Painters: Dark/medium textured Argent - can I get it in UK??

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Mon Feb 27, 06 10:14 pm

Need this paint for grill, tail panel, door handles etc.

Getting it from the US is a pain (I'd get the Totally Auto Aerosol if easily shippable), so if there is an option to mix it over here that would be great.
In the murky depths of my mind (trust me you do not want to go there

) I thought I recalled Ivor hatching a homebrew recipe for this?? Is that right, or has anyone got any other suggestions

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Feb 27, 06 10:26 pm

Ivor - where are you. I cant remember what you did!!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Feb 28, 06 7:21 am

Get it from Frosts. They do textured Argent in rattle cans and it is really good stuff (well I think it is anyway).

Worth looking at.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Tue Feb 28, 06 10:08 am

Well, if you want it right the best source is Roger Gibson in the USA.

http://www.rogergibsonautorestoration.com/catalog.htm

During the resto's of my Cuda and Challenger I discovered there are dozens of different Argents. I met Roger Gibson at the Mopar Nats in Ohio and bought the correct paints from him, - along with the instructions on how to do it. On my Cuda there are four different Argents. The grille is a two stage process, and the shaker bubble is a three stage process to achieve the correct colour and texture. Then the wheels and centres are different again.

When restoring the Challenger a totally different two stage Argent was required for the grille.

Argents used on grilles and shaker bubbles are 'sparkly'. this is worth getting right on any car. It looks great. Argents in spray cans are little more than just silver paint, - maybe OK for wheels - not much else I expect.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Feb 28, 06 10:34 am

Here is a couple of links you might find useful.

http://www.mymopar.com/argentformula.htm

http://www.totallyautoinc.com/

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Tue Feb 28, 06 11:57 am

Thanks guys for replies so far.

Jim, I know you're right about Roger G (well him and Alltrim, but I don't think they sell the paint anymore), but again I'm guessing getting the stuff over from him would be hassle - not to mention expensive?

As mentioned, the Totally Auto stuff is generally reckoned to be pretty good, it would probably be about my price range and close enough IF I could get it over here....right back to my reason for posting!!
The flat Argent that you can still get from MP is just a straight silver, no sparkle or texture. That is also used on my panels and I do have some of that. But AFAIK the TA stuff does have the texture from the spray can.

I was very particular in getting an authentic Panther Pink body colour, but for the grill etc close is probably good enough (as long as it really is close and not just a random silver!). Dave, thanks for the link, I do have that and I thought that's where Ivor was going to start from?

Clivey, I'll look at the Frost option - if that is fairly close then that will be the perfect solution. As Jim said there are so many different Argents it's gonna be hard to know - has anyone actually used it?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Feb 28, 06 12:01 pm

I was looking for another link completely but couldn't find it. It was someone with a big sample board. Might have been Gibson but I can't remember.

Ivor · Post by **Ivor** » Tue Feb 28, 06 12:12 pm

I'm here! Sorry guys, some of us have to work...and 'm taking dancing lessons

Anyway, getting back to your original qustion Gavin, I mixed mine up using a texturising agent, something that any decent paint company can supply, together with the silver/grey that you need and et voila! Argent and as rough rough as a badger's bum, if you like

The best thing is an original grille to match from, but don't expect a portable spectro to work, you need old technology to get it right, if you are being really Galen Govier about it.

I imported loads of bits of original grille and there must be five different argents out there...not that I'm the numbers matching type, I just wanted the car to look right, so I just went for a silver grey in the end!

But back to basics, with an original grille a skilled colourist will match it in no time, and even get the right level of roughness, with the texturising agent and it should cost anywhere between 20 and 35 quid a litre, dpending upon the supplier...and you'll need half a litre, tops, I'd guess.

HTH

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Tue Feb 28, 06 12:14 pm

Dave, that would be Alltrim I think. Many years ago they bought up nearly all remaining stocks of the now unavailable tinters required. They used to sell it at a huge price, then as their stocks dwindled they decided they would only use it if you paid them to paint your parts.

