The 'E' Type Forum

Still new at this so excuse the question if it's been asked before...but having just bought a white 71 E-type V12...I'd like to keep it the original colour when I re paint it.
On the build sheet it just lists the colour as white. Where could I find out which kind of white it was i.e. Old English White...Bright White...?

Would there be a colour code I can match it too or was there only one white available in 1971?

Thanks

There was a change of 'white' colour between 70 and 71 for the introduction of the S3. Yours is Old English White, and the older one is also known as Old English White, but it's correct name is Cream...can be confusing, and I'm sure that some paint shops get it wrong. The later white is brighter and has more blue in it.

This site shows the different codes and date applicability:

http://www.terrysjag.com/paint.html

A good paint shop will be able to correctly match new paint to your car using an area that hasn't been repainted and hasn't been exposed to the sun or heat....the boot floor / spare wheel well is probably the best place in the E Type.
Mark

Mark, thanks for the link as it's solves the problem for me on the Old English White being cream where as the bonnet of the car is bright white, but thought I'd check as I didn't know if it had been repainted at some stage.

The boot is a great way of checking but a new floor went in about 10 years ago along with door skins and sills, but they were never repainted and there isn't much in the way of an original colour in those areas.

I asked as the guy who is going to paint it kept referring to the cream or off white colour but as the car is a much brighter white I though I's ask the question here...

Cheers

Peter

Try opening the centre console and checking the colour on the bulkhead. Very rare for anyone to repaint in there unless it was a full back to metal restoration.

thank for the good tip, I will have a look when I start taking the car apart.

I've taken two weeks off work to make a start on the car, why pay someone to strip it down when I can do it myself...hopefully there won't be too many horrors and we can prep it for painting very soon after the tear down. But these things have a habit of never going to plan...

Peter