Hi
I am attempting to find the correct (white) colour for my Vauxhall Nova 1.2 Merit 3 door hatchback 1989F.
Having purchased a can of VAUXHALL GLACIER WHITE from Halfords , believing it to be correct white according to the Halford`s Paint Can Catalogue I have discovered that it is the wrong shade.( It is too "bluey".....The white I`m looking for is a similar shade to the Halfords White PRIMER ! )
The paint code shown on the car VIN plate is E474 058
Can anyone help me identify which white it is or point me to a website with a list of codes.?
Failing that I`ll have to make a trip to a Vauxhall dealer or Paint Motor Factors next weekend.
Thanks
Scott
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There's a good chance that your Nova is no longer the 'white' it was when you bought it. Most paints go off-shade due to sunlight/UV/chemical damage, so getting any paint to match is a minor miracle. After 13 years....
Andy
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Vx changed their white from Polar white to Glacier white at about this time. Polar white is quite a bit "creamier" than glacier white. The reason for the change was the Polar white was a soft paint that would fade in the sun!
I suggest that you buy some Polar white and compare test samples of each of the two whites with a part of your car that hasn't been faded by sunlight - i.e. under the carper in the boot or under the rear seat.
Once you have established which colour it should be then you can set about t-cutting or whatever to match. In the 13 years or so that yout car is old the external paint will have faded - so you can expect to do a lot of t-cutting/polishing.
Hope this helps .......
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Personally I would go along to the Vauxhall agent along with all the relevant codes from your car, and they may be able to supply you with a paint which will match pretty well even considering its faded.
This was done on an old white Nova, this was about 8/9 years old at the time, and the match was spot on.
As you say the Halfords one was way off.
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Scott
One problem is that although a paint name may be used for a number of years, very often the actual colour applied by the manufacturer will change in that time. These variations or shades usually show in the paint suppliers data at 'proper' repair shops. A classic is Old English White used by BMC (or whoever they were at the time). I saw a chap spray a wing for a Minor off the car, only to find it was a very different colour to the rest of the car when bolted on - he'd used the wrong shade of Old English White.
More recently Vauxhall are now using 'Star Silver 2', but it's still called Star Silver in the brochures. You might not spot it immediately. Combined with aging of the paint and it becomes difficult to match older cars.
The aerosol suppliers often miss these shade changes. That said, the paint code should give the correct shade, so start with Vauxhall, and then if necessary a decent paint factor should be able to help.
Regards
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Scott, that's not the paint code, it is 10L I believe for glacier white, 11L for polar white. This is stamped on a plate on the bonnet slam panel. There are a few shades of the same colour though, the worst being China Blue about 19 shades as I recall! You may well have difficulty matching from a can. Do try and shake the can very very thoroughly, as it is supprising how the colours seperate out and layer up in the can, especially if it is oldish stock. Also many paint shops will mix to match an aerosol for you, though this is a little dearer it can save time and money in the long run.
Regards
Mike
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Hi there, I can assure you that you have the correct colour code (E474) and it is indeed Glacier White, also known as Casablanca White. Mike was also correct in saying that 10L is the code for Glacier White, its just that 10L & 10U were the Vauxhall codes for this colour and E474 was the Opel code for this colour (and you will find the Opel code on most nova's of that age).
According to my PPG colour book there are also three variations/shades of this colour and could be one of the reasons why your aerosol doesn't match. The best advise is to go to a proper colour centre and get a can made up that is matched exactly to your car. It may be a bit more expensive but worth it at the end of the day.
Hope this has been some help.
Simon.
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