I don't personally. Do some Google searches for paint codes and this forum. I just typed "ppg deere paint code" and saw that chip in another forum.
http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?manuf=John%20Deere
Realistically, these "what color code" conversations will boil down to people's preference. Some people will say to just use the Deere branded paint as if it has some official and unchanging formulation to it. Some will say to find a piece that hasn't been weathered and get a color match. Some will give certain numbers to match current vs classic and so on.
I'm pretty surprised your PPG guy "can't find one" and am guessing that this is to force YOU to pick one instead of coming back and complaining that it didn't look right after you get back from a show.
Compiling all my research and exierience -
It seems to me that Deere changed their color at least 2-3 times and that on top of this, different ingredients (i.e. lead formulations) faded differently to get even more differing color matches (i.e. a 4430 with original paint on it still looks nearly correct for green while a 4240 gains a strong blue tint to it).
I think there was:
1. A stronger blue-tint green that was used up to around a Model A (Waterloo Boy carryover?). My opinion on this one is not a strong one but this particular topic doesn't seem to be a popular debate anyway, so who cares.
2. "Classic" green F9AJ used up to the 10 series (1920's through ~1962).
3. *Slightly* lighter JD green F9A used up to the thousand series (~1962 through 1989). Deere removed lead from paint in early 60's and I credit this with the slight color/formula change here.
4. Modern JD Ag green that has been in use since the thousand series came out. Much brighter than the previous colors. (~1990 to today)
F9A and F9AJ are *very close* in shade and this makes the classic option that is currently on the Deere dealers' shelves a more suitable match for all the tractors from a model A up through a 60 series. This is what causes the debates. The classic green is *technically* only a perfect match for the letter series up through 1960; There is technically no match on the dealer shelves for F9A so people say to use the modern green. There is essentially a lost shade of green between the classic shade and the current shade that people are often ignoring.
If you do some searches through forums, you can find that Deere did not have a "classic" option on the shelves until like 1989. This was not to "emulate the patina of older machines" and was NOT a "marketing ploy" in my opinion as some others may say. The color change in 1960 was a small enough change that it was not worth having 2 options on shelves where as the 1990 change was a big change and warranted 2 colors. At this point I believe the cans where marketed with an image of a 2-cyl tractor printed on them and I think this fueled some of the confusion on what the paint was for.
I've done a decent amount of spraying paint out onto cards and comparing to the unweathered areas on real machines AS WELL AS vintage toys that have never seen the light of day, and these are the conclusions I've arrived at.
Basically anything older than 1960: use F9AJ aka "classic green"
1960 to 1990: needs F9A which is unavailable but in my opinion is much closer to classic green than modern. I believe it was Deere's intent to ignore that this existed and just roll them into the modern color if they needed re-done. NEITHER option at your friendly Deere dealer is correct for this era, and don't let them tell you not to use classic!
1990 to today: not really debatable, use the modern ag green.
Have just dealt with this myself as I am restoring a 49 A and wanting to use ppg Omni acrylic urathane paint. I bought a spray can of John Deere classic green paint and took it to the paint store I use. He scanned it and it came up as F9A. I have painted a good bit of the tractor (rear end crank case and transmission and some misc small parts) its really close to an exact match to classic green
I agree that the F9A and F9AJ are close but I'm surprised that his scan did not come up as F9AJ which is undoubtedly the classic code that Deere carries. This is according to even their own documentation..
Did that particular dealer "not have" F9AJ showing? I could even see where thin coats of it might have pulled the code a shade off or something.
Regardless, nice looking job!
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