Topic: Mixing Insructions GT350H Bronze Gold Powder

[chsproscon]

I have a bag of the origianl Branda/Mustang Unlimited Gold Bronze Powder offered years ago.  Does anyone have the mixing instructions for the Branda/Mustang Unlimited Gold Bronze Powder?  I purchased a quart of the Inca Gold Basecoat that is suppose to be a close match and it looks to "gold" compared to the powder.  The powder has more reddish or bronze then gold.  Really need some direction here, trying to get my 1966 Hertz Shelby as origianal as possible.  Most internet pics show the gold Inca Gold and not the reddish Bronze of the powder.  Thanks

[Bob Gaines]

I hope that you have all the other details down as accurate as you are trying to be on the stripe. I had a well known shop lay out the bronze powder stripe on a Hertz car of mine but it was a miscommunication on both our parts. I wanted the inca gold because I had heard that the bronze powered can oxidize within the clear and discolor. I got the bronze powder and looks fine. With all that said I have a original Hertz rear valance that I have used for decades to color match paint to the powder that does not have any signs of discoloration. 

[chsproscon]

Thank you for your reply.  I have the 10" and varying stripe dimensions supplied from Branda Performance.  Should there be something different?  I have purchased stencils for the GT 350H side stripes and from what I have determined they have the correct dimensions and spacing.  I have repainted my original Hertz Shelby Mustang with the original Sapphire Blue in base-coat and clear-coat. I have purchase a quart of the Inca Gold Pearl Paint in base-coat and it is much to gold compared to the Gold Bronze Powder that I purchased from Mustangs Unlimited in the 70's.  The powder is more "bronze or red" then the Inca Gold.  I am looking for some basic mixing instructions for the Gold Bronze Powder.  Such as how much clear is needed to cover the total stripes both on the side stripes (GT 350H) and the 10" and varying stripe down the center of the car?  What is the ratio of powder to clear?  How much powder to clear should I mix?

You mention discoloration with the bronze powder and yet you stated you used it with no ill effects.  Is that with current clear-coat paint such as Omni Clear?  You also mention Inca Gold.  What was used?  And then that you got the Bronze Powder.  WHY?  I realize that the powder is no longer available from the usual suppliers (Branda/Mustang Unlimited).  But there are suppliers of Gold Bronze Powder available.  I do not need these.  I want the to use this original powder purchased years ago as I understand that it is the most original powder/paint.  I also understand the some Shelby Mustangs received the Painted Stripes from the dealers as Shelby's price was to expensive.  Which could mean that not all Shelby Gold Stripes are the same color.  Since this is an Original Hertz Shelby with number in the 1200's I suspect that Shelby painted the stripes and not the dealer who received the vehicle.  Can you help with the mixing instructions for this Bronze Gold Powder per Shelby's instructions?  Any help is appreciated.  Thanks

[Bob Gaines]

Thank you for your reply.  I have the 10" and varying stripe dimensions supplied from Branda Performance.  Should there be something different?  I have purchased stencils for the GT 350H side stripes and from what I have determined they have the correct dimensions and spacing.  I have repainted my original Hertz Shelby Mustang with the original Sapphire Blue in base-coat and clear-coat. I have purchase a quart of the Inca Gold Pearl Paint in base-coat and it is much to gold compared to the Gold Bronze Powder that I purchased from Mustangs Unlimited in the 70's.  The powder is more "bronze or red" then the Inca Gold.  I am looking for some basic mixing instructions for the Gold Bronze Powder.  Such as how much clear is needed to cover the total stripes both on the side stripes (GT 350H) and the 10" and varying stripe down the center of the car?  What is the ratio of powder to clear?  How much powder to clear should I mix?

You mention discoloration with the bronze powder and yet you stated you used it with no ill effects.  Is that with current clear-coat paint such as Omni Clear?  You also mention Inca Gold.  What was used?  And then that you got the Bronze Powder.  WHY?  I realize that the powder is no longer available from the usual suppliers (Branda/Mustang Unlimited).  But there are suppliers of Gold Bronze Powder available.  I do not need these.  I want the to use this original powder purchased years ago as I understand that it is the most original powder/paint.  I also understand the some Shelby Mustangs received the Painted Stripes from the dealers as Shelby's price was to expensive.  Which could mean that not all Shelby Gold Stripes are the same color.  Since this is an Original Hertz Shelby with number in the 1200's I suspect that Shelby painted the stripes and not the dealer who received the vehicle.  Can you help with the mixing instructions for this Bronze Gold Powder per Shelby's instructions?  Any help is appreciated.  Thanks

