Aquamarine Metallic

For those who obsess about exactly how their 356 left the factory!
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jim saunders
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Aquamarine Metallic

#1 Post by jim saunders »

My latest Registry magazine has just been delivered, thanks all involved. Issue 39 – 6. March/April 2016.
On page 30 there is a reprinted article, originally in the Jan/Feb 1999 magazine, contributed by the late Orr Potebnya, a Registry member I was lucky enough to have contact with.
Just recently there was a post here regarding paint for a ‘55, in a Blue colour.
I posted to say I’d spent some time trying to match the original colour of my 1956 1500GS Carrera in Aquamarine metallic, paint code 5607.
While my car was stripped of it’s original paint, which I don’t think would have been much help anyway, due to fading/ UV etc, there was a perfect, good preserved coat on the Glovebox strap.
Over a period I tried to formulate this colour, and got as close as I could, but then Glasurit changed paint again.
I found it a very difficult colour to match, but got as close as I could.
Anyway, the purpose of this post is to say that, although it’s a printed page, the photo on page 30 of the magazine is, in my opinion, a pretty true representation of this beautiful Aquamarine Metallic. As good as any I’ve ever seen.
A lovely bright blue in some lights, with a grey area down the side in shadow. And in real shadow it shows very dark, a blackish blue.
This one photo, for me, shows the many different characteristics of this great colour.
On page 31 second photo down on the left, another true representation, showing how grey looking the blue colour appears in certain light.
Difficult to match, but in my opinion this is how the colour looked originally.
A great shame Aquamarine metallic was around for just one year, but if you’re lucky enough to have a ‘56 with this paint code, I’d say these examples show the beauty of the colour just as it was. jim

Edwin Ek
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#2 Post by Edwin Ek »

Jim, I agree. Probably my favorite 356 color.
#6386

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Dennis ODonnell
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#3 Post by Dennis ODonnell »

A buddy at school had a '56 Carrerra in Aquamarine. Kind of a beater, we always had to give him a push to start but the blue was as you described; like a polished stone, not just seawater.

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James Davies
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#4 Post by James Davies »

Great post Jim. There are a few club members here who have original paint Aquamarine Metallic '56 coupes.

Agree that it was the best Porsche color. According to Frank Jung in his "Porsche 356 by Reutter" book, Aquamarine metallic was a really difficult color for Reutter to paint. My (poor) translation from his book:

"On February 1, 1956 Porsche complained in writing about a 'downright frightening deterioration in execution and processing' of bodies delivered. In fact, there was reason for Porsche to be dissatisfied as previously the body finishing was of very high-quality from Reutter. Increasingly, there were problems with the painting of the body shells. With small holes in the tin, as well as inclusions of dust and tiny metal shavings error occurred in the subsequently applied paint layer. While a Nitrolack-painted exterior body skin could be reworked and repaired, it was difficult for the new enamel coatings. This is especially true for metal effect paint finishes which were very popular with customers. The proportion of metallics ordered in January and February 1956 was 75% and 69% respectively of all bodies painted. Reutter was very interested in reducing such coatings and asked Porsche to limit the offerings to their customers. The painters had particular difficulties with the standard color "Aquamarine metallic" (color code R607). Reutter even threatened, no more standard specification applying this color."

I think this explains why all the metallics except silver were discontinued in 1957.

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Dennis ODonnell
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#5 Post by Dennis ODonnell »

No idea how much Reutter was paid per car to paint but it was reasonable of them to ask more for the additional work involved with metallics. If Porsche refused Reutters' choices would be to have metallics listed as "optional" or lose money on each body. The metallic finishes became special order items as they were at BMW & Mercedes. The German practice of charging extra for some metallic finishes persists to this day.

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James Davies
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#6 Post by James Davies »

Agree Dennis. I'll add that this came about because of the switch from Nitrolack to Enamel in 1954. Enamel was faster to apply and produced a longer-lasting finish, but reading between the lines, it didn't work well for metallics. So the 1954 and 1955 cars that were metallic still used Nitrolack. Reutter eventually switched the metallics to Enamel in 1956 because of durability, and that's when the problems started.

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Dennis ODonnell
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#7 Post by Dennis ODonnell »

Pity they didn't ask GM for help. My dad bought a Chevy early in '57, metallic rootbeer. When I sold it ten years later the paint still looked new. Maybe I waxed it twice a year.

jim saunders
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#8 Post by jim saunders »

For those of you who want an authentic looking interior you want to be careful with the modern leathers and vinyls. The original ons had way more gloss to them. In my opinion, very very few of the shops out there get the subtle curves and the plead detail right. Compare pictures of the cars when they were new to the interiors you see these days and they are way different. What worries me is in 10-20 years this will become the norm.

