1942 cadillac 6069

[bob mundo]

can any one help me ...i just purchased a 1942 cadi 6069 real solid car i want to paint it two tone silver and blue i think it was a silver roof iwas wondering want color paint and where would the two tone paint start and end thanks in advance bob

[Yann Saunders, 12588]

A two-tone paint job for this particular model is shown on this page of the clubs Cadillac Database:

          http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Phocad42.HTM TARGET=_blank>www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Phocad42.HTM

The lighter color is applied to the roof area and appears  to
stop at the belt molding.

The illustration is an artists impression. You need to take it as such.

[Barry Wheeler #2189]

Hi Bob,
Generally, on the "A" pillars, (windshield posts), Cadillac took the lower color from the belt molding to a point just above the lower edge of the windshield. In other words, no top color showed below the windshield along the cowl. I have the sheets if you want to check them out. Drop me a note and your address if you wish to see them. There is a very attrractive combination very close to what you are wanting, but NOT pure silver. Silver does not give a period look to the car, and will always, always come back to bite you on the ... when you try to sell the car. Cadillac did use a silver type paint in 1940, but not in later years. I believe that early metallics didnt hold up too well. If you do the car correctly, a silver and blue combination will appear like you told the shop the colors you wanted without any thought to originality.
Doug, (Houston), help me out here...
So you will know that I have been where Im putting you, I had a 1938 Cadillac 60 coupe, and told Doug that I was thinking about painting the body olive, the fenders black, and orange wheels. He promptly replied that he had a pair of 1949 Plymouth bumpers hed send me to put on the car. Remember, these were the ridged ones?
Taking into consideration that the car is definitely yours, and you can paint it purple if you choose, and given the high cost of a decent paint job these days, Id think long and hard before departing from an original look. I still havent decided what color to paint my 1941 60S.
In any case, best of luck. Selling my 1947 60S was the one car I truly, truly regret parting with.
 

[Matt Harwood]

Im in the same boat. I have a 41 Buick Century sedanette and have (momentarily) settled on painting it paint code 576, Pearl Gray over Monterey Blue with Dante Red wheels. Im fairly certain that Cadillac had similar if not the exact same colors (probably under different names, though) in the early 40s. The blue is pretty dark from what Ive seen, and with very little metallic. The gray top isnt silver, its more of a medium charcoal color, again with very little metallic. Ive seen several cars painted similar colors but with bright silver tops, and they never quite look right to my eye. The light charcoal looks a little more authentic.

Heres a 41 Buick Special sedan that is supposedly painted in pearl gray over Monterey Blue, but youll probably agree that the top is a little too silver-white to be authentic looking. http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/Montery_Blue_Sedan.jpg TARGET=_blank>http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/Montery_Blue_Sedan.jpg . And heres a freshly restored car similar to mine with fresh paint, but again, I think the top is just (maybe) one shade too silver: http://www.dualcarbregistry.org/Registry/04-018.html TARGET=_blank>http://www.dualcarbregistry.org/Registry/04-018.html .

On the other hand, its very difficult to know exactly what the original color looked like unless you can find an original car and find a section of unfaded, unweathered paint somewhere on it. I have some original paint chips for my 41 which I have scanned and you can see at: http://www.dualcarbregistry.org/images/Color_Chart.jpg TARGET=_blank>http://www.dualcarbregistry.org/images/Color_Chart.jpg . My advice is to find a color which satisfies you and looks right on the car. If it is a couple of shades off, nobody will really know for certain. But theres definitely a "right" look to the colors of this vintage.

Heres a photo of a model of my Century which my wife had made for me in the colors I plan for my car. The metallic is way too heavy, but the colors are pretty close to what I think the originals should be:

http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/Model2.jpg TARGET=_blank>http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/Model2.jpg

Hope this helps!
--
Matt Harwood
Cleveland, OH
My 1941 Buick Century restoration:
http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/index.html TARGET=_blank>http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/index.html

[Barry Wheeler #2189]

Hi Matt, You might want to check with Larry Paikos in Indiana. He had a Senior Century sedanette, that I cant remember what the colors were on it. He may still be in the Buick registry, or if you keep your old ones, from about five years ago. I used to have a Sienna Rust Century four door. I sold it to a guy I saw at a show in eastern Illinois at least twenty years ago. He had the Verde Green with lighter green two tone in a Special four door, and I told him he needed another one. He disagreed but showed up within the week and eventually totally restored the car, which included skirts. Have you ever seen it at a Buick show?
You are totally right when you say that a color that is even a few shades "off" will look too modern for a 1940s car.
I have a 1941 Buick chart along with all of my Cadillac ones, and the Buicks were slightly "racier," including a real red. During WWII, the guy across the street had either a Special or Century 2 door that I loved. It was the light/dark grey combination that made our black 1937 Dodge look really out of it.
I was about six or seven at the time, so I guess I started "early" liking cars.