Color of Donohue GT350R

[mlplunkett]

I posted this question previously but the title didn't really match the request so thought I would repost. I'm looking for info on the color of the Mark Donohue R-model car. In some photos it looks like guardsman blue but in others it looks like a darker blue. If anyone out there has info I'd really appreciate hearing from you. The current plan for my R model tribute car is to duplicate the color of the Donohue car. I've used the "contact us" feature on the LMC web site but no response.

https://legendarymotorcar.com/inventory/1965-shelby-gt350-1922.aspx

[98SVT - was 06GT]

I think the original "story" was guardsman blue with wimbledon white stripes. When Larry Zane owned the car he said the original had been junked. It had been weakened by drilling holes everywhere and after one of its crashes it was decided not to rebuild it. The solution was to get a 6 cyl fastback from a dealer and swap all the parts to the new car. Who knows what the guy mixed up to paint it. I'd suspect with the detail that Legendary goes to they color matched what they found on the car when they began their restoration. So either shade would be correct depending what point in time you want to build to.

From an earlier post on the car....
The Donahue car is hard to keep up with. Registry says 5r105 was "lightened up" so much in '65 they had to replace it with a "body in white" for the start of the '66 season. (Was that even a thing back in the mid 60's. I've never hear that term used on anything other than the 2008 and up Cobra Jets powered cars.. These were not the 50 produced each year.) I'm thinking the 6 cylinder car might be this same replacement.

Then when it was sold to Yale Kneeland for the '67 season. A wreck forced them to replace the car's front clip. Later at Marlboro on July 16th, it was rolled in practice. Parts were swapped onto a Hertz rental for the race and removed afterwards. Was that the end of this cars race history? I have to wonder how much of the current car is really 5r105?

[mlplunkett]

Not surprised to hear that they lightened the car to the edge of safety. I just read a story about the Pensky/Donohue trans am camero where they lightened the 67 car with acid dipping to the point that they had to install a full cage roll bar to stiffen it back up (a first in trans am). They won 10 of the 13 races and when tech inspectors realized what they had done they were told to never bring the car back to a race. Then in 68 they fielded two cars painted to match and would run the new car through tech inspection then drive it back to their shop area, swap the number, and run the same car back through tech inspection. The second car was of course the acid dipped 67 and it easily outperformed the new car.

[Side-Oilers]

It was the 1968 season when Donohue won 10 out of 13 races. 

I'm friends with the owner of that car (he's had it since the early '80s) and it's fully documented, plus has competed in vintage races since the mid/late '80s. 

It has plenty of Penske-tricks of its own, but I've never heard anything about it being the reused '67 Camaro.

[mlplunkett]

I may have mixed up the story a little or maybe he has the new car of the pair and not the reused 67.

Here's the story
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15141796/the-lightweight-camaro-1967-donohue-trans-am-camaro-archived-test-review/

[CSX4781]

 Actually, 'Body in White ' is something that's been around for a long time, although they weren't the easiest things to order. See the attached photos, two show ordering info in a couple of the old OHO Newsletters from 1972, the third is a photo of Holman Moodys shop from 1966, note the 1965-66 Mustang 2+2 shell sitting on a skid. This was cool stuff to come across. Also, a buddy has the restored Super Stock and Drag Illustrated Maverick Super Modified drag car. Arlen Fadely, a Ford engineer, originally built it in 1974-75 from a body in white too (chassis work by Don Hardy).

  Not sure about the blue, but the few color photos I've seen of it, it's definitely darker than my Sapphire Blue 66 GT350, I'd say it's a safe bet it's Guardsman Blue.

Dave

[shelbydoug]

I thought that the car was painted "Penske blue" like the Can Am car was?

[Royce Peterson]

I thought that the car was painted "Penske blue" like the Can Am car was?

What would give you that idea?

[Tom Honegger]

Donohue race cars didn't wear Penske (Sunoco) blue until he was driving Penske team cars. Donohue's GT 350 race history did not include Roger Penske in any way.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

It has plenty of Penske-tricks of its own,

Unfair Advantage - I think the one that shows the extent they went to was when they ran 4 lug wheels to save 20% of the time with the impact.

[Side-Oilers]

4 instead of 5 lugs: Pretty brilliant time-saving idea.

[mlplunkett]

Well third times a charm. I got the following response from LMC when I emailed asking if the color was Guardsman Blue. If anyone has a contact for the Dockery Ford family, I'll send them a note to see if they know.

"Im not sure, that was restored along time ago under a different restoration manager. I dont believe its Guardsmens, it was darker than that"
Regards,
Stefan Mastronardi
Legendary Motorcar

[Harris Speedster]

This picture is part of others that were taken at this time, there are about 6 hipo engines sitting on the floor.
These are early Torino Intermeccanica pictures, some had magstars.

Another pic has three cars stacked on metal racks. Fairlain and two mustangs.
Perhaps this is one they took down from the racks ?

Another pic from same time is looking over what appears to be a blue mustang coupe ready to be converted.
I happened upon the pictures because of my 31 year ownership of a sexy Italian >> a 69 Italia.
Believe they cam from Lee !
Respectfully,
John

[deathsled]

Well third times a charm. I got the following response from LMC when I emailed asking if the color was Guardsman Blue. If anyone has a contact for the Dockery Ford family, I'll send them a note to see if they know.

"Im not sure, that was restored along time ago under a different restoration manager. I dont believe its Guardsmens, it was darker than that"
Regards,
Stefan Mastronardi
Legendary Motorcar

Well at least they gave you an answer.  Legendary did my car. 6s843.  Paint has held up for decades and longer than my marriages in all seriousness.  For determining paint color one can look at photos all they want but photographs can and often do distort the actual color of the car as it appears in real life.  Without an actual paint code, it will be only a best guess.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

..... photographs can and often do distort the actual color of the car as it appears in real life.  Without an actual paint code, it will be only a best guess.

Even paint codes can be useless today. Paint type/chemistry has changed over the years and the old formulas don't translate well. There has been great strides taken in the ability to scan what is on the car now and letting the computer create a new formula with new paints. The process is accurate enough to match faded areas. It's critical if doing a full restoration rather than matching a panel to scan a door jam or some other area that hasn't been exposed to UV rays.