Paint Code for Corsa Rossa 1980 GTSI??

Well Frank,

Your car being a model year 1980, she is, theoretically, just after the change from Glidden Salchi paint provider to Glasurit; so, also theoretically, she should be in "Rosso Corsa 300"; note there is no slash or dash after the 300; it is not "Rosso Corsa 300/6", simply "300". The label should be yellow with a parrott as a trademark...
It is, to this day, impossible for me to give you a definition, and equivalent, in a common paint standard, such as Federal Standard, or Methuen, or RAL...
Be reminded that these paints were at the time "single stage paint", that is: there is no coat of varnish on top of the coat(s) of paint, only the enamel itself. Two stage paints were introduced in the '90s only, so if you intend to stay "original", single stage paint it should be.
This, of course, is up to you: you may also want to opt for a modern, more durable paint.

Hope this helps,

Regards

 

I am reviving this thread for my clarification. I am about to buy a gallon of paint to have on hand to start on door jambs, spoiler, etc, and eventually, get to the whole car being painted. I have SN32001 - 1980 308 GTSi. I am under the impression in my online research, that this '80 GTSi should be painted Rosso Chiaro FER 307 and not Rosso Corsa FER 300 that was offered first in 1981(?). This car has been painted before, but I do not trust the shade of red. I just see the original red on the inside door panels.....but looks close to the door jamb/sill color. Help?

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You must have a really early 1980 fuel injected car. My 1980 GTBI was built in May is SN 32485. I know they built some 1980 carb cars as well. I looked for the yellow sticker on my car and couldn't find it to give you a reference as mine is red as well. If you can tell me where to look it might help. Pretty close in build numbers.

 

I think...think, not sure, that there might be some confusion here, which is not helped by your car being an early production GTSi. Not its fault or yours, of course, but here is the rub...doing my best to be logic and not obfuscate matters too much, but that is not too simple.

In a nutshell: the paint reference you are quoting are from Glasurit ("FER xxx") BUT your car might very well having been originally painted in Glidden Salchi colors, which have different REFERENCES NUMBERS/LETTERS for paint, but MIGHT use the same color names, even if that doesn't mean the same actual color.
What would really help is the paint label, even without the original color name, just the name of the paint manufacturer: Glidden Salchi or Glasurit.

To expand: Ferrari used Glidden Salchi (at some time, simply "Glidden") paints until "somewhere in 1980", at about the production of the first two valve-injected cars, and the last carbed cars: these were produced together, side by side for a while (start of the two-valve injected taking progressively the place of the last carburated cars). When Ferrari shifted from Glidden Salchi paints to Glasurit paints, it happened on the same princple: expand the stock of "old" paint before shifting completly to the "new" one, so some cars might have been produced together and received paint from one or the other manufacturer.
IF my memory serves me well, it also happened at the same time than the transition from carbed cars to two-valve injected. Question is therefore: which brand of paint was used on your car?

Then the name of the color: you should be very careful when using the name "Rosso Chiaro" and 100% sure of which one you are talking, because there are different colors named "Rosso Chiaro".
"Rosso Chiaro" (meaning "light red" in English) was the name of the red color used by "Glidden Salchi" as the "standard red" on road Ferraris: it means that all "standard red" carbed 308s that are in "Glidden Salchi" paints are in "Rosso Chiaro"; when Ferrari shifted to "Glasurit" paints, THEIR standard red color was "Rosso Corsa" which is actually a tad lighter than Glidden Salchi's "Rosso Chiaro". BUT there is also a color named "Rosso Chiaro" in Glasurit range of paints, and that is their "FER 307"...which is not the direct equivalent of Glidden Salchi's "Rosso Chiaro".

It would really be helpful to know in which brand of paint your car left the factory: if "Glidden Salchi", then use their "Rosso Chiaro" if your car is in "standard red"; if "Glasurit", then use "Rosso Corsa". My advice here would be to ask owner's with cars close, or very close, in chassis numbers to yours which paint brand was used on their cars ("Glidden Salchi" or "Glasurit") and then decide.
I cannot rule out that your car was indeed painted in Glasurit's "Rosso Chiaro", but this was a rare color; somehow I think that when you speak about "Rosso Chiaro", this should be read as "Glidden Salchi"s standard red.

And to conclude: we might actually be splitting hair in four here, as the actual color on a car that is forty years old is probably not the same that it was when new, and furthermore the difference in "Glidden Salchi"'s "Rosso Chiaro" and "Glasurit"'s "Rosso Corsa" isn't that noticeable. Furthermore, these original paints were single-stage paints ("enamels") whereas today all paints will be "base coat" + "clear coat".

Rgds

 

Wow, I didn't expect Nerofer to respond back on this 8 yr. old thread! At least this thread will remain intelligent! What a gold nugget of information.

I did not know this GTSi is an early production car.......1980-82 31309 thru 43079

I do not have the "paint code" sticker on the underside of the engine deck lid.....probably removed during the last respray. At the moment, I want to choose PPG DBC paint brand as the Glasurit paint is impossible to get in my area.

I can certainly ask available owners with an early GTSi. I could also get a 1 oz. sample size of Rosso Corsa and see if it closely matches the inner door panel's "original" red color. If I was a betting man, I believe the original color is Rosso Corsa 300.

