Question About "Bright Regatta Blue" Paint (and some various "blue" pix)

[Twistiva]

Guys -

My Festiva is at the paint shop right now and paint is going on it this Wednesday. The door jamb manufacturing sticker says the paint code was "A7" which means originally it was "Bright Regatta Blue". However, about 12 years ago my wife had it repainted while I was out of town for several days. She wanted it done quickly to surprise me when I got back home and she doesn't remember if she told them to get the exact same paint or told them "just make it blue".

Question: The paint that's on there now (the paint applied 12 yrs ago) has a metallic flake to it and looked pretty nice before it faded. Would any of you guys who think you have a Bright Regatta Blue paint job double check your door jamb tag for "A7" and tell me if your paint has a metallic flake/sheen to it?

Look in the door jamb area (bottom, sides, top) where sun never fades the paint. The Ford paint guy I talked to today could not confirm 100% if "A7" was a metallic paint or not. The sticky in this forum doesn't say it is, either.

Thanks in advance!

[Prafeston]

This might clear some things up.

http://www.paintscratch.com/touch_up...arcoat-A7.html

[Twistiva]

And as promised, here are some pix of various dark blue paints used on Festys....

1 - Paint code "A7", "Bright Regatta Blue", only used 1988 and 1989 (both pix of my car, I think this is Bright Regatta Blue)

1.1 - 'Faded' Bright Regatta Blue Perhaps.jpg1.2 - Factory Bright Regatta Blue.jpg

(Sorry, can only attach 2 pix per post. See below.)

[Twistiva]

(Continued from above...)

2 - Paint code "M3-2R", "Bright Blue Metallic", only used 1990 and 1991

M3-2R - Bright Blue Metallic - FRESHTIVA Confirmed Color - 90-91s Only.jpg

3 - Paint code "KJ", "Brilliant Blue Metallic", only used 1992 and 1993

KJ - Brilliant Blue Metallic.jpg

Before today I thought that all dark blues on Festys were the same but obviously they're not.

FYI, I found 2 good threads on paint colors for anyone interested....

Page 3 has the complete list of codes:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?2337-Festiva-Paint-Codes/page3&highlight=Paint+codes

And this one, which I think would be a GREAT idea to finish posting ALL the colors/pictures....

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?20045-Festiva-paint-codes-with-pictures&highlight=regatta+blue

[Twistiva]

This might clear some things up.

http://www.paintscratch.com/touch_up...arcoat-A7.html

Rafe -

Well, the site did indeed say "A7" is "metallic" but the color was waaaaay off, which makes me wonder about their accuracy of the "metallic" question. Regardless, that site could be a nice resource for various touch-up paint....just put it on my favorites.

Thanks!

Anybody else?

[lessersivad]

I really can't tell from the pics you posted, but it doesn't look like the 12 Y.O. paint job was done to the jambs.

IF that's the case, then it should be the original color.

I personally like the regatta blue. There's one here locally i see once in a while and other than the pealing clear coat, it's a nice color.

[Prafeston]

Rafe -

Well, the site did indeed say "A7" is "metallic" but the color was waaaaay off, which makes me wonder about their accuracy of the "metallic" question. Regardless, that site could be a nice resource for various touch-up paint....just put it on my favorites.

Thanks!

Luckily I think my Cayman Green was used on more than just the Festiva so I can find touch up paint at O'Reilly's. I didn't think that color looked right at all on their website. Maybe you can call them and ask about it? But yeah, just judging by their description it looked like the A7 was metallic.

[Twistiva]

I really can't tell from the pics you posted, but it doesn't look like the 12 Y.O. paint job was done to the jambs.

IF that's the case, then it should be the original color.

I personally like the regatta blue. There's one here locally i see once in a while and other than the pealing clear coat, it's a nice color.

lessersivad -

I think you're right on the door jambs, just don't know for SURE, that's why I'm hoping that someone who can verify they have the Regatta Blue will check their Festy to confirm that. A 12 year old paint job that sees the sun for a few seconds at a time when the door is opened and closed will stay looking nice for a very long time.

Regatta Blue does look pretty nice but I think if I was a gazillion-aire I'd probably paint inside and out with the "Brilliant Blue Metallic" in the bottom pix. That Festy is 'blkforsedan's' and that color is gorrrrrgeous! drool

[Twistiva]

No one can confirm if "Bright Regatta Blue" is a metallic paint or has any pix of their "Bright Regatta Blue" Festivas???....

[Safety Guy]

Twist, I went out to get pictures of AquaMutt's right side door (from an '88 or '89 blue color) but my camera went dead. Spare battery was...dead! So now I have to find the charger and get one charged, then I'll post pictures. It does look to me that there is metal flake in the paint as the inner door sill top glints pretty nicely like it has it.

Went out again just now to check my hatch blue, which is from a '90 or later (different color, but I'm not sure the exact year). It also appears to have metal flake. Both finishes have little particles that glint either silvery or bright blue.

The older door is darker color, while the hatch is a slightly brighter blue.

Now I'd best go out and see if my aqua and red glint.

Got back. Neither of the other two colors has any glint to them. Not metal flake.

Both my blues, one from early years, glint. I'd say definitely metal flake. The early '88 and '89 blue door is metal flake, with at least one of the later blues being metal flake. Can't verify with any door jamb codes though, since I have no "truly blue" car. Just "Aqua" ('93 Prettystiva) and "Surf Blue" ('91 AquaMutt).

Karl

[Safety Guy]

Here are all my blues!:



From left to right:

Hatch: '90 to '93 blue
Aqua's Body: Surf Blue
Right door: '88 or '89 blue

Prettystiva: Aqua

One more view of AquaMutt's three blues:



You can tell that the hatch is a brighter blue. (BTW, the blue patches you see are non-Ford spray paint blue. Ignore them.)

Karl

[Twistiva]

Here are all my blues!:



From left to right:

Hatch: '90 to '93 blue
Aqua's Body: Surf Blue
Right door: '88 or '89 blue

Prettystiva: Aqua

One more view of AquaMutt's three blues:



You can tell that the hatch is a brighter blue. (BTW, the blue patches you see are non-Ford spray paint blue. Ignore them.)

Karl

Karl -

THANKS for posting this! I agree with you that the door is the 88-89 blue ("Bright Regatta Blue") because it's so much darker and has the wide bodyside molding (which they quit using after 1990(?) but I don't think the hatch is a "90-93 blue". From a link posted on the first page of this thread I learned that "Bright Regatta Blue" was used only in 88-89, another blue called "Bright Metallic Blue" was used only in 90-91 and still another blue ("Brilliant Blue Metallic" was used only in 92-93. Yes, there were other blues like the "aqua" you have but for the dark blues, the 3 I listed were it.

Anyway, the hatch in your pix above looks like it might be the "Bright Metallic Blue" used in 90-91. It's interesting to see how what you 'think' are all the same dark blue color is actually very different when seen side by side.

I'm now leaning towards the rich, dark blue of 'blkfordsedan's' Festiva in the pix on the first page. That is, if Ford's "Blue Flame Metallic" (not pictured on this thread) doesn't beat it out. Decisions, decisions....

[blkfordsedan]

Not to influence your decision, so........I'll just leave this here.....

[Twistiva]

Not to influence your decision, so........I'll just leave this here.....

Ha! Ha! Too funny!....

BTW, Brian, I didn't forget your request of getting some touch-up paint for you if I go with your color. LOL...

[Prafeston]

Wish I could find those wheels!