be closer than gloss black
from Home Depot, but it will still be very visible.
If you care, you really need to take it to a
good paint shop.

Paul.