  The dimensions you got for the stripes on Branda's website  are correct. There was no stencil used for the 66 GT350 or 350H side stripe. Base coat clear coat was not used on the 66 GT350 or any other 66 Mustang for that matter. The factory paint was a single stage.The bronze powder used on the cars back in the day would sometimes oxidize OVER TIME . Some didn't . I was concerned about the possibility on my stripe. It may happen 6 months from now or hopefully never.  I only used the bronze powder because of a mistake in communication between myself and the restoration shop. I was wanting a gold that was to be mixed up based on my original valance. That unfortunately didn't happen.  I am not a painter and would not want to relay second hand information about something as critical as mixing information of bronze powder suspended in clear. If you decide to mix the powder and the clear then using the powder you bought years ago from Mustangs unlimited is risky IMO. Your description of the powder "The powder is more "bronze or red then the Inca Gold. " worries me that it may have oxidized a little or a lot over the years as is common with bronze. At the very least get fresh bronze powder. FYI the powder you bought from Mustang unlimited years ago was not anything Shelby American original.  Mustangs unlimited and Branda got the bronze powder from the same generic source as they shared many items in their catalog common to both. The Hertz cars got their Le Mans stripes at Shelby not a dealer like some non Hertz GT350 may have. Not all Hertz cars got Lemans stripes. Example red and green cars did not get Le mans stripes. If you like them then do what you want but in a concours venue a red or green Hertz car would be points deducted for having Le mans stripes. 

[J_Speegle]

I also understand the some Shelby Mustangs received the Painted Stripes from the dealers as Shelby's price was to expensive.  Which could mean that not all Shelby Gold Stripes are the same color.  Since this is an Original Hertz Shelby with number in the 1200's I suspect that Shelby painted the stripes and not the dealer who received the vehicle.  Can you help with the mixing instructions for this Bronze Gold Powder per Shelby's instructions?  Any help is appreciated.  Thanks

Believe you will find that stripes added by the dealers was often done to please a buyer since a fair number of buyers didn't want the stripes nor the attention from the police they brought but there. If a buyer wanted a specific car they had on the lot and the buyer wanted to have stripes added it was another way for the dealer to add to the price.

Since we're specifically discussing gold stripes we're just looking at cars leased or sold to Hertz so I don't think you will find those documented with stripes added when new. Just delayed getting them out to the locations and Hertz would have likely pitched a fit if they were delivered with out stripes since that was the way they were advertised


BTW welcome to the site.  Hope you find the support and answers you need for your restoration

[chsproscon]

Thanks again for the reply.  Bob, you mention that no stencil was used for the side stripes of a GT350 or GT350H.  So, are the gold vinyl decals sold by various Mustang vendors for the side stripes the correct gold stripe color?  Can I have a paint store mix a quart that match the vinyl stripes and be correct?  You also mention that your original Shelby rear valance with gold stripes was used to match what was painted on your Shelby.  Does your original valance gold bronze stripes match the side stripe vinyl decals currently being sold?  As for the Gold Bronze powder, I have searched the WEB for Gold Bronze Powder and have found various suppliers with various different shades of Gold Bronze Powder and am not sure what would be the correct match.  Different monitors change the shade of colors and it is very hard to find a match without knowing the correct color/shade.   What gold bronze powder did your painter use?  Who was the powder vendor/supplier  for the stripe powder on your Shelby?  I ask this since you recommend that I not use the old powder purchased years ago?  I also realize that you are not a painter and I was not trying to get your opinion of how to mix my powder.  I was just trying to find someone that may still have the original instructions supplied by Branda for mixing their gold bronze powder.  I read on the WEB that mixing instructions were supplied with the powder when purchased.  If I received the instructions when I purchased the powder I have, they are long gone.  Thank you again for your reply and information.

[Bob Gaines]

Thanks again for the reply.  Bob, you mention that no stencil was used for the side stripes of a GT350 or GT350H.  So, are the gold vinyl decals sold by various Mustang vendors for the side stripes the correct gold stripe color?  Can I have a paint store mix a quart that match the vinyl stripes and be correct?  You also mention that your original Shelby rear valance with gold stripes was used to match what was painted on your Shelby.  Does your original valance gold bronze stripes match the side stripe vinyl decals currently being sold?  As for the Gold Bronze powder, I have searched the WEB for Gold Bronze Powder and have found various suppliers with various different shades of Gold Bronze Powder and am not sure what would be the correct match.  Different monitors change the shade of colors and it is very hard to find a match without knowing the correct color/shade.   What gold bronze powder did your painter use?  Who was the powder vendor/supplier  for the stripe powder on your Shelby?  I ask this since you recommend that I not use the old powder purchased years ago?  I also realize that you are not a painter and I was not trying to get your opinion of how to mix my powder.  I was just trying to find someone that may still have the original instructions supplied by Branda for mixing their gold bronze powder.  I read on the WEB that mixing instructions were supplied with the powder when purchased.  If I received the instructions when I purchased the powder I have, they are long gone.  Thank you again for your reply and information.

The stripes I have gotten from Branda were the same 3M material and matched the NOS kits that I have had in the past. No the painted Le mans stripes did not match the side stripes originally. To be clear I wanted a paint store mixed product that matched my original rear valance used as a color chip sample so as to eliminate the possibility of the powder oxidizing inside the clear over time. A miscommunication happened between myself and the restoration shop and he used the bronze powder like originally done instead of a paint store mixed substitute. He likes to use the bronze powder and typically uses it and so was on autopilot when it came to painting the Le mans stripe  . At the end of the day it looks great and I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't change over time like sometimes happened.  I will get the contact and PM you .