I have a '67 with a flat hood and I'm looking to put on a cowl hood. Question is, Can a good paint shop match the paint and finish of the rest of the car (it is not a stock color, sort of candy apple red. It was painted about 3 or 4 year ago. I don't know the manufacturer of the paint). Or am I going to have to repaint the car to get the same finish?

There is always the posibility that the painter could match the color. But more likly the tops of the fenders and header panel would be "blended" for a "perfect" match. This a perfectly acceptable way to do it.

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Fan of anything that is interesting and moves human beings.
1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
1948 Chevy PU with 401 Buick

Martin Sr. is right. Back in the day, I did this all the time and bi***ed every time. I will assure you that your painter will do everything he can to find the code and manufacturer of the paint that's on the car now before he paints your new hood. See if you can help him out on this. He will definately appreciate it.

I had the local auto paint supply place (Finish Master) scan my paint and then make me up some touch up paint. It was a perfect match. I think it also will give them the number for the scanned paint, if it's in their database. They told me that their scanner is often loaned out to local body shops.

Just one comment kknapp433, if you are going to purshase a repro hood and you have the chance to see it before paying it, check its dimmensions. Take the measurement of your original hood specially the back one from side to side and compare it with the new one. Some repro hoods doesn't comply with this and you might end up with wider gaps betwen the fenders and the hood, mostly at the rear of the hood.

Scanners work well on most paints but I was concerned about the "sorta like a candy apple red" decription. If the paint is 3 stage, scanners can sometimes be fooled, particularly if the second stage is light or heavy.

I had a cowl hood matched using a scanner. From my experience, you will get very close but not exact. If I had had the tops of the fenders, valance, etc also sprayed, it would be better. I have Lemans Blue and it's slightly off but acceptable to me. However, I also plan on having the car painted in the future so i wasn't as fussy. Especially under shop lights, I can see some additional green in it that the original color lacks. I think expecting an exact match is tough unless you can provide th specs on the car's paint.

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Rick Dorion
69 RS Conv,355,M20,4.10's

Toby is right the scanner can work in some cases, but they have a hard time with pearls and metallics. I've had some great results with the scanners on solid colors, but many bad matches on metallics and pearls.
Austin

Thanks for all your input. Sounds like this can be done...Now the search begins for the cowl hood.(thanks for the suggestions about measuring the hood)

Ken, read your mail! Kevin

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69' SS-350 Convert, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69'(Hugger Orange -originally, Burgundy now) Z-21 Convert 327/PG, Driver (http://www.fototime.com/3C870D9037E51DE/standard.jpg)