'73 factory air cleaner paint code?

[Dug Nichols]

From searches I've learned that there were perhaps early cars with black, mid cars with grey, and later cars with black again. I've in person seen mostly black or a true grey, like a gunship grey, but usually glossy.

 

A few weeks ago I re-did my my valve cover gasket in semi-gloss black (left the stripes only, not also the BMW and cylinder order, player's choice :). Then today I replaced the original radiator with a re-cored one from Blunt (thanks guys!). Now the original rusted air cleaner is really sticking out and it wants to be painted! But, what paint code??

 

My '73 has a hue that I would describe best as almost an army green. It's identical to a former '68 survivor I owned about 15 years ago, also army green colored (and rusted) air cleaner.

 

I'd like to get as close to original color as possible, and am curious if anyone has a paint code that would capture this.

 

My former '68:

 

My '73 before the valve cover paint and with original radiator (I've since ditched the incorrect orange sticker :):

 

 

 

My '73 with refreshed valve cover and new radiator:

 

 

[billy g]

I just did this project on mine. I believe the paint code is RAL 7043. Krylon has a gloss smoke grey that is pretty darn close. Avoid Rustoleum smoke grey as its too light.

[Mike Self]

+ 1 on the Krylon smoke grey.  I painted the cover on my 73's air cleaner and it matches the original paint on the rest of the housing almost perfectly.

 

mike

[Dug Nichols]

Thank you @Mike Self and @billy g!

[dang]

13 hours ago, billy g said:

I just did this project on mine. I believe the paint code is RAL 7043.

I just bought a pint of this in single stage for my air cleaners.  I have two '69's with the same color.  Got enough for ten.  🙂

[Phi]

14 hours ago, billy g said:

I just did this project on mine. I believe the paint code is RAL 7043. Krylon has a gloss smoke grey that is pretty darn close. Avoid Rustoleum smoke grey as its too light.

 

Was it the Krylon Fusion All in One or ColorMaxx Spray?

 

Thanks. 

[Mark92131]

16 hours ago, Dug Nichols said:

A few weeks ago I re-did my my valve cover gasket in semi-gloss black

 

You painted your valve cover gasket? 😀

 

RAL 7043 also available in Powder coat, a popular subframe color option.

 

Mark92131

[billy g]

34 minutes ago, Phi said:

 

Was it the Krylon Fusion All in One or ColorMaxx Spray?

 

Thanks. 

Phi, I used the Krylon Fusion All-In-One but it wasn't the ColorMaxx. Here's a photo of my air cleaner cover painted with the Krylon. Not sure if you can tell in the photo, but the air horn is Rustoleum smoke grey (just a touch lighter shade of grey).

[Phi]

44 minutes ago, billy g said:

Phi, I used the Krylon Fusion All-In-One but it wasn't the ColorMaxx. Here's a photo of my air cleaner cover painted with the Krylon. Not sure if you can tell in the photo, but the air horn is Rustoleum smoke grey (just a touch lighter shade of grey).

 

Billy, thank you very much. I initially painted it gloss black but will redo it in Krylon Smoke Gray. It looks great!

[mokeefe]

I used RAL 7043 "Verkersgrau" 

Worked out quite nicely.

[johnnyb]

I've been following similar discussions about the olive/black color used on air cleaners and subframes (this one is my favorite).  My '71 subframe has the olive/black finish, similar to what @Dug Nichols shows on his air cleaner in the opening photo.  It seems others are commenting on the other non-black color, which is described as less of an olive and more of a gray/black.   It sounds like BMW used a gray/black, and an olive/black (and of course, just black). 

 

From samples I've seen (at Limitless Powdercoating in Fremont, CA), I feel RAL 7010 Zeltgrau more closely approximates the olive color, and 7010 Verkehrsgrau the gray/black.  I'm planning to have my subframe there done in the RAL 7010, so I can't comment for sure how it turns out for another week or so.  

[johnnyb]

Following up, RAL 7010 is NOT the olive/black.  I had my subframe painted this color, but it came out similar to the gray everyone else has shown.  From photos, I can't tell the difference between RAL 7043 and 7010.  I still don't know what the color code is for the olive/black.