I’m looking to paint my fireside maroon horn on my maroon gem. I’ve searched a lot and seen some not so nice color matches and seen some where the paint is an amazing match in color. Is the correct maroon color available in spray form?
I’ve heard that 1984 vw rabbit LS ,Mahogany Red, code, LE3K is a dead on match.
Anyone use it?
Red Fireside Horn Paint
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 401
- Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:17 am
- Personal Text: When cycling, an overpass is not considered a mountain!
- Location: Central Florida
- AudioFeline
- Victor II
- Posts: 215
- Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2020 10:25 pm
- Personal Text: Sounds good to me...
- Location: Melbourne, Australia.
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
A paint shop should be able to mix paint to match a sample you bring in. If you don't have a spray gun you can hire one (and if you do this make sure you practice a lot on scrap material before trying the finished job).
-
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 8516
- Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:25 am
- Personal Text: Stop for a visit when in Oregon.
- Location: Albany, Oregon
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
How about having a paint shop tint some lacquer an appropriate color and put that in a rattle can?
Jerry B.
Jerry B.
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 401
- Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:17 am
- Personal Text: When cycling, an overpass is not considered a mountain!
- Location: Central Florida
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
I’ve used this seller on eBay that custom makes any color you want if you supply the information. I’ve used him before on other projects.. I supplied him with this code and asked for single stage, “satin” 1 large spray can, with sipping is $35.
1984 vw rabbit LS ,Mahogany Red, code, LE3K .
Here is the final result.
Would I rather have a horn with original paint? Yes! Absolutely!! But as we all know, there are horns that are so bad
a repaint is the only way.
-
- Victor Jr
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 9:06 am
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
I too share your feelings about original vs repainting. A couple of questions though, did you use a primer or undercoat? If so, was it black, silver or some other color?
I really like your results.
Mike
I really like your results.
Mike
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 401
- Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:17 am
- Personal Text: When cycling, an overpass is not considered a mountain!
- Location: Central Florida
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
With some patience and google! you can learn a lot. I did a light primer, then painted it silver, then the top coat.
Very, very simple. It came out so nice, in my opinion, that I sent out the Gem to have it gone through and the
“K” rebuilt. From what I found on the internet, silver is the best under red
-
- Victor III
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 8:27 pm
- Location: Peoria, IL
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
That looks great! I would love to see it next to an original horn as a comparison. It looks to be an exact match to me.
- phonogfp
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 7404
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:08 pm
- Personal Text: "If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will." - A. Lincoln
- Location: New York's Finger Lakes
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
These Gem horns can be found with two original paint colors. The 2-piece horns are typically painted in a translucent red which is very attractive, but notoriously fragile. The 1-piece horns typically have an opaque maroon that tends to survive much better than the translucent red. Unfortunately, the 1-piece horns seem to be harder to find. These are found with a black undercoat, suggesting that black Gem horns already in inventory were repainted for use on the Model D/E Gems.
The 2-piece horn posted by Columbia1spring looks like a beautiful match for the opaque maroon usually found on the 1-piece horns. (That wouldn't bother me for an instant, as the color looks spot on.) For this opaque maroon, you don't need a silver base coat. In fact, the original base coat is black. The original color on the 2-piece horns is typically (I avoid the use of "always") the translucent red. When replicating that color, the silver base coat is what you want.
Below are pictures of a 1-piece horn with original maroon paint over a base coat of black (click twice on any image to zoom in):
The first step in painting a Gem D/E horn is deciding which color you want to replicate.
George P.
The 2-piece horn posted by Columbia1spring looks like a beautiful match for the opaque maroon usually found on the 1-piece horns. (That wouldn't bother me for an instant, as the color looks spot on.) For this opaque maroon, you don't need a silver base coat. In fact, the original base coat is black. The original color on the 2-piece horns is typically (I avoid the use of "always") the translucent red. When replicating that color, the silver base coat is what you want.
Below are pictures of a 1-piece horn with original maroon paint over a base coat of black (click twice on any image to zoom in):
The first step in painting a Gem D/E horn is deciding which color you want to replicate.
George P.
- AZ*
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1143
- Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:51 pm
- Location: USA
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
I agree. Nice work on the paint on the horn.
George,
Thanks for the details about the one-piece maroon Gem horns. I looked for a maroon Gem for many years, but nearly every one that I saw had a 2 piece horn in visually poor condition, or a horn that had been unsatisfactorily repainted. There were usually a few at each Union show, but none that I found acceptable.
I almost gave up looking as it seemed like a fruitless search. Then in 2018, Roger Merenkov showed up at Union with a nice Model D Gem sporting a one-piece horn with original paint in good condition. I didn't think twice. I jumped at the chance to finally add a maroon Gem to the collection.
I noticed, of course, that the paint on the one-piece horn was somehow different -- and a much closer match to the color of the machine -- but I really didn't understand why until now.
George,
Thanks for the details about the one-piece maroon Gem horns. I looked for a maroon Gem for many years, but nearly every one that I saw had a 2 piece horn in visually poor condition, or a horn that had been unsatisfactorily repainted. There were usually a few at each Union show, but none that I found acceptable.
I almost gave up looking as it seemed like a fruitless search. Then in 2018, Roger Merenkov showed up at Union with a nice Model D Gem sporting a one-piece horn with original paint in good condition. I didn't think twice. I jumped at the chance to finally add a maroon Gem to the collection.
I noticed, of course, that the paint on the one-piece horn was somehow different -- and a much closer match to the color of the machine -- but I really didn't understand why until now.
Best regards ... AZ*
- phonogfp
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 7404
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:08 pm
- Personal Text: "If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will." - A. Lincoln
- Location: New York's Finger Lakes
Re: Red Fireside Horn Paint
AZ,
I'm glad you finally found a good one. I was doing the same thing for years - - trying to find a maroon Gem with decent horn paint. One year at Union (probably around 2010) I found one, but it was $1300. The 2-piece horn was REALLY nice (as was the machine), but I balked at the price. The dealer wouldn't budge. By the next day I had decided to bite the bullet and pay the price before I looked at anything else. (Hadn't I learned that lesson decades ago?) But you know what happened - - someone else had already decided the same thing. It wasn't until 2016 that the Gem I posted above popped up in the Wayne NJ parking lot. This time I didn't hesitate (it helped that it was significantly cheaper than the one I missed out on!).
I still sometimes pine for that beautiful 2-piece horn on that Union Gem. When that translucent red is in nice shape, it's really stunning.
George P.
I'm glad you finally found a good one. I was doing the same thing for years - - trying to find a maroon Gem with decent horn paint. One year at Union (probably around 2010) I found one, but it was $1300. The 2-piece horn was REALLY nice (as was the machine), but I balked at the price. The dealer wouldn't budge. By the next day I had decided to bite the bullet and pay the price before I looked at anything else. (Hadn't I learned that lesson decades ago?) But you know what happened - - someone else had already decided the same thing. It wasn't until 2016 that the Gem I posted above popped up in the Wayne NJ parking lot. This time I didn't hesitate (it helped that it was significantly cheaper than the one I missed out on!).
I still sometimes pine for that beautiful 2-piece horn on that Union Gem. When that translucent red is in nice shape, it's really stunning.
George P.