Ranger XLT colour

[Busdriver 6209]

Just been looking through an original Ranger manual on the main site when I realised that as far as I can see no actual colour is called out for the body. What options have members seen? Blue with white panels seems the most common and I have seen Red and white as well. Is the Blue X3 royal blue that is used for the body

[David B 66]

TS15, same color as the Bruiser.

[Busdriver 6209]

Being colour blind is that the spray equivalence to x3 or x4 or neither. Those are the two blue’s mentioned in the original manual 

[David B 66]

Don't rely on my eyes but x4 looks like a match, x3 looks darker.

[zakspeed 187]

If you are not wanting to use tamiya paint. Vauxhall Regatta blue is an excellent match. Ive since sold my ranger but have a Super Champ and bruiser clone in my showroom painted in that colour if you want a nose.

[Busdriver 6209]

On 3/17/2023 at 6:29 PM, zakspeed said:

If you are not wanting to use tamiya paint. Vauxhall Regatta blue is an excellent match. Ive since sold my ranger but have a Super Champ and bruiser clone in my showroom painted in that colour if you want a nose.

Went a slightly different route!!! Ford Ocean blue metallic!!!!

[David B 66]

Saw that in your Ranger re-re thread, looks good, I may do that, rather than the box art TS15. I'm just waiting for warm weather so I can paint outside.

[IXLR8 1153]

I purchased a Ranger yesterday and I've spent some time today reading through some of the 38 pages of Ranger related threads here on TC to learn what I can about the truck.  This is only my second SRB.  I bought a Sand Scorcher back in late '79 or early '80 but unfortunately I sold that car sometime in the 1980's (still kicking myself for doing that).  Anyway, the body on my Ranger is unpainted and I've noted that many of the Ranger threads deal with paint colors.  It's a popular topic.

While attempting to match box art colors, some say TS15 (Blue) is too dark while TS10 (French Blue) is too light.  At least one member painted his truck TS93 (Pure Blue) which I think looks amazing.  In fact, all Rangers that I've seen here look amazing -- not an ugly one in the bunch -- so it's just personal preference.   

Curiously, none of the posts I've read so far mention TS44 (Brilliant Blue).  Referring to Tamiya's paint color chart, TS44 appears to fall somewhere between TS15 and TS10 and I reckon some fine tuning could be achieved using the appropriate shade of primer.   

Anyway, I'm curious to know your thoughts on this.  Have you used TS44 (I have not) and do you think it could approximate Ranger box art colors or is it simply wrong for this truck?

 

I apologize Busdriver, I didn't mean to hyjack your thread, I thought this was a good place to post my question.  

[moffman 5752]

Interesting @Busdriver I’ve never actually noticed that it hasn’t got a specific blue colour? Could it be because when it was originally released you couldn’t buy Tamiya spray paint? I honestly can’t remember ever seeing tamiya spray cans in Beatties I always remember buying humbrol I only can remember the little glass pots! Maybe someone can shed more light on it? Over the years I’ve done various colours and all different shades of blue I think it’s one of those truck bodies that lends itself to a variety of colours my personal favourite that I did was chocolate brown it looked very good against the cream side panels (unfortunately I can’t find any photos of it!)

[Mokei Kagaku 2706]

2 hours ago, moffman said:

Interesting @Busdriver I’ve never actually noticed that it hasn’t got a specific blue colour? Could it be because when it was originally released you couldn’t buy Tamiya spray paint? I honestly can’t remember ever seeing tamiya spray cans in Beatties I always remember buying humbrol I only can remember the little glass pots! Maybe someone can shed more light on it? Over the years I’ve done various colours and all different shades of blue I think it’s one of those truck bodies that lends itself to a variety of colours my personal favourite that I did was chocolate brown it looked very good against the cream side panels (unfortunately I can’t find any photos of it!)

I don't know which year Tamiya launched the TS-series of colours, but I checked the sources I have about this some years ago, and I can confirm that TS1 to TS20 definitely had been released by 1978, well before the release of the SRB-series. They may have been available on the Japanese domestic market only, or at least maybe not in all countries Tamiya exported to at that time. Also, I doubt the formulas have stayed identical for 45+ years, so the hues may not have been identical for old TS- and current procuction TS-paints.

Anyway, I have never seen any specific blue spray colour recommended for the Ranger, but three blue TS-colours already existed at the time of the Ranger's release:

TS10 French Blue
TS15 Blue
TS19 Metallic Blue

TS15 is of course the one of the three that came closest to the Ranger's boxart/catalog photo colour.

 

[David B 66]

1 hour ago, Mokei Kagaku said:

I don't know which year Tamiya launched the TS-series of colours, but I checked the sources I have about this some years ago, and I can confirm that TS1 to TS20 definitely had been released by 1978, well before the release of the SRB-series. They may have been available on the Japanese domestic market only, or at least maybe not in all countries Tamiya exported to at that time. Also, I doubt the formulas have stayed identical for 45+ years, so the hues may not have been identical for old TS- and current procuction TS-paints.

Anyway, I have never seen any specific blue spray colour recommended for the Ranger, but three blue TS-colours already existed at the time of the Ranger's release:

TS10 French Blue
TS15 Blue
TS19 Metallic Blue

TS15 is of course the one of the three that came closest to the Ranger's boxart/catalog photo colour.

 

Tamiyabase has it listed as TS15, same color as the Bruiser.

[IXLR8 1153]

FWIW, I've just had another look at the Sand Scorcher manual and it mentions "royal blue", "lemon yellow", "orange", "flesh", "matte white", "matte black". etc. but it doesn't cite Tamiya paint color codes.  The SS launched in late '79 but I reckon it's possible the manual was written and printed before the TS line of paints were established.

Anyway, I'd like to use Tamiya TS paint for the Ranger so I think I'll order a can of TS44 and give that a try.  It's evident in this thread alone, there really isn't a "wrong" color for the Ranger.

[IXLR8 1153]

I've just finished my project.  For reference, this is TS44 over black primer and under several coats of clear lacquer.

[jonboy1 2943]

I used LP-6 lacquer paint to do Barneys Ranger:

[IXLR8 1153]

1 hour ago, jonboy1 said:

I used LP-6 lacquer paint to do Barneys Ranger:

That looks amazing!

Maybe the color isn't perfect "box-art" but who cares? 

It looks great and that's what matters most!

Good job, sir.  

OH, I've just noticed it's an early short wheel arch version.  Very cool!