I was under the impression that the black sills and gills on my van were a medium/satin black same as the dash glovebox etc, paint code 04149, I purchased same from local Gateway PPG dealer somewhere along the line someone told me its a 60% gloss or 60 parts gloss??, anyway painter has painted sills and its full on gloss he said it had a slight about of flattener in it but he can flatten it more I have a unmolested glovebox lid which is clearly a medium gloss so we are aiming more towards that finish. I know later Sandman as with my HZ had Tuxedo black on sills and was glossy, I know acrylic gloss can fade over time might have started gloss looks like satin, gloss does not look right on the HQ, thoughts

Original GMH Engineering paint "spreadsheet" titled "Car Colour Specifications for Standard Production Vehicles exterior" dated 17/12/73 says the following on a HQ XX7 are GMH specification S263, colour 578-4149:

Rocker panel
Front Fender (lower and louvres)
Body side (lower)
Rear end panel
Front end panel (lower).

Other interior paint documents use the same paint for a lot of interior paint including the glovebox and call it "DULON medium Gloss".

It doesn't take much to gloss it up though, a bit of polish and it looks gloss. I have a formula for it out of an old Dulon book, but I assume if he has mixed it he must have the same thing? All it says is 578-04149 is:

05431 tinter, setting 450.
03038 tinter, setting 500.

Edited by user Thursday, 15 March 2018 8:03:40 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

It is a typo, i’ll fixed it. I don’t know the numbers are red though, not me? 578 isn’t full gloss though like 568 or 567, it is medium gloss. Remember though full gloss acrylic isn’t full gloss off the gun, you have to cut and buff it. The blackouts were most likely straight off the gun originally.

From memory even the pillars between the doors on HQ GTS sedan and A9X bonnet were medium gloss, but the first polish would gloss them up a fair bit, whereas I doubt a glovebox would ever see polish.

Edited by user Thursday, 15 March 2018 8:07:51 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I can only tell you what was on them new based upon original GMH documentation. That documentation says the exterior and interior medium gloss black is the same. It isn't a theory, it is fact.

AFAIK 04149 is the colour. 578 is the PAINT LINE. This is why you see for example 568 for solid Acrylic and 567 for metallic, they are different paint lines. In researching Chevy Trucks I have found that the colours are the same, but the paint line is different as it is enamel, 439 from memory, so Glacier White becomes 439-13134. The same HQ Engineering docs I got 578-4149 off for you have for example the front bar, grille, wheels and hub caps on some HQ cab chassis in Glacier White. The main body Glacier White is 568-13134, but these other parts are 222-13134, also called Glacier White. Different paint line, probably a harder wearing paint like enamel. If you have got 568-04149 that will be full gloss if I understand it correctly. You need 578-4149. That formula I gave you above is for 578-4149. As I said I can't tell you how or where to get the paint, just what was used originally according to original GMH documentation. Note also I don't take it as fact until I see it in at least two original GMH documents, and I have seen this in a few now.

Well I went back to my painter today and check the blackouts on my van its been 48 hours since it was painted and over 24 hours since i looked at it and the gloss has changed to more a shiny satin more what it should be and and as my painter said satin will continue to fade if you dont polish it over time so I am happy to leave now as far as it being the correct paint for the interior its way off but we looked through his old Dulon Dulux paint formulas and I fould the interior trim Black (low gloss) 578-11488 for 1974 GHM LH Torana and HQ Holden so two different blacks as i imagined. I ring my local PPG Distributor yes they can mix that formula in acrylic but no such formula for 2 pak but says I can just add flatten it down for you its a low gloss. I also have a DULUX DULON page for 1970-71 Holden Torana etc trim colours and exterior stripes, this page list Black Med Gloss 578-04149 as a trim colour also and also the Suede. States Warrigal Black as exterior stripes for Monaro and Pagan Gold for Brougham.

Basically no one seems to have correct modern codes for the old formulas I have spoke with GMH , PPG, and Dulux and only one formula for 04149 and its the paint I purchased 60 parts gloss no other formula for variation in gloss levels a paint distributor could obviously add things to make glossier or flatter. What is a bit confusing is that both the low gloss and the medium gloss are both listed for interior so possible both levels of gloss used inside on different components in some models maybe column and indicator stalk in the med gloss 04149 ??

I havent got any engineering docs but I found this.
Low Gloss Black 578-11488 was used on LH Torana after Nov 1974
So for HQ I guess the interior black remained Medium Gloss Black 578-04149 as you mentioned.

Before November 1974


After November 1974