Gold Wheel Color

[mpeavey]

Anyone got a good number match for the gold on late 70's, early 80's SS, MHR, Darmah FPS/Speedline/Campy wheels?
Also if you've got one, how about the basic gold of the gold/Black body work when not using the decal sets.
Thanks,

[Nico Georgeoglou]

Hi MPeavey,

The question you are asking is not easy to reply, in the sense of naming you a colour code, which a car paint shop could reproduce acurately in any place of the world.
The reason is that depending on the production batch of wheels in question, there were slight differences in colour. I have original 4-holed Speedline wheels, 4-holed and 6-holed original FPS wheels. All have different shades of gold colour. As a general rule I can inform you that earlier wheels (built dates '78 - '80) have a darker golden colour. Later wheels (built dates '81 and later) have a more vivid golden colour. So the correct solution would be to base your restoration on the model year of your bike, so if it is a post '81 bevel you should use the vivid gold, if it is an earlier one the more subdued gold one. But somebody has to provide you with a correctly painted wheel so that your painter tries to match it. Unfortunately there is no matching colour code.

As for black and gold 900SS. As it happens to own such a bike with its original decals, and to have sets of replacement original decals as well, I'm also sorry to inform you that even the factory decals are not consistent colour-wise for the whole bike. For instance the fuel tank side decals and the ones that fit on the fairing are having one shade of gold (darker). While the long ones which fit on top of the fuel tank, on the front fender and on the single seat, are having a slightly different (lighter, more vivid) shade of gold. So again you would have to chose between two different golds if you were to match the colour.

This is the sad truth, so try to match your wheel gold and body gold as best as you can and nobody would accuse you for inconsistency as the factory colours were inconsistent in the first place.
A rule to be followed in general for these gold colours is that all of them are not bright (and on wheels are matt), so try to avoid garish glossy gold colours.

Good luck !!!

Nico

[BevHevSteve]

A perfect match is available at BMW car dealers, ask them to order you some rattle can gold for old 80's BBS style wheels that were on cars of that era. It is perfect, and the paint is not that bad for rattle can.....