Welcome to our Machine Gray Crossfire Thread. Nice looking car!

 

Unique shade of gray.

 

Has a "bluish steel" tint to it. Machine Gray is what replaced Graphite Metallic starting with 2006 model year.

 

‘I’ve seen both the Graphite gray and Machine gray made up and the Graphite uses a red color mixed while the Machine Gray is you guessed it blue. The same color of Gray just different color mixes.

 

my '08 coupe.

 

Mandrus Wheels really set the car off!

 

One has to be careful when ordering any touch-up paint for these two colors. The Factory Sales Code was the same for both: PDR. But the Factory Color Codes were different: ZDR vs. DDR. I once had a reputable online touch-up paint site tell me the colors were identical & it was only a name change. I told him if he sent me the wrong paint (Graphite Metallic) & I applied it, but it turned out not to be the Machine Gray I needed, I would sue for damages to have my entire car professionally re-painted to fix his screw up. And I wasn't talking about MAACO either! He needed to put up or shut up! He told me not to call his company again. What a jerk!

I always add the tint codes whenever I order touchup paint: Graphite Metallic = PDR/759; Machine Gray = PDR/184. Lots of paint sites use the Factory Sales Code rather than the Paint Code. I've even been told by a few paint sites that the Machine Gray is a special paint (trying to jack up the price) because the tint code is different. I usually end up sending the Factory Color Code pages applicable to the Crossfire to show it was a standard factory color.

 

Updated my MPG & Operating Costs for 2022 data.

 

Took the 2007 Coupe out for a nice drive around Upstate SC today. Temperature hit nearly 70F and I just had to take a drive!

 

Curious why operating cost went up so much in 2022?

 

Gas and oil prices?

 

If you open the PDF spreadsheet, you will see a couple of big expenses compared against not many miles driven. Subtract these & the Op Cost is $0.2375/mile.

 

Recent picture of 2007 Machine Gray Coupe sitting at highest point of Blue Ridge Parkway Motor Road taken during 2022 Fall ToD weekend gathering at Fontana, NC.

 

 

Loving the grey so much, I have blacked out all the factory silver accents and then had the wheels refurbed in Gunmetal Grey.

 

Does your car have the "bluish" tint to it - can't tell by the shadows in the picture. If it does, then the color is definitely Machine Gray. If not, the color is Graphite Metallic. Colors do get mixed up sometimes. Car looks really good in your posted picture.

 

Hey, thanks for your kind reply. The cars coming along nicely but needs a trip to the bodyshop for some rear end metalwork repair but I've enjoyed sprucing up before getting quotes.
Yeah, its confirmed as Graphite as I noted this plaque behind the rear bumper last week:
Thanks again

 

Is it a hard task to ge to that plate behind the rear bumper? I've refrained from buying touch-up paint as not knowing the exact paint that I have on my supposedly "Machine Grey" colored car.

 

The bumper removal isn't too bad a job on these cars in honesty. Maybe x4 obvious external fixings when boot lid is up and then remove the rear lights and access to remove a further x2 bolts, then remove internal boot carpet trims so you can access the inner side bolts, x2 each side from memory.
Less than 20-30min job... When you lift off the bumper, the plate is there visible.

 

The 759 code on the plate tells the tint mix to be used by the paint shop. Graphite Metallic Gray is typically identified by 759 / PDR; Machine Gray is identified by 184 / PDR. You will notice that Chrysler used the same Sales Code (PDR) for both paints. If you use these identifiers, you have to supply the tint numerical code to avoid getting the wrong paint. An experienced paint shop supplier will know this; but an experienced paint shop supplier is sometimes hard to find.

I've attached a copy of the various paints by model years for your reference, along with the Chrysler Factory Paint Code listing for our model years. (Note: In the Factory listing of paints used, you will find the Color Codes for the 2 paints were different. And this is verified by the SW Paint Number different for the 2 paints. But a lot of paint shops use the Sales Codes.)

I once had a reputable paint supplier tell me that Chrysler only changed the name of the paint starting with 2006 model year; said the two paints were identical (he was referencing the PDR code). So I told him if he sold me a paint that was actually Graphite Metallic and I used it on my car and it didn't match the factory color of Machine Gray, I would sue him for damages and get him to professionally repaint my entire car. He told me not to call his firm again! And I haven't!