AUUUUGGGGHHHH!!! Ready to hang up the restoration

[Johnnys70SRT]

 So here I am 20 years later. My car is so close to being painted that I can taste it. Went to the bodyshop today and they have actually made progress after I got on their case. I actually helped out for about 3 hours today and felt good about it.
Discussed how much paint was needed and told the owner I would have it by the end of the week for him. They want to get the car in the booth and keep it there until it is completely painted inside and out. So, it actually looks like there is hope and I came home all energetic and pumped up.
I call my local Dupont distributor and order the paint from him, only to get a call back about 20 minutes later, stating that Dupont has discontinued the paint color I chose (Purple Rhapsody 741516). I don't believe him so I call another distributor and they tell me the same thing. Finally I call Dupont direct and they comfirm that the color is discontinued.  I just found this color at the Dupont display in September 2008, discussed it with the Dupont rep., and now it's discontinued. This is my luck I guess. I have looked at hundreds of purples and this one was exactly what I wanted. No other purple caught my attention like this one did. My car was originally Red, but I wanted it to be something different since I was making a resto-mod out of it. I'm not hacking the car up, so that if I decide to sell it in the future (which I'm getting pretty close with all the frustration I'm dealing with), it could be put back to original.
If only my friends had left the car alone 20 years ago. I could actually be driving it right now and enjoying it, instead of dealing with all this B.S.. So now it is back to square one in searching for a paint color. I do not want to go with the original Red since there are so many out there. I want this car to stand out from others.
If any of you know where I could get the HotHues 741516 Purple Rhapsody paint, please let me know. For now I think I'm gonna go have me a couple brewski's to ease the pain. As always, thanks for your input.  

[69bronzeT5]

Sorry for your bad luck but what can you do. You just gotta look at the silver lining...you have a Charger that's ready for paint. Some of us here wish are cars were that close to being finished.

[grdprx]

Someone in the Paint section might be able to help...

[ChgrSteve67]

I quit counting all of the things that have pissed me off and the times I have been screwed durring the rebuilding of my Charger.  I figure its just part of the hobby.

Is always frusturating to have a great plan stepped on.

I'm currently waiting on a upholster to get off his dead a$$ and finish my door panels and center arm rests.  These are the last pieces I need in order to finish my Charger.

You know what color you want its just a matter of finding another one thats close.

I'm actually kind of suprised that you can't have the color you are after mixed up. Paint codes and computer mixing instructions? I wonder what makes this color so special. But then again I'm no paint guy either.

Drink a few beers, get over it and move on.  What else can you do?

Helps to vent though.  Of course that what we are here for.

Oh I almost forgot.  WHERE ARE THE PICTURES?

Steve

[Charger1973]

I dont think I have seen a color yet that looks bad on a 70.  They had some real wild colors that year so pretty much anything looks good.  You say you want it to stand out, how about FM3? 

[1969chargerrtse]

As my car sits in my garage leaking gas, oil, power steering fluid, trani fluid, and anitfreeze around the exhaust bolts  after investing 45,000.00 in it in less than two years I would swap our issues in a heart beat.
I would take the red over purple also.  I never found red Chargers to be common?  In fact I though it was a highly sought after color to have an original red Charger.
Go have a few  and you'll be fine.  I understand your frustration, but that was a lot of  for the color issue in my 
That does suck though.

[Dans 68]

I agree, have a few beers and relax. I have been there (albeit with carpet on a remodel I did) but it is a frustrating experience. You'll be fine. 

Dan

[bull]

Not to minimize your situation but if that's been your only or biggest problem so far I'd say you're doing very, very well. I certainly wouldn't say to hell with it based on a lack of the perfect purple.

[Johnnys70SRT]

 Thanks for your support guys. It helps to have people you can vent to that understand where you are coming from.  Gotta read up on how to post pictures correctly. Last time I did it, they were too large. Once I figure it out, I will post more pictures for all of you.
Maybe this is just a sign telling me to stay with the original color??? Ever since I decided on painting it purple, it has been a constant up-hill battle. Needless to say, I have some decisions to make. Probably going to stay with a factory color so there will be a paint formula if I ever need any retouching done.
By the way, Dupont told me the fac-pac colors were made in very large quantities at their lab with no formula to back it up. The customer service rep. told me is was a one-time mix and once it all was sold, they would not make anymore. The bright side to this whole scenario is the fact that my car is NOT painted yet. I could only imagine my frustration if I was trying to repair damage on the car right now and could not get any paint to match the existing color. OUCH!! So, I guess it could always be worse.
I am fortunate to own this very clean California car. I just regret letting my friends take it apart to restore it cause it was not all that bad to begin with. When it is all said and done I know I will have a spectacular looking 70 Charger though. There's gonna be a big party once this thing is done!!!!!

