Club 80-90 Forums

Howdo all...I'm looking to get some paint to do new panels that I've had welded on me wagon but am a bit confused cos all I can see are RAL codes....I know that the VW code for my van is LH5G Medium Blue (or MittelBrau if we're staying authentic!)....so does anyone know of what the RAL code would be for this particular colour...Cheers all and sorry if the answer is blindingly obvious!!

That is a VW colour and not a RAL colour.
RAL colours are coded with e.g. RAL5024 format.

For an explanation for the RAL colours read this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAL_%28col ... _system%29

Mine was medium blue and it's now a far nicer green

paint it all, you know you want to

Somebody got rustoleum colour matched to medium blue but had to pay £££ for it

Depends on what sort of paint you want. If you want a brush or roller application use Truckcoat it can be mixed to the original paint code. Try Jawel paints in the West Midlands.

I looked into this a while back and VW don't have RAL equivalents for their colours, no chart anyway. Most just pick the closest they can find.

Two choices. You either go to a paint supplier and get them to mix as close a match to your van colour as they can get OR you T-cut a section of bodywork and get them to match as close as they can to the fresh colour. If you are ever going to T-cut your van back to the original colour go with the latter.

bigherb wrote:Depends on what sort of paint you want. If you want a brush or roller application use Truckcoat it can be mixed to the original paint code. Try Jawel paints in the West Midlands.

I had huge problems with Jawal paints products and advise. Long story but I wouldn't use their stuff again even if you paid me to,

macthejaffa wrote:Howdo all...I'm looking to get some paint to do new panels that I've had welded on me wagon but am a bit confused cos all I can see are RAL codes....I know that the VW code for my van is LH5G Medium Blue (or MittelBrau if we're staying authentic!)....so does anyone know of what the RAL code would be for this particular colour...Cheers all and sorry if the answer is blindingly obvious!!

What are you going to do?

I got Rustoleum mixed up to LH5G by Avenue Coatings.... it cost about 100 pounds for 2 x 2.5 litre tins.

Trying to match it to a RAL colour is almost impossible unless you have a REALLY good eye for colours.
Online its impossible due to variations in screen colours etc.

Yes indeed. For many years I had a 24" colour-correct monitor (cost over £2k new) for graphic work but having worked in the print trade and learned the art of colour matching for many high-profile clients, car paint is a different ball game. I can still, even now, look at any colour and tell you which print colours would be needed to match it but these are not the same as base shades in automotive paint.

You will never get a true reflection of a colour from an internet page for a paint which after all varies in different lights on a vehicle. Then there is fading. Besides, seems madness to spend a fortune seeking a perfect match if you're doing the whole vehicle. Better to find one thats close enough in the RAL range. Lot cheaper too. Don't know about you but no matter what colour you pick, you can grow tired of it

That said, you can lighten existing RAL colours with more white. The challenge is mixing it properly. Had an interesting chat with a painter at Portmeirion Village once about how they maintained the washed faded look of buildings. He said they increasingly add more water the further up the building they go to get the right effect.