Automotive Paint and Automotive Paint Color Codes

Liquid Yellow. Championship White. Nardo Grey. Estoril Blue. Ultimate Green. Norfolk Mustard. Rosso Corsa. Ermine White. Hugger Orange. Sub-Lime. Silver Birch. Mica Blue. The list could go on forever. These are just a few of the almost innumerable number of car paint colors out there.

It is easy to take for granted that you can have any color that could be imagined and any other variation of it on your car. Car paint has come a long way from its early days. Where you once had one-of-a-kind, hand-painted cars that took weeks to dry, you now have OEM (original equipment manufacturer) paint codes that allow you to buy paint by paint codes that are specific to your car, making sure that your car paint code matches the existing paint.

Car paint is now more resilient, more varied and less expensive than ever before. How did it get to be like this? What are OEM paint codes? How do they work? Where can you find them when you need to buy car paint by paint code? To answer these questions and to understand how the industry got to automotive paint car codes, you need to understand a bit of the history.

The History of Automotive Paint

Everyone has heard of the famous quote by Henry Ford when speaking about the possibility of adding colors to the Model T line-up. “Any customer can have a car painted any color they want so long as it is black,” was what the industrial tycoon said of his customers’ demands for variety.

This is a funny quote to hear today because customer service doesn’t work like that anymore. But not many people understand what painting a car used to be like before Henry Ford and his team found ways to reduce paint times for vehicles.

Since the original automobiles were all derived from carriages that were drawn by horses, the process for the paint jobs was the same as it was for the carriages. That meant the vehicles were hand-painted with oil-based paints. This was very expensive and extremely time-consuming. On top of that, the paint took weeks to dry AND the paint job would fade and yellow fairly quickly. When that happened, you needed to repaint the entire vehicle.

Innovations at the Ford Factory

This wouldn’t work for Henry Ford and his dreams of making the automobile affordable enough for the average citizen. While he didn’t come up with the idea for using automotive paint color codes, he did revolutionize the process of painting cars. They developed asphalt-based paints that took very little time to dry and could be worked into the process of vehicle assembly.

While no means perfect, this process made way for the innovations that came after WWI when new enhancements and changes to the painting process allowed for colors for the very first time. This was the beginning of the car paint revolution that would lead to being able to perfectly match your cars paint by paint code.

What Are Automotive Paint Color Codes?

An automotive paint color code is the number and OEM paint color code that is assigned to vehicle paint when it is originally manufactured. The purpose of this is to clearly and properly label the exact type and color of paint your vehicle has. This way, when it comes time to repair or paint your car, you can buy paint by code and make sure that your car paint code matches the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) paint.

This was a revolutionary step forward in the car painting game. Some of the early paints were pretty wild and you wouldn’t want to get the wrong paint. In the 1930s, to get that mother-of-pearl type sheen, some paints were made with real fish scales. Some of these paints could take up to 40,000 herrings to make 1 gallon of paint! As you can imagine, these paints were extremely expensive.

Having your car paint code match the original manufacturer’s paint is a simple way to ensure you get the right color. This was especially useful once the number of paints grew exponentially after the enhancements that led to colored paint.

How Do Automotive Paint Color Codes Work?

An OEM paint code acts in a very similar way to the VIN on your vehicle. In fact, they are often found in the same place (but more on that later). Your paint code is not to be mistaken with your car’s paints name. Oftentimes, the same OEM paint code can be used by two different vehicle brands under two different names. It is important to recognize this because you want to buy car paint by code, not by the paints name.

Your OEM paint code is the number and letter code that is tied to the exact color and specifications of paint that were used to paint your car. Manufacturers always make sure to paint by the paint code that is meant for that specific vehicle. It could be considered a part of your car’s DNA.

Where Can I Find My Automotive Paint Color Code?

When it comes time to paint your car or make a repair to your paint job, you want to make sure your car paint code matches exactly. If not, you can end up with disastrous consequences. To buy car paint by code, you need to find that information on your car. Not all vehicle manufacturers put this information in the same spot and the older the vehicle is, the harder it can be to find.

Follow these steps to locate your OEM paint codes and make sure the car paint code matches the original paint.

Your OEM paint code will be found on your VIN tag, which is otherwise known as a manufacturers tag or “service parts identification” tag. The trouble with these tags is that they are not always in the same spot. Some manufacturers are extremely consistent with the placement of their VIN tags and other manufacturers are not as easily found. Here is a breakdown of where they can be found separated by manufacturer.

• General Motors
  

General Motors is one of the manufacturer that seems to haphazardly placed these stickers throughout their lineup of vehicle brands. You can find them in either:

• Ford 

Ford has many different brands that are everything from luxurious to rugged and utilitarian. Regardless of the type of vehicle, if you need to buy paint by code, you can almost always find their VIN tags on the driver side door jamb.

• Honda

Honda also owns Acura and when you need to paint by paint code for one of these vehicles, you can find their VIN plates near:

• Toyota

Toyota has made it extremely easy by placing the VIN tags on the driver side door jamb on a tag that is either white, silver or black. This is for Toyota’s and well as Lexus.

• Chrysler

Chrysler is another brand that seems to have put these tags in a multitude of different places in their vehicles. This may be because they are one of the oldest car brands in the world. Regardless of the reason, it is important to check these areas if you are searching for a car paint code match in a Chrysler.

• Nissan

Nissan produces all Infinity vehicles alongside their Nissan lineup and to find their OEM codes, all you need to do is look for them:

• Hyundai

Hyundai is another giant manufacturer that seems to produce everything and anything mechanical, including lots of cars. When you are searching for your OEM paint code in a Hyundai, make sure to look:

Is it Important That I Buy Paint by Code?

Using the OEM paint codes to paint is only important if you want to match the paint color exactly, which you do. Use this guide to find the information you need so that you can paint by paint code to get the exact paint match for your ride. Once you have the information you need, where do you go to get the paint you need?

Buying paint by code is very simple. TheTouchUpShop.com can easily deliver the exact paint you need. We use your automotive paint color codes to get an exact car paint code match so that you can finish your repair and painting projects with ease.

Reach out to TheTouchUpShop.com today and see how you can get the paint you need, as well as the accessories and safety supplies to get your entire project done. Your one-stop-shop for your car paint needs.