'64 Dart 270 Paint

-

chinze57

Push Button tranny and a Slant 6 that'll never die
Joined
Nov 6, 2019
Messages
454
Reaction score
102
Location
Georgia, USA
Hey all, I've got my lovely 1964 Dart 270. The paint is largely in good condition, it's what I'd describe as maroon. I'm having a lot of trouble identifying it though, as it certainly seems period-correct, but not to be a standard paint from the manufacturer.

Here's where it gets weird- the rear exterior door handles were removed and painted over. The vinyl inside coordinates with the paint, and the sterring wheel (both original). I have found no evidence in the cracking or chips of a different color paint underneath, so I'm quite confused.

I suspect it might be "dark red iridescent" for the 880 from the time, but am not sure (source: 1964 Dodge Exterior Paint Chip Palette).

At some point the front passenger quarter panel was repainted, as was the trunk. The paint there has slightly more eggshelling, and is a little more brown of a paint. It has the same sparkle to it, but just a little less deep and red than the rest of the body work.

I'll add some pictures later!
 
The vinyl inside coordinates with the paint, and the sterring wheel (both original). I have found no evidence in the cracking or chips of a different color paint underneath, so I'm quite confused.

Interior vinyls were made colored, not painted. Same for steering wheels.
 
Interior vinyls were made colored, not painted. Same for steering wheels.

Yeah that's what's interesting about the interior vinyl. It's a very similar maroon color to the paint. And the steering wheel color is the same as the paint. I'll check out the other paint samples you linked to
 
The paint you describe sounds like Royal Red Poly ("Poly" = metallic), fender tag paint code T, which for a '64 Dodge A- or B-body is Ditzler № 71355 (for a C-body 880, a slightly different deep metallic red was used for code-T, that was Dark Red Poly/71393).

See here (page 2 has the interior paints).
 
The paint you describe sounds like Royal Red Poly ("Poly" = metallic), fender tag paint code T, which for a '64 Dodge A- or B-body is Ditzler № 71355 (for a C-body 880, a slightly different deep metallic red was used for code-T, that was Dark Red Poly/71393).

See here (page 2 has the interior paints).

When looking at the paint chips, I think dark red poly is the closest, but it still doesn't look quite right. I'm going to get on mobile so I can upload some photos of it. I used a small amount of dark red poly touch up paint and it is indeed slightly too red, but perhaps a few more coats, and some clear coat and then compound, polish, wax would hide it
 
Alright here are some photos. Those lighter red spots are where I tried to touch up. There was bare steel there left over from some grinding(?) from the previous owner that had been hidden by plasti-dip when I purchased it. The trunk has large sections, but the trunk had also been repainted a slightly more brown maroon than the rest of the car. So strange
dart_270_no1.JPG
dart_270_no2.JPG
dart_270_no3.jpg
 
LOts of our old cars were restored or partially restored way back in the 90's that is 30 yrs ago!!

Yeah judging from the paint thickness on the trunk (some of it was ground down to bare steel, so i can see 2 different layers of paint and primer), at least two panels were "restored". The paint doesn't quite match. It's close, but there's a little less "sparkle" and a slightly more brown color. It took me months to notice, but it's definitely different.
 
When looking at the paint chips, I think dark red poly is the closest, but it still doesn't look quite right.

Paint chips start out being an approximation because paper doesn't take paint like metal does, and then the paper and the paint on it age badly, like old colour photographs.

(Also, painted sideview mirror = incorrect.)
 
Paint chips start out being an approximation because paper doesn't take paint like metal does, and then the paper and the paint on it age badly, like old colour photographs.

(Also, painted sideview mirror = incorrect.)

Yeah the painted sideview looks wrong. It should be chrome, right?
 
Yup, the sideview mirror should be chrome.

Well i was going through my manual for information on the intake/exhaust so I can fix something else, but i stumbled upon this when i opened it, a Single round mirror is what the manual displays for the dart 270. I thought it was two rectangular chrome ones that were supposed to be there

image.jpg
 
Rectangular mirrors were never factory or factory-authorized dealer-installed equipment on A-bodies. Some dealers threw on whatever generic junk they got cheaply, no matter what shape it was or how dorky it looked, but the factory-installed and factory-approved mirrors were all round.
 
Rectangular mirrors were never factory or factory-authorized dealer-installed equipment on A-bodies. Some dealers threw on whatever generic junk they got cheaply, no matter what shape it was or how dorky it looked, but the factory-installed and factory-approved mirrors were all round.

Interesting! I personally like the look of my round mirror, but have been wondering why there was only one, especially since I've seen two rectangular chrome ones on other cars.
 
Passenger-side (right-side) mirrors were not really common on cars in America until well after the A-bodies went out of production. There was a factory-optional RH mirror that looked just like the optional LH remote-control mirror, except the RH mirror was not remotely-controlled (roll down the window and push the glass). And the various basic manual-adjust sideview mirrors offered as accessories could be mounted on either side of the car (roll down the window, grasp the mirror head and move it around).

A right-side mirror with flat glass, which is the only kind that was offered, is basically useless. The field of view is much too small. That's why all modern cars have convex glass in the passenger-side mirror (OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR). On the other hand, those stick-on domed "blind spot mirrors" take things too far the other direction: big field of view, but everything's tiny and distorted.

There are mirror specialty places sprinkled around the world that could probably cut you a round piece of mirror glass that's convex, but just slightly convex (like current-day factory passenger side mirrors) not super-duper convex like the peel-and-stick ones.

It's a big damn shame this American invention never got commercialized. A couple discs of that kind of mirror glass would go great in the mirrors on either/both side(s) of an old car.
 
Passenger-side (right-side) mirrors were not really common on cars in America until well after the A-bodies went out of production. There was a factory-optional RH mirror that looked just like the optional LH remote-control mirror, except the RH mirror was not remotely-controlled (roll down the window and push the glass). And the various basic manual-adjust sideview mirrors offered as accessories could be mounted on either side of the car (roll down the window, grasp the mirror head and move it around).

A right-side mirror with flat glass, which is the only kind that was offered, is basically useless. The field of view is much too small. That's why all modern cars have convex glass in the passenger-side mirror (OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR). On the other hand, those stick-on domed "blind spot mirrors" take things too far the other direction: big field of view, but everything's tiny and distorted.

There are mirror specialty places sprinkled around the world that could probably cut you a round piece of mirror glass that's convex, but just slightly convex (like current-day factory passenger side mirrors) not super-duper convex like the peel-and-stick ones.

It's a big damn shame this American invention never got commercialized. A couple discs of that kind of mirror glass would go great in the mirrors on either/both side(s) of an old car.

Well that was a fantastic article. I’m incredibly upset that it wasn’t commercially available.

Dan, how do you know so much about these cars? It’s consistently amazing to see your knowledge
 
Alright here are some photos. Those lighter red spots are where I tried to touch up. There was bare steel there left over from some grinding(?) from the previous owner that had been hidden by plasti-dip when I purchased it. The trunk has large sections, but the trunk had also been repainted a slightly more brown maroon than the rest of the car. So strange
View attachment 1715494125 View attachment 1715494126 View attachment 1715494127
Where is your back door handles? That looks like a 4 door and not a 2 door sedan.
 
Where is your back door handles? That looks like a 4 door and not a 2 door sedan.

It is in fact a 4-door. I have no clue why but a previous owner removed the handles. Bain of my existence.

I’m about to remove door panels to put in weatherstripping and I’m gonna take a look at it from the inside and determine how easy it’ll be to add those handles back
 
-
Back
Top