The subject says it all... I need this because I want to paint my car this week, but I don't know wich color to choose... And I wanted to paint it one of the original color available for a 1989 Pontiac Firebird Coupe. Need an answer fast please! Thanks

 

Uh, go to paint store. Ask to see GM master book. Look up year, and model.

 

Yeah I know but I would have liked to see the colors on my computer... To choose the right color carefully... Oh well...

 

as far as I know there are no sites like that. You can try generic searches and may get lucky.

 

The GM/Helms Service Manual for your year of car ( http://www.helminc.com ) lists all the paint codes used for that year, but, there's no colors. You could also go to the store like was mentioned, and just pick out all the colors from the racks. Then maybe you can narrow down your choices... for instance, maybe there were two shades of yellow, and one shade of gray, and you don't want either one.

Then you could always buy the tubes you think you like, go home, and paint a scrap of primered sheet metal with the three colors. Or you could get three scraps of sheet metal, prime them, and paint each one a different color. This will show you the "real" effect, instead of just painting a piece of paper, or the auto parts store floor! This is what the custom guys do when they match up a batch of paint for the customer to choose from; paint actual steel. Primer costs about $3 for a can. You can even buy these touch-up paints in cans, too... they might be the same price as one of those little touch-up bottles!

And as a side note to everyone, remember, never use the brush in the touch-up bottle to touch up a scratch or key mark. Use either a toothpick, or a torn-off match from a paper match book- the torn off edge of the match makes a great thin-edge paintbrush. Don't use the "striking" end of the match!

 

And if you're really caught between two colors, you could do some proper prep of the scrap sheetmetal. Quickly, that involves:

Primer coat, when dry, use a tack rag (or clean, slightly damp cotton cloth) to remove dust.
2nd primer coat.
lightly wet-sand with 400 grit.
tack rag
3rd primer coat
wet-sand with 400 grit.
tack rag
spray your color coat, let dry
lightly wet-sand with 600 grit
tack rag
color coat
600 grit
tack rag
use a paint polisher (usually the middle "stage" of a 3-bottle "wax solution, don't use a "scratch remover", use a polish)
finally, use a wax

Of course, make sure your sheetmetal scraps are flat. Home Depot sells some small sheetmetal plates, you can get a 12 inch by 12 inch for $3 or $4. Some have oily protective coatings on them, you'll have to remove the protective coating by using a spray brake cleaner or damp rag or something. There's a correct panel-prep chemical, but it'll run you $5 or $6 a can, and since this isn't your "real" car, why bother buying it? Scuff-sand the bare metal with 220 or 320 grit before spraying the primer.