Help guess my paint code...

[retro]

Can anyone make an educated guess as to what shade of red my car is?Unfortunately there doesnt seem to be a sticker in the boot with the code on.

I would describe it as bright red. From my bits of research, being an early 90's mark 3 Polo means that it could be either 'Mars red' or 'Tornado red'. Does anybody know what the difference is, they look pretty similar. Is one of these colurs particularly common, or only available on a special edition perhaps?

Cheers.

[LogIK]

Maybe it would help if you posted a picture of your car up

[toXXin]

I swear VW stopped using Mars Red in 1986. Anyway, they never used Mars Red on the MK3 so you'll have Tornado Red.

Look at the sticker in the boot, the 4 digit code starting in L will be the colour code. Tell VW you want that colour in touch up form and you're laughing (Don't use Halfords stuff, too runny!)

[Karl_CLCoupe]

I believe there was also Indian red. Am I right? I remember KarlM mentioning something about him getting a Mark3 in Indian red.

Karl.

[Gareth_GT_Hatch]

apparently late mk3s are a different type of red to tornado red but looks similar, flame red or something like that (same as mk3 golf) itll not be mars red if its a mk3. Indian red is a dark and possibly metallic colour.

[Tahrey1043]

toXXin - retro already said, no paint code sticker! I don't have one either... apparently it's stamped in the boot somewhere as well (spare wheel well?), or at least it's in the VIN?!

hmm

[Gareth_GT_Hatch]

Its in the boot yeah, on the reaar bulkhead below the tailgate apperture.

[mk3_beast]

it will be tornado red if it's a bright colour same as mine (see below)

the code is LY3D i think. i get mixed up with them coz i use them everyday lol,

and there was no polo's made in mars red

[Tahrey1043]

Its in the boot yeah, on the reaar bulkhead below the tailgate apperture.

the what now?

[Gareth_GT_Hatch]

I thought someone might say that. Jeez ur ard work u lot! What reg is ur car mr retro?

here is a pic of where the sticker should be. The arrow points to a piece of the bodywork, where the sticker should be.


And before u ask, it was caused by an idiot with no insurance driving a G reg mini.

[retro]

Thanks everyone,

As I said, there isn't a paint code sticker in my boot, believe me I have looked. Not in the wheel well, not on the floor, not on the slam panel. Must have been thoughtfully removed by a former owner.

It's a 91 coupe which makes it too early for Flash Red. Indian red is a darker colour. So if it's not Mars red then that leaves Tornado Red as the best bet.

Is the paint code really in the VIN number? if so, which part is it? Nothing in my VIN looks like a paint code.

Sorry for not posting a picture, but you can't really tell the difference between similar colours anyway, there are too many other variables. I think my descrition as bright red was good enough.

Cheers.

[GroovyCarrot]

VW only charge about £2 for a pot of touch up paint, just get some in tornado red and paint a bit under the mat in the boot where no one will notice, easiest way to tell for sure

[Tahrey1043]

i think to get a code from the vin you need to take your number to a dealer who'll look it up in the database... theres not a direct match you can do, unless its got a different coding style and theres a possibility of drawing a table up....

k, so, i now know where the sticker would be, if i didnt have a slightly leaky seal on the boot which means it dissolved away ages ago like so much papier mache. any idea where the stamp might be?

and never mind the crash damage.... why does the white polo in the background appear to be plugged directly into the mains??
(the mini was proper wrecked, right? should be...)

[Gareth_GT_Hatch]

The mini just had a knackered wing and headlight, was alot more driveable than mine was after the accident anyway. The car int background is my old 1.3 litre silver CL. I hadnt used it for a while and the battery had gone flat. So we were chargin it up wi my dads "home made" charger.

[Tahrey1043]

wi my dads "home made" charger.