Color
The Mustang pictured below (bottom) was first purchased by my father-in-law, Buddy, in 1986, in Connecticut. Shortly after, he purchased a second six-cylinder convertible and sold the pictured one to my wife’s cousin, Ronnie. Dad died in 1994. When Ronnie decided to sell the car to finance an in-ground swimming pool in 2006, my wife Sharon and I decided to buy it, and brought it home to Tennessee.
The car had undergone a cosmetic restoration before Dad bought it, and apart from some minor detailing since then, was still in the same condition when we bought it.
In June 2010, I found out it was a Sprint 200, Package A, 3-speed manual transmission. And after reading an article in the archives of the Mustang Times by Jim Smart, went looking for the Broadcast (Build) Sheet. I found it wrapped around the wiring harness behind the speedometer. After a brief search to find out what all the codes meant, I realized that surprisingly little is known or published about these documents. So I decided I’d try to attempt to decode it myself. This blog is a journal of that research.
All discussions below currently pertain to only 1966 Mustangs.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Paint
The 5th box from the left on the top line indicates the Paint code.
Ford
Code
|
PPG
Ditzler
|
Ford
Code
|
PPG
Ditzler
|
||||
A
|
Raven Black
|
M1724
|
9300
|
U
|
Tahoe Turquoise
|
M1070
|
12745
|
B7
|
Frost Turquoise 1
|
M1734
|
12876
|
V
|
Emberglo
|
M1921
|
22610
|
D7
|
Acapulco Blue 1
|
M3077
|
13357
|
V7
|
Burnt Amber 1
|
M2066
|
22749
|
E7
|
Beige Mist 1
|
M2045
|
22711
|
W7
|
Clearwater Aqua 1
|
M1908
|
13073
|
F
|
Arcadian Blue
|
M1226
|
12854
|
X
|
Vintage Burgundy
|
M1632
|
50669
|
H
|
Sahara Beige
|
M1912
|
22528
|
Y
|
Silver Blue
|
M1269
|
13045
|
H7
|
Diamond Green 1
|
M2067
|
43575
|
Y7
|
Dark Moss Green 1
|
M2039
|
43567
|
I7
|
Lime Gold 1
|
M2041
|
43576
|
Z
|
Sauterne Gold
|
M1915
|
43433
|
K
|
Nightmist Blue
|
M1903
|
13076
|
4
|
Silver Frost
|
M1901
|
32520
|
M
|
Wimbledon White
|
M1619
|
8378
|
5
|
SignalFlare Red
|
M2025
|
71529
|
N7
|
Diamond Blue 1
|
M0921
|
11683
|
67
|
Pebble Beige 1
|
M1631
|
22249
|
P
|
Antique Bronze
|
M1910
|
22603
|
8
|
Springtime Yellow
|
M1955
|
81510
|
Q7
|
Brittany Blue 1
|
M1624
|
12843
|
–
|
Columbine Blue 2
|
MX700852
|
11666
|
R
|
Ivy Green
|
M1879
|
43408
|
–
|
Aspen Gold 2
|
MX7058815
|
81434
|
S7
|
Dusk Rose 1
|
M0835
|
50470
|
–
|
Timberline Green 2
|
MX7041278
|
42750
|
T
|
Candyapple Red
|
M2008
|
71528
|
–
|
Anniversary Gold 3
|
23072
|
|
Playmate Pink 4
|
?
|
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Notes:
|
|||||||
Ford assigned a 4-digit “M” paint code to production colors from the 1930s to the present. Special order fleet colors got 4-digit “WT” paint codes. All other colors usually brought over from other manufacturers, got 5 or 6-digit “MX” paint codes. Lists of Ford paint codes, are found in the Ford Special Paint Fleet books (picture below).
