What would the modern equivalent of DD1 Light Blue be?

Isaiah Estrada

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Over the years of building my 68 Chrysler, I’ve had SO many different visions and ideas. As I’ve gotten just a little older and have a better appreciation for these cars, I find myself wanting something almost stock still but not quite.

The move now is converting the shell of my New Yorker into a 300, and yes it’s too late because I already have all the stuff including a front clip for it!

As much as many of you love the PP1 scorch red, I just can’t truly bring myself to loving that color on this car. However, after many years of thinking and having the wife’s approval on a color (geez it feels weird to be married, still not use to saying “wife”) - I feel pretty dead set on DD1 blue!! At least, I’m pretty darn sure it’s the color I’ve seen on so many of our cars before…

Here’s a random Newport I saw on FB for sale in Europe recently. Sorry, don’t know who it belongs to (looks pretty sweet tho eh?). Reason I stole these pics is cause I want that EXACT color on my 300 clone.

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Is there any paint company who makes this exact color? Obviously I know the original paint was some sort of lacquer / single stage and times have changed. However, as close to this as I could get would be awesome. Trying to see if anyone else has re-sprayed their car in this color? I can imagine it now, blue body with a white top. She’d be sharp! Sitting atop my 15x7 Cragars and thin whites. It will be my ultimate sled
 
If you want the exact color, try these guys. Auto Color Library - We will match ANY Car Paint Color! I'm no painter, but I've used some of their paint to redo some interior parts in my '65 Barracuda and I was happy with the product and match.

Or, if you want to, go to your local paint store (take your wife) and look at the paint chips and find something close. A good paint store will have hundreds of paint chips to compare... Maybe even buy a '70 paint chip chart to bring in to compare. BTW, take your wife there.

Did I mention taking your wife to the paint store?
 
The car you say want the exact color looks like it is EB3 ice blue Metallic. We will never know because it could have been repainted with anything close.

DD1 was done in 1968, the EB3 was the closest.

They are both great colors that don’t get much love.
 
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A buddy's '69 GTX in B3 blue. This was just painted a couple years ago. The pics don't do this car justice.

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Chrysler and Ford used acrylic enamel back then. GM used acrylic lacquer. The acrylic enamel (now termed "single-stage") can still have a few layers of clear put on top of it, provided the build thickness does not become too thick (later crazing and possible cracking). The enamel has better durability than any lacquer paint, by observation.

ONE thing to consider about the lighter metallic colors, the horizontal surfaces will sun fade sooner, getting duller, well before the more vertical sections of the car. The newer clearcoat clears are supposed to have some UV filter mechanism in them to lessen that, though. Darker metallics maintain their base color longer, by observation. My uncle bought a new '68 LeSabre in the pale green metallic (what I termed "Pea Green Metallic" back then). Inside of two years, the horizontal surfaces had faced and the base color was "dead", yet the sides were nice and pretty. That was in Abilene, TX. Same with the light turquoise/teal metallic on my '80 Newport (which began its first life in Odessa, TX. You can buff it down to the primer and not get the color back on the horizontal body parts.

ONE good thing about the '67 and '68 Chryslers is that with their sharp lines and concave body sides, almost ANY metallic will look good on them.

In the TCLGlobal website, you can pull up the paint chip charts, just that the colors are not extremely accurate. Which is why you need to look at the pages of chip charts in daylight at the paint supplier.

Congrats on your marriage! Plus involving your spouse in these important "car decisions".

Enjoy!
CBODY67
 
2016 Chrysler Crystal Blue seems close to DD1. You can search hundreds of colors using the Color Library to find a modern color that is close. A modern color, although close, may look a little off, as the metallics are not as subtle, and tend to lose the vintage appeal, that makes these beautiful automobiles so desirable. An original Chrysler color from 1968 would be your safe bet. Do what makes you happy.


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Following this thread for sure. I highly doubt I can bring back all of the DD1 on my Imperial.

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Great info here on bringing single stage metallic paint back. Lots of work, but free.
 
Great info here on bringing single stage metallic paint back. Lots of work, but free.
I forgot about that page! I followed those steps on my wife's Belvedere and it came out pretty decent. Thanks for the reminder!
 
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