In a broad stroke....on page 43 of Original Ferrari V8, the 80-83 red color is Rosso Corsa FER300.......which is cross-reference PPG 72429.






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https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/paint_color_reference_ferrari

http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?manuf=Ferrari&con=my&year=1980&page=1&rows=50

 

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/rosso-chiaro-vs-rosso-corso.86292/

a good thread read from the past.

 

I wouldn't claim to be intelligent at 4:00 in the morning, which was the time as I wrote, but thanks nevertheless for the nice appreciation.
I wouldn't trust "Keith Bluemel's Original Ferrari V8" on the matter, not because I distrust the book (I don't) but because 1980 is probably one of the most difficult production year to understand at Ferrari, certainly as far as 308s are concerned.
There were a lot of changes happening due to the shift from carbed cars to injected cars, which wasn't clear cut, as both variants were produced side by side for sometime, and the shift from one paint manufacturer to the other, which is also difficult to pinpoint in time or among chassis numbers.
As for the paint manufacturer, it would be nice and somewhat helpful to hear from owners having cars in the same chassis number range as yours.

Rgds

 

Quoting my own self:

On this very forum, "Dave80gtsi" (= Dave Meredith) has a September 1980 built GTSi, which definitively is in "Glidden Salchi" paint; its chassis number would probably help you.
"Jersey308gtb" in the U.K has a late 1980 built GTB, also in "Glidden Salchi".
The change between "Glidden Salchi" and "Glasurit" might have occured late in 1980, or perhaps even early in 1981.
I would certainly NOT rule out that 32001 left the factory in "Glidden Salchi" paint...in "Glidden's "Rosso Chiaro".

Rgds

 

GTSi SN32001 was produced in April 1980......5 months before Dave's car. Fascinating topic..... to be continued.

Side note - I bought Keith's book the same year I joined Ferrarichat!.....2003....never really thinking I would ever possess a 308 - especially with 2 boy toddlers running around!

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/308-gtb-paint-sticker-type-and-position.498531/
interesting thread

 

Gosh! I'm famous!

Here's the location of the paint sticker. I tried to get a close-up of it, but the camera focus feature did not cooperate.

The sticker says "20-R-190" and my car's assembly number is 33589, made in September 1980 as noted.

Hope this helps! - DM

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You're actually more famous than you think you are. I appreciate the detailed info! Now I need to research how to get Rosso Chiaro 20.R.190 Glidden Salchi Paint color to a PPG Deltron code or deeper dive and see if I can buy Glasurit basecoat online.

 

Thank you Dave for the answer; I guess it will help Derek, because it shows that, produced five months after his car, yours was still in Glidden Salchi, so I would say that it settles the matter; as for myself, I certainly would believe (at 99%...never say "never" with Ferrari ) that his car left the factory indeed in "Glidden Salchi Rosso Chiaro 20-R-190" also, and it would be my choice as for a new paint.

A small observation: "33589" is your chassis number, not your "assembly number"; the "assembly number" is also on your car, but hidden here and there on some parts; it was used by the factory to identify and sequence the car in the serie of the same model and variant (= USA 308 GTSi in your case; an "Euro" GTSi would be in another sequence, an USA GTBi in another, etc...). Many threads already on the matter.
(For instance, my own '89 328 GTB is VIN ZFFWA19B000081085, chassis number is 81085, the assembly number here and there inside is "08"; its engine is "17330", and gearbox "3916F106MB": there you have the identity of the car)

And yes, you are famous...

Thanks

Rgds

 

Oops, you are indeed correct, of course. "Chassis Number" and "Assembly Number" are most certainly separate and different.

I knew that - I suppose it was merely the surprised discovery of my new-found fame which went to my head and confused my thoughts!

Cheers - DM

 

Well, it is nice of you to have answered. As said above, 1980 is a difficult year to understand from a production point of view (= when you try to cross-check the production numbers and make the total with each model production figure, you end up always with more cars than the total production figure the factory gave...), so it is nice to have some definite yardstick about which paint was used at any specific period of production.

FWIW, I more and more believe that the transition from "Glidden Salchi" to "Glasurit" happened very late into 1980 (I mean, the calendar year, not the model year...), perhaps even in the spring of 1981.

Rgds

 

1980 GTSi

 

Thank you Walt; very much appreciated, this is the kind of first-hand information that helps a lot.

Rgds

 

awesome - that is ROSSO CHIARO 5995190 (20-R-190).....I guess the Ferrari factory person chose to write either number on the label?

I had 2 paint samples (2 ounces) made yesterday...... Rosso Chiaro 20-R-190 in Glasurit 55 line and FERR307 (Rosso Chiaro) Glasurit 22 line(single stage paint). I could not tell them apart and they match my existing respray paint.

 

would this help? original and full can of paint
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Happy to help out.

 

Good to know, thanks!

 

Cool piece of history to note!

 

these cans came with the daytonas and dinos along with the tool kits. not sure about 308/328 cars.

 

Derek, Fchatter DFLETT did a bit of research re paint manufacturers of this era. I think his research suggests your color is Rosso Chiarro 20-R-190 by Salchi. Not Glidden Salchi or Glasurit.

His posts are an interesting read…

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/search/105649337/?q=Salchi&o=relevance&c[user][0]=21104