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Hi,

i'm new to this forum, but here is my present :
I posted this on ducati MS, but didn't seems to have many people interested, i think this is a way more appropriate place.
I just got a NOS mark 3 tank (circa 1965 I guess) with paint in really good shape, seems to have spend most of his life in a box, or on a shelf in the dark, no discoloration what so ever, it does have a few shelve wear scratches, but no mounting marks, no scratches on the fuel opening, nor on the threads for the taps.
well, here are the interesting infos, my work place is equipped with a neutral light light booth, and we also have a few paint ref books, so here is the color match for the paint color in case someone want to restore his tank to something really close looking to original:

Best match for RED:
Dupont Spectramaster RS905 (solvent based)
Not as close, but not too far : new Dupont Reference (water based)
CAS 1038
Not as nice, but if you only have RAL, close enough:
RAL 3002

Perfect match for metalic silver:
Dupont Spectramaster LM435
Perfect match for goldish pinstripping:
Dupont Spectramaster YM307

Some of these paint reference are not available in states that banned solvent based paint (north california for example) but any good paint shop can match it to perfection using the old books.

Welcome Greg,
That's a good score and invaluable information.
Thanks for posting.
What are you planning to do with your tank? (no I don't want to buy it)
Just interested

Regards
Graeme

Hi Graeme,

thanks! I was planing on using it on my mark 3, but since it's NOS, i feel terrible at using it and kind of afraid of modern gas effect on old paint...
Will post a thread on my 250 build, which pretty much started from engine cases bought on ebay...

Thanks Greg. This is really useful information. Questions on paint codes come up regularly. There are two “Mark 3” red paint schemes: the early version used on the larger capacity tank that was not clearanced for the SSI29 carb. This paint scheme is identical to the “Kingfisher blue” Diana Mk3 tanks. The other is the smaller capacity tank with carb clearance dent and the “swift” silver pattern on the sides. This paint scheme also appears on the Mach 1. These two paint schemes used different colors of red. Which paint scheme did you take color readings from? Since you have some expertise on the subject, how do these neutral color booths do with matching the metallic colors used on some Ducatis? Matt

Hi Matt,

this is the larger tank with no indent for the carb.
The neutral light is usefull for proper matching, so there is no variation in the color due to ambient light while matching it, we use it mostly for prints and color check, but work well while matching paint.

hope this help!

Greg

" i'm new to this forum, but here is my present : "

____ An extra-special WELCOME to our w.site Greg ! - It's not too often that we get a new-member who also brings-forth extra-helpful presents along-with them.



" i think this is a way more appropriate place. "

____ Indeed ! _ As there's certainly no other DUCATI-w.site that's better suited for such !



" I just got a NOS mark 3 tank (circa 1965 I guess) "

____ Model-type/shape-style wise, it could possibly be a pre-1966 250GT or pre-1963 'Diana-250' tank,, although I believe those tank-models MAY have only come in black or blue (in place of the red-colored area). _ (But although, I would've expected fellow-member d.d./Matt to have also mentioned something about such possibility as well, [if he had already been aware of such].)



" with paint in really good shape, seems to have spend most of his life in a box, or on a shelf in the dark, no discoloration what so ever, "

____ I wonder where you found such a "NOS" Duke-tank !? _ How can you be very sure that it's not actually a well-done attempt at a 'restored' example ?
Such a fantastic NOS.find remaining in such remarkable condition as you've stated, is like a wonderful-dream !



" here are the interesting infos, my work place is equipped with a neutral light light booth, and we also have a few paint ref books,

____ If only in this world of ours, there would more often be such incredible chance of such oddly lucky occurrences all coming-together, as is this seemingly well-preserved factory-painted tank falling into the hands of someone with such expertise at their disposal and who also CARES to bother their-self to share !



" so here is the color match for the paint color in case someone want to restore his tank to something really close looking to original: "

____ You are to be MUCH commended for somewhat troubling yourself to seek joining our w.site, seemingly pretty-much just for the admirable purpose of merely sharing your good-fortune !
Thanks for that !
__ You're certainly starting-out as a highly desirable member here !
If you do nothing-else to contribute, it'll still be quite fine if you only require help (with Duke-stuff), from this point onward !


