desert sunset paint code

Are you looking for a PPG number or looking to cross a PPG number to some other manufacturer? If you are looking for a PPG number, I show 81537 in the PPG list that I have. I have no idea personally if it's the correct shade or not. If you want a Martin Senour (NAPA) or Sherwin Williams number you should be able to find either of those by searching on-line at their respective websites. I can link you to the correct site(s) if you want.

Rod

If you are using the PPG OMNI line (MAE for acrylic enamel), then you want MAE81537, which is what my PPG listing indicates for Case Desert Sunset.

If you want to use the brand NAPA usually carries (Martin Senour) you probably want 3726, called Desert Sand (also beige). Sherwin Williams is just a basic Martin Senour with a different label and number. For Sherwin Williams, you probably want 3605, also callled Desert Sand or Beige. If you poke around in either MS or SW websites, you'll find that both the 3726 and the 3605 cross from PPG 81537. That's a good sign.

I also have a DuPont listing of old tractor paint codes. That lists a C8089 as a Case Desert Sand and also crosses (per DuPont) to Martin Senour 3726. There is no reference in the DuPont list for a cross to any PPG number. If you use the MS and SW website's competitor cross references, you'll get crosses for DuPont C8089 as MS5325 (beige) and SW30813 (beige) - which are different than above. Not such a good sign. A cross from DuPont to MS but not back the other way, from MS to DuPont.

Furthermore, if you go to DuPont's website (registration and access authority required for color formula info), you'll find that C8089 is referred to as a 1980 Ford color called Pastel Chamois!

So - conflicting information, which is par for the course. In my limited experience with old Allis Chalmers colors, DuPont and MS have both been confusing and inconclusive regarding a reasonable match to original. I have found PPG to be quite good in that regard. I would treat any cross reference information you get from any source as questionable. If you are particular about color shade, you may have to purchase more than one product and spray test samples to verify the product is what you want. Or simply believe someone else and hope for the best.

This is the first I have heard about Centari going south. Are you sure? I have been able to get it in my area, at least as of about 3 years ago. I am not that surprised that it might be being phased out, at least at the level of many jobbers. Delstar, PPG's long time competitor to Centari (also an excellent acrylic enamel) has not been available in my area for at least 10 years now - not enough local market nowadays for a relatively high priced old technology (acrylic enamel). Both of these products have been quite expensive for what they are and are not used to any great extent in the auto-refinish industry, which has been taken over, almost completely, by bc/cc urethanes. What little market there is left for automotive acrylic enamels, apparently is being filled by the "economy" lines - OMNI in PPG and NASON in DuPont. If you are used to Centari, can get it in your area and are willing to pay a premium price for it, you'll like it better than the OMNI MAE, assuming you can get it in a color shade that you are satisfied with. Forget Dulux altogether. That was a great product at one time long ago but now is (or at least should be) in the dust bin of history.

Take all this as opinionated info as I have no personal knowledge of any Case colors. I am only looking at information that is, or has been, published by the above paint companies. Proceed at your own risk.

Rod

I suspect your local jobber is dropping the Centari line because of insufficient demand to justify maintaining the mixing tints for it. I have no idea how widespread such a thing might be. A similar situation with PPG's Delstar is quite widespread as best I can determine, although it is still being made and seems to be available more in the midwest than here in the east. Yes, just about all, if not all, auto manufacturers now use urethane base/clear systems - they have been for well over 10 years. And the auto refinish business has, by necessity, followed the OEMs. Single stage enamels are old history as far as auto OEMs are concerned. In my opinion (and some will disagree) PPGs OMNI line of paints represent a good value for the money. However, they are considered "economy" products that tend to be used more in the low-end auto refinish market. You will likely not find an OMNI product used in any body shop that does panel repairs to reasonably new cars or trucks, even the OMNI base/clear product. The color control is not as good as the more expensive lines. Where it might be fine for an overall paint job, it would not be satisfactory for a replacement fender that had to match the existing door next to it. OMNI can't compete with the higher-priced products for that part of the market. You usually don't get into such a situation with tractors so that is less of an issue. I think that you would find that Centari would not be as thin, would cover better with fewer coats and would apply easier in general. Not that OMNI is bad. It's that Centari, in my opinion, is better. But it's also more expensive. I haven't bought either recently so I don't have a current, accurate cost comparison. However, I would guess that Centari is about twice as expensive as OMNI MAE for an equivalent mix in the same color cost bracket, all components considered. Is Centari twice as good as OMNI MAE? If you are considering unhardened versions of both paints and put a high value on recoatability, the answer may be yes. If not, then I think the answer is no.

I don't want to start up the isocyanate debate here again but I am assuming you do not have a supplied air breathing system to safely use hardener additives and are considering unhardened enamels only. If that's not true, then your options are greatly increased, essentially limited only by how much you want to spend.

Rod

Brian