The above post is from Joris, regarding the subject of interior upholstery choices. Joris, I hope you don't mind me using your post like this, but I think a similar thing is happening with exterior paint colours as well. Looking at recent repaints of cars in this beautiful Aquamarine metallic, I don't think I've seen any that represent closely the original colour. I'm only looking at photos of the newly repainted cars, but comparing these photos to original photos, it's a different colour. It's a very difficult colour to match I know, but when all the original paint cars have gone we will be left with something lesser. I have a Slate Grey car to restore, another colour I really love, and I'm afraid a lot of the recently repainted Slate Grey cars I look at don't look correct either. I share the concerns of Joris. I really don't want wrong to become the norm, that's all. jim

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Paul Kust
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#9 Post by Paul Kust »

Jim, you are describing pictures, monitor colors and an individuals eye will see colors differently.
I was painting my house and applying a different shade of color to the gable ends and my friend couldn't see it, yet I could clearly see the difference as the white had a slight green added.
Arguing shades is like asking a blind man to describe a blue sky. Kodak and Fugi film produce different colors of the same object, and we haven't even gotten into Polaroid. By the way, those were film stock for cameras back in the day. :)
Paul Kust
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James Davies
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#10 Post by James Davies »

Jim, there's a really nice photo of an Aquamarine metallic coupe in the Reutter factory under construction in Frank Jungs "Porsche 356 by Reutter" book, page 266.

And yeah, I agree, the only way to compare car colors is to take a picture of them physically side-by-side in the same light with the same camera.

Bob Watts
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#11 Post by Bob Watts »

See a sample from Brett Johnson at:
356 Registry Magazine
Vol. 17, No. 3, p. 12
Sept./Oct, 1993
paint code - 5607
Bob Watts

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Gordon Maltby
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#12 Post by Gordon Maltby »

If you want to know what any color, especially one as subtle as Aquamarine blue looks like, DO NOT look in a book or on your computer monitor. There is no way to accurately reproduce a paint color with printing inks or monitor phosphors or LEDs. Contact John Willhoit for a sprayed sample, or go to a Registry Holiday and check out a car in person.
 

Nanette Reid
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#13 Post by Nanette Reid »

Gordon Maltby wrote:If you want to know what any color, especially one as subtle as Aquamarine blue looks like, DO NOT look in a book or on your computer monitor. There is no way to accurately reproduce a paint color with printing inks or monitor phosphors or LEDs. Contact John Willhoit for a sprayed sample, or go to a Registry Holiday and check out a car in person.
I agree with Gordon 1000% on this! My 59 A Coupe is Aquamarine Blue (non-metallic version) and it looks a different colour in every possible light you can imagine.

I've collected a number of images from members over the years, and perhaps the closest shot I've got to the "real colour" is the image below - and that was shot under light, overcast skies. Other pictures have been close or not even near, but again, it's the lighting involved, the digital capture and quite often the screen you view it on. (My screen is calibrated for photography as that's my job, so if it looks right on that, I know it's correct.)

As Gordon suggested, get a swatch made of the actual colour and take a good look on an light, overcast day. I had a 20cm square piece of metal painted from a paint sample provided by BASF/Glasurit in Adelaide, South Australia, and it matches the colour under the rubbers perfectly.

Looking at it on a bright sunny day and it's a different blue, in the shade (on the same day), different again, under the fluros in my garage, different again.

Nothing beats a real sample to see the actual potential of the colour you're lusting after - I now know that once mine is resprayed with its original matching red interior, I'll be an even happier 356 owner!! 8)
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1957_356A_Coupe.jpg

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James Davies
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#14 Post by James Davies »

Here's an original paint Aquamarine metallic '56 coupe. Was for sale at Road Scholars earlier this year.

http://roadscholars.com/inventory/1956- ... 56a-coupe/

There are a few original paint cars like this from '56 and '57 floating around. =)
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randywells-9936.jpg
randywells-9075.jpg

Nanette Reid
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Re: Aquamarine Metallic

#15 Post by Nanette Reid »

James Davies wrote:Here's an original paint Aquamarine metallic '56 coupe. Was for sale at Road Scholars earlier this year.

http://roadscholars.com/inventory/1956- ... 56a-coupe/

There are a few original paint cars like this from '56 and '57 floating around. =)
That is one sweet looking 56!! And I love the matching rims - often wondered how that would look on mine; now I know!! 8)

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