Ford Paint Numbers were typically assigned in order, starting at 0001 in the 1950’s and preceded by a M2J. By 1968, the numbers were in the low 3000s, preceded by the letter “M” and typically an “A” at the end for an exterior gloss finish. In 1977, they were up to the mid 5000s. It also appears that very early on Ford reserved some numbers for special order paints at first with 5 digit numbers and later, in the 1960’s, with a series of 4 digit numbers preceded by the letters WT (non-standard special order paints having 5 or 6 digits and preceded by the letters MX). The special WT codes are divided up as follows WT0000s for whites, WT1000s for off whites, WT2000s for gray, WT3000s for brown and gold, WT4000s for red, WT5000s for orange, WT6000s for yellow, WT7000s for green, WT8000s for blue, and the WT9000s for purple maroon and pink. The metallic paints were 500 and above in each set. This special use of reserved color codes is still being used today.
Special order paints other than the 1 or 2-digit build sheet codes listed above, would have had a blank Paint code. The color used would have been listed as the “M”, “WT”, or “MX” Ford Paint Code. It would have been found in the DSO/FSO/PTO box (PTO standing for paint & tire special orders), and/or a type-written note on the bottom of the sheet.
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1
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These two-digit codes indicate 1967 colors that became available on 1966 models beginning January 1966.
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2
|
High Country Special color
|
||||||
3
|
1 Millionth Anniversary Special Color
|
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4
|
Special Order Pink, WT9036, also called Playboy Pink, was available as special order Mustang paint in 1967 (Ditzler #71617). Two other pink paints were common in the late 1960’s on Mustangs but were not the same as special order pink WT9036. One of these, is the 1967 Mustang paint Dusk Rose, M0835, (Ditzler #50470). Dusk Rose is a bit darker than Pink WT9036. The other pink is 1966 Playmate Pink which is lighter than Pink WT9036. In 1965, The first factory pink mustangs were released. Known as “Playmate Pink”, they were done to match the 1965 Mustang given to Playboy Playmate Donna Michele, as reward for winning playmate of the year. The color carried over to 1966, and the original pink cars were all special orders, with six digit DSO’s on the data plates, and a blank exterior color code. I’m searching for more information on 1966 Playmate Pink.
10/17/10 – Found three 1966 special order paint “pink” cars listed in Jim Smart’s Mustang Production Guide Vol. 1. A Dearborn convertible dated 10B, DSO 510021 a Dearborn Convertible dated 24B DSO 738485 and a Metuchen coupe dated 18E DSO 178126. All three were 6-cylinders.
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This chronology was taken from Charles Turner’s comments at the Paint Sequence thread on the HiPo site: http://www.hipomustang.com/hpmx/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8817
It conflicts however, with the description of the 1965 Dearborn process that Bob Fria gives in his book Mustang Genesis. On pg. 152 he describes the paint process beginning with the engine compartment’s black paint, then a light gray body primer (which was only used on the very, very early and pre-production cars. It was discontinued soon after initial use in favor of an epoxy red oxide), lastly the exterior body color. There was no mention of when the interior paint was applied.
Mr. Fria explains that the gray primer sealer was changed to red oxide after a “number of early cars” were built. It was determined that the gray didn’t provide for the proper adhesion with the lighter colors of the new formula acrylic enamel paints due to an ultra-violet sunlight interaction. It’s my understanding that the “first” Mustangs were painted with M30J (Non acrylic) Enamel, and this is indicated by the black background on the door tag. After 12/28/64, Ford made the switch to M32J Acrylic Enamel, and changed the door tag to a gray background to signify the different paint (Marti’s Tagbook pg. 24). In 1966, the year I’m currently dealing with here in my blog, the door tag once again returned to the black background, and it signified the Acrylic Enamel. I’m not sure however, when the color of the primer sealer was changed, but Mr. Turner has found evidence of gray primer past January 1965.
Ford
|
Ditzler
|
||
A
|
Raven Black
|
M1724
|
9300
|
M
|
Wimbledon White
|
M1619
|
8378
|
R
|
Ivy Green
|
M1879
|
43408
|
T
|
Candy Apple Red
|
M2008
|
71528
|
–
|
Sapphire Blue 1
|
M1905
|
13075
|
My husband is restoring his 1968 Ford Thunderbird and we can’t seem to find where to buy the paint. It is the Diamond Green, Ford code M2067. He really wants either the Dupont 4794L or PPG 43575. We’ve looked everywhere and can’t find it! Any suggestions? Thank you.