I'm Going Paint Blind...HELP!

[Labrador55]

I have come to realize the absolute craziness that I am experiencing trying to find the right colour for my 40. I have had a few but have recently started looking at Heath Gray. While looking at pictures of these I came across this one referred to in the write up as Slate Gray. I like the tinge of green in it...it seems to offer a bit more of what I like in comparison to the straight Heath Gray. I tried contacting the vendors but they had nothing. So I am hoping someone here may be able to put me in the right direction or know of something similar.

https://www.collectiblemotorcarofatlanta.com/vehicles/1291/1977-toyota-fj40

Really appreciate the help.

 

[discoverydave]

The FJ40 color situation is genuinely one of the harder rabbit holes to navigate. What you're seeing in that listing photo as "Slate Gray" is almost certainly a mix of lighting, age-fading, and maybe some custom work along the way. Toyota didn't officially call anything Slate Gray in the FJ40 lineup — that color name gets used loosely by sellers and restorers to describe anything that photographs with a cool gray-green cast.

If you want that greenish warmth over straight Heath Gray, it's worth pulling the FJ40 color chart thread here on the forum (someone posted a full Toyota paint code chart a few years back). The code 616 Dark Green and the 717/Gray series sometimes look wildly different in photos versus real daylight. Your best bet honestly is to get chip samples from a local Toyota dealer's historical color reference or contact a shop that does Toyota vintage restorations — they often have actual painted panels on the wall you can look at side by side.

I've done a couple of FJ40 interior and exterior restores and the photography problem with these old Toyota grays and gray-greens is constant. The same vehicle can look completely different color depending on whether it's shot in shade or afternoon sun. If you can find a car in person that matches what you saw in that photo, get the paint code off the firewall tag and cross-reference it. That's usually the most reliable path when you're chasing a specific look.

 

[Labrador55]

The FJ40 color situation is genuinely one of the harder rabbit holes to navigate. What you're seeing in that listing photo as "Slate Gray" is almost certainly a mix of lighting, age-fading, and maybe some custom work along the way. Toyota didn't officially call anything Slate Gray in the FJ40 lineup — that color name gets used loosely by sellers and restorers to describe anything that photographs with a cool gray-green cast.

If you want that greenish warmth over straight Heath Gray, it's worth pulling the FJ40 color chart thread here on the forum (someone posted a full Toyota paint code chart a few years back). The code 616 Dark Green and the 717/Gray series sometimes look wildly different in photos versus real daylight. Your best bet honestly is to get chip samples from a local Toyota dealer's historical color reference or contact a shop that does Toyota vintage restorations — they often have actual painted panels on the wall you can look at side by side.

I've done a couple of FJ40 interior and exterior restores and the photography problem with these old Toyota grays and gray-greens is constant. The same vehicle can look completely different color depending on whether it's shot in shade or afternoon sun. If you can find a car in person that matches what you saw in that photo, get the paint code off the firewall tag and cross-reference it. That's usually the most reliable path when you're chasing a specific look.

Thanks a ton I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my question!