In the meantime others tired to make their own 'copy' recipes, including Gibson, Totally Auto, and I think even Alltrim themselves. It's been a debate as long as I can remember as to whose is 'Authentic'!! that's why Alltrim put their board together - to show how rubbish all the others were - but things have moved on since then too.

BTW - I checked out the Frost site, they sell the straight (non textured) bright silver argent, which is a different colour as well as the no texture! Mopar were not the only 'Argent' users, Chevy and others used it on wheels etc, so I've no idea how correct that is for the Mopar bright silver. MP do that in spray cans anyway.

Mopar used the flat bright silver Argent just mentioned (for example on grill surrounds and some wheel centres etc), a light silver textured Argent (from memory that's what the shakers were??), and another darker textrued Argent referred to as both Dark or Medium, (or both) Textured Argent!!!

Bump!!

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Tue Feb 28, 06 12:16 pm

Gavin, I understand you want to get the Panther Pink right, - getting the grille colour, texture, and sparkle right would Bananarama! off just right.

There are three things to make the grille look right:

The colour is darker than the sort of silver you'd get from a spray can.
The texture is rough.
The sparkle is important and looks great in sunlight.

I reckon it's worth the effort and a little cost to get this right.

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Tue Feb 28, 06 12:25 pm

OK, while I was bashing the keys Ivor replied!!!
Thanks Ivor, maybe I'll take my original grill down to Morellis and see what they say. That's where I bought my body colour, but I did all the work on that!! So I'm not sure how capable they are.

Aerosol would still be easiest, but I can gun spray it if I have to! (me tank came out OK!). Aerosols seem more forgiving for a novice (and much less messy!!).
I don't know if the textured finish would be more or less tricky to spray from a gun?? You don't need a mirror finish, so that's good, but I'm wondering if the spray pressures and technique are more critical to get the texturing and flake distribution??

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Tue Feb 28, 06 12:36 pm

Thanks Jim, I agree with your points, as I said it will have to be close at worst in all of those aspects - not just vaguely similar, but at the same time my car is not very original whatever way you look at it, so it does not have to be 'OEM perfect'. It is starting to sound though that getting a colour match over here will be the cheapest and 'closest match' route at the same time. Just not the easiest

Nothing ever is!!

Keep the replies coming.

In the meantime, I went and found the Alltrim stuff. for once my memory seemed to serve me fairly accurately!!
http://www.alltrim.com/ABOUT.html
http://www.alltrim.com/ARGENTCHALL.html (Bear in mind this is pretty old)

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Feb 28, 06 3:46 pm

The Frost Argent (which is French for - you guessed it - Silver) is not straight silver (it is greyer (does that word exist??)), it sparkles AND it is rough to the touch. Lets face it, if you want perfection, go for a NOS grille. Otherwise, how "sure" can anyone be of the match, bearing in mind even the best of original grilles will fade with time / discolour.

JMTCW

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Tue Feb 28, 06 7:18 pm

Clive, the only Argent I found at Frost is the Eastwood "Argent Silver Wheel Paint". That's the stuff they sell for Chevy Rally wheels, Magnum500s, Mopar Rallyes, etc (e.g. http://www.yfsstudio.com/automotive/10508Z.html). that is the same stuff as the MP Argent wheel silver, which I have some of cos I need that too for the slim band around the grill, which is done in a contrasting colour to the main part.

But that is MUCH lighter than the dark/med Argent, and MUCH less textured. (the dark/med would scratch your knuckle if you dragged it across!).
So, no way do I need perfection or even nearly perfect, but I do need it to be fairly similar. The Eastwood stuff is good but a very different colour.
Unless I missed the dark/med at Frost, in which case that would be perfect?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Mar 03, 06 10:57 am

Just found out from a 70 Charger Guru in the states that the 70 Charger grille was not and should not, be painted with textured argent paint, it should be smooth if you want a factory finish. Also, it is much lighter than Cuda grilles and challenger tail panels.

There you go, so I suppose my comments were only relevant if you had a 70 Charger, and the other comments about texture and shade made above, dont apply to 70 Chargers.

Bit of a minefield.