____ Of-course I naturally despise looking a gift-horse in the mouth, but since it would be somewhat gullible to hastily accept all the incredible happenstance which has been presented, without any question,, I've posted zoomed-in views of the rare NOS.tank in question.
I figure that doing so can help with two possibilities... The added pix may possibly help determine whether that tank really is actually NOS/factory-original, or perhaps merely-just a good example of a particularly well-done restoration-job. _ And also, if it really is a genuine NOS.example,, then MORE than merely the specific paint-color could be of particular interest (for others of us with that fairly-unique tank-model) ! ... As the particular placement of the right-side decal may be of certain pertinent concern for other detail-minded Duke-tank restorers, (not to mention the precise pinstripe-width, etc,etc.).

thanks Bob, i wanted to subscribe to the forum since a while, but took the advantage of the flu to do so!

I have two of these tank, one sandblasted with a large hole on the top (destroyed by a local welder), and this one Nos.
Talked to Tom Bailey about the destroyed one, and he said that it looks like an early daytona tank but externaly look like an early diana one.... so not sure which one it is exactly...
The tank doesn't have any other marks than shelf wear, no washer\screw marks on the tabs, no gas cap clip mark, no rust inside, small manufacturer stamp is there, no clear coat, decal is the only yellowed part,

the posted picture was taken with my phone in our office floor, so no neutral light there, will try to take nicer pictures with correct white balance with details of the paint.
i wanted to share and posted the info since I could not find paint reference anywhere.
I work in an small industrial design studio, but you would be surprised by how many people are into bikes in our studio, we are 4 to own a ducati 250, one of us own a red vincent, etc... and we have expertise in material finishes, paint, colors and what so ever related to manufacturing.
I will do a post at one point on my mark 3 build, purchased from individual parts (literally)

Here are more pictures, close up shots, you can see the paint strip look man made, logos are old yellowish decals, no mounting scratches to be seen (shelves scratches though), interior is looking new too.
And also comparison with the other tank, the only difference is the backing on the mounting tab, rest is the same, size, etc..
Greg

"The apparent blueish-hue (obviously radiating from the silver-painted area of the tank) could be due to a number of different sources... I suspect that if the lighting itself is truly 'neutral', then perhaps the more 'reflective' silver-like colored-paint is (thus more-so) also reflection-shining the color of the (blueish-white colored? *) walls of the room in which the 'neutral-light' is lighting-up everything.
(* I suspect that the color of the walls of the room [in which Greg's tank-photo was taken] may actually be somewhat "blueish", because even the gloss of the RED-paint seems to reflect-shine a blueish background, [at least as I can view it on MY monitor, as may be seen in the FULL-view/original-pic].)"

Bob you noticed something about the blueish tint of the silver paint that actually goes twards proving that this tank has been wrapped up on a shelf for almost 50 years. In Tom Bailey's book, Ducati Singles Masterbook, he makes just that statement about the original silver paint. On page 152 Tom states that he had a chance to see two fenders painted silver that were long stored on a dealer shelf. one fender was completly wrapped in paper and still had the blueish cast to the silver paint while the other that was unwrapped but still not exposed to excess light was fully changed to the color a fender would be if on a bike in private hands for its life. Tom then states the paint may be affected by air as much as light. He also talkes about the color shifting of the red used on the Mach1 tank. If all that is true as Tom states, then the color matching that Greg has done would be to a brand new Mach1 tank and not one that even made it to the dealership on a bike, and not one that was ever in private hands.

Tom goes on to say
"As a result of the instability of the original paint, I do not believe it is possible to state there is a particular color
which is absolutely accurate. Instead, I would suggest there are a range of colors which are equally correct."

I think it would be really interesting if Greg would continue to test the paint, as he already did, a few weeks from now and then again a few months from now.
that would possibly give different results, as Tom suggests.