[dads_69]

Try crossing it over to another paint line. House Of Kolor would be your best brand to start with. Or at least a close enough purple for what you want.
www.houseofkolor.com

Mark

[1969chargerrtse]

Thanks for your support guys. It helps to have people you can vent to that understand where you are coming from.  Gotta read up on how to post pictures correctly. Last time I did it, they were too large. Once I figure it out, I will post more pictures for all of you.
Maybe this is just a sign telling me to stay with the original color??? Ever since I decided on painting it purple, it has been a constant up-hill battle. Needless to say, I have some decisions to make. Probably going to stay with a factory color so there will be a paint formula if I ever need any retouching done.
By the way, Dupont told me the fac-pac colors were made in very large quantities at their lab with no formula to back it up. The customer service rep. told me is was a one-time mix and once it all was sold, they would not make anymore. The bright side to this whole scenario is the fact that my car is NOT painted yet. I could only imagine my frustration if I was trying to repair damage on the car right now and could not get any paint to match the existing color. OUCH!! So, I guess it could always be worse.
I am fortunate to own this very clean California car. I just regret letting my friends take it apart to restore it cause it was not all that bad to begin with. When it is all said and done I know I will have a spectacular looking 70 Charger though. There's gonna be a big party once this thing is done!!!!!

Well, now that you said that, I can say I would take the Red over the purple any day and it's nice to be able to say your car is the original color.  Many cars may be Red but that's because it is so desirable.  To have a original Red charger is super Cool.    Don't get me wrong Original Purple is great also, if it came that way.    My car is kick ass orange, but when asked I have to say, no it's not original  .  As for the pictures, I used the paint option on my computer and resized them down under edit.

[Dodge Don]

You really want to stand out??? Go Panther Pink. It works on a 70!!

[Rolling_Thunder]

just a dumb question - why not ask dupont for the mixing code and just have some made ?

[Dans 68]

just a dumb question - why not ask dupont for the mixing code and just have some made ?

He mentioned that there was no formula, and that it was made up in a single large batch.

Dan

[bakerhillpins]

just a dumb question - why not ask dupont for the mixing code and just have some made ?

Yea, I was thinking the same thing?

I'm sure someone out there must be able to match this color, body shops have to do this sort of thing all the time when they repair cars yes?


EDIT - whoops, looks like there is a reason to review a post if someone else posted while I typed it up... 

[captnsim]

Second page, Second paragraph mentions machine mix formulas?? Seems odd a company like Dupont has no codes for bodymen and paint shops...Maybe you need to go up the Dupont command ladder a few rungs?
http://pc.dupont.com/HotHues/deployedContent/en/us/html/images/prod_HOTCOLORpg_ER3831.pdf

[Ghoste]

Based on the hassle of getting it, I would choose something else and the first thing I'd want to know is the mix formula (it was your comment about matching a touch up).

[Fitz73Chrgr]

You really want to stand out??? Go Panther Pink. It works on a 70!!

Oh please no...I know some people like FM3, but there is no way I could drive a pink car.  If I had an original FM3 car, I would change the color.  Plum Crazy though, now that is a cool color. 

[mauve66]

i say try something newer and ya know that touch up will be available for many years, 2005 Go Mango, also known as Tangerine Pearl per Dodge color codes

[Rolling_Thunder]

thats why all my cars are painted 2000 or newer toyota colors   haha

[captnsim]

thats why all my cars are painted 2000 or newer toyota colors   haha

 

[Johnnys70SRT]

 Ok I'm going to give this picture thing a shot again. Here is what my car looked like before the restoration. I know the car will look incredible once it's done, but I also think back on the 20 years of cruising I missed out on. I'm gonna stick with it and finish this car so I can enjoy it once again. I know I'm not the first one to encounter many problems with a restoration, but it does get overwhelming at times. Guess the difficult times make me forget about how great of a car I actually started with.
Let me know what you think of the "starting out" pics. Thanks again to all of you for keeping my spirits up.

[captnsim]

Man that is sweet red!!!! With the black top, seats...just change out the red carpet for black 
My vote is for the factory colour 

[69bronzeT5]

That's way better than what I started out with

[69*F5*SE]

That's way better than what I started out with

I agree     same here.