GP Blue

[rossclark]

An old chestnut...

Anyone have a view on whether this remotely resembles the blue on the 150s ?

[Warkton Tornado No.1]

That's near enough to any references you'll find in VT's books.

However, my personal memory tends to think that the colours we had here in the UK were a tad 'bluer' if that's what you are trying to replicate. More like New Blue 8038 (D) or even New Blue 8059 (D).

Sorry if it's a 'sitting on the fence' answer.

[rossclark]

Thanks for the response

I've not got VTs book but AFAIK, the actual code isn't known. There are cans of concessionaires paint out there with the part number 9039 and that's sometimes quoted as the code. The colour is named as 'Ocean Blue' in some parts lists but that might be a slight mistranslation of the Italian and possibly should be 'Marine Blue' but that's speculative.

I also think it should be a bit 'deeper' and 'bluer', but this isn't bad in daylight.

I'm always a little curious that given the hoo ha over 8073 or not that this more intriguing mystery is not as gripping

[Storkfoot]

There was a post years back that said that RAL9010 is a good match. I cannot verify this though.

[gaz_powell]

RAL 9010 is a white

[rossclark]

There was a post years back that said that RAL9010 is a good match. I cannot verify this though.

There was quite a long thread about this topic on the forum before the fall...

Some Ral codes looked promising as I recall, I think also there might have been mention of a BR colour for engines and a Peugeot Carribean Blue.

[Storkfoot]

Whoops yes, 5020 not 9010

[rossclark]

RAL 5020 looks quite promising and is actually called Ocean Blue!

The swatches brought up by Google vary quite significantly from more blue to more greenish. I'll need to see if I can get a look at it on a proper chart as it's difficult to judge on a screen.

[coaster]

Has no one got any early GP brochure's? I was still at school when the GP range was launched and can remember the 2 tone options (blue or red) but Li's and SX's also came in 2 tone schemes so with the passage of time I can't be certain but I THINK Ross is correct in thinking it should be a stronger blue. That makes sense as all the GP colours were bold. The blue on that horncast looks more like that on some Li's.

[sunrisemac]

when I was looking for either red or blue colours I stumbled across this link https://www.pinterest.com/pin/146296687865616643/

[lammydave]

I have 3 part filled tins of this paint..(original in jet set tins) and it looks a deeper blue than that in the photo, and it states "ocean blue" on the tins

[rossclark]

These cans labelled with 9x39 - where x is different depending on the size of the can?

Have you ever tried to have it matched?

You may hold the key to the puzzle.

[lammydave]

These cans labelled with 9x39 - where x is different depending on the size of the can?

Have you ever tried to have it matched?

You may hold the key to the puzzle.

hi...

The label on the tins (all 1 Pint) is 9399 Ocean Blue

I was going to have it matched when I was building my GP, as I had one new in 1970 that was Ocean Blue, but changed my mind and did it ford radiant red... if I was doing it again, I'd use the paint or have it matched...

[lambypolo]

This had been discussed on the old forums a few times.

I've got the paint formula for it (well they belong to Wayne "Max" Bygrave) - the UK paints were made by a company called Valentine. They are now part of the morelli group.

We got in touch with morelli and they have no modern equivalents for any of the ingredients so the formula is pretty useless.

Max had a paint chip and got some paint mixed to match it and it was pretty good (I posted pics to the old forum).

The confusing thing is that the SX150 also used a colour called ocean blue (that unrestored one that Stuart Owen had was probably the best example) but the SX150 ocean blue is quite a pale blue whereas the GP one is darker.

It poses an interesting conundrum - VT has no records of the colours so were the horncasts and panels repainted in the UK or in Milan?

The blue and white GP150 seems to pretty much be a export only model and most over the world seem to be in places that were supplied via the UK.

There is one on the opening sequence of the Jimmy Cliff film "The harder they come".

I'm unlikely to ever do a GP (had 3 sold 3) but if I did I'd do a blue and white 150.

[rossclark]

There certainly are pictures of both the two tone SX and GPs in the factory so it's certainly a factory paint scheme.



I had found this pic of a square badge SX somewhere, this to me, looks to be the same or a very similar colour as I've seen for the GP.

[rossclark]

Found it



In this one you can clearly see the two tone SX foreground, towards the right is the very tail of a red GP panel and mid background you can just about make out what appears to be a white GP with red panels.

[Warkton Tornado No.1]

That photo goes to show that you were right to canvas opinion.

It is a fascinating capture of a point in time when there was a transition taking place.

What's more, the people on the 'jolly' are from Windmill Motors, once a Lambretta stronghold in my home town. They must have had sufficient 'clout' for a visit to be orchestrated.

Sometime after the Lambretta (Innocenti) bubble had burst, I managed to coerce them into selling NOS GP Legshields & floorboards. The Legshields are in primer, & are somewhere in my garage. At one time, I intended to use them as a mould to make fibreglass versions, so the mounting bracket has been prised off, but I've got that, too, somewhere. The floorboards were in primer, but they came from the concessionaires primer painted on top of a finished top coat. Ochre, if I recall correctly. I’m not sure if I still have them.

[rossclark]

So, to resurrect this I got a tin of RAL5020 Ocean Blue.

I slapped a little grey primer on to this old bridge piece. This colour is really quite 'green'. Though less so in the indoor light.





Turns out that the other horn cast doesn't fit so I'll spray the good one up with this and see what it looks like.

[rossclark]

I've checked now that the other horncast I have fits before painting it this time...doh.

So I started rubbing it down and am finding traces of the original blue here and there. How much is needed to try and get a match?





The bottom pic actually looks quite a good match on the bridge piece in the same indoor light.

[rossclark]

Have sprayed up and he other horncov r. This looks much more promising