How Many Repaints To Get The Right Color?

When it comes to numbers-matching, Concours-correct restorations, people can get downright silly with the amount of time, effort, and money they’ll pour into a project. But then again, who are we to judge how a man spends the hours of his life, attempting to recreate a perfect replica of a mass-produced product from almost 50 years ago.

Hemmings Auto Blog brings us the story of Christopher Tucker, who restored and re-painted his 1967 Chevy Camaro SS not once, not twice, but thrice to get it the right shade of Mountain Green. It’s an obsession with a happy, award-winning ending.

The Camaro was originally bought by Tucker’s friend, Rick Kramer, who sold it to Tucker as part of a divorce settlement. Kramer had sought to give the Camaro a proper restoration, sourcing parts like a NOS hood and a pair of NOS front fenders to repair some serious accident damage. Tucker had Kramer help him with the restoration of his former Camaro, which took two years in total.

One of the biggest issues was getting the Mountain Green paint exactly correct. Most manufacturers don’t have old paint codes on hand, so Tucker had to experiment a few times before nailing it. The first time the Camaro looked too gold, then the second time it was too silver. But the third time was the charm, and Tucker nailed this oddball but historically-correct color for his classic Camaro.