Hi. i have a 1982 conversion by legend , and i want to use this color, i know its not accurate color scheme, but the grey used in 1982 is gross and does look very good, i was wondering if anyone knew how to make this color, it looks very nice
check the picture of hte model !
http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/modern/gtcent.htm

Looks like it could be Testors Model Master Armor Sand, but it is hard to tell. The IDF has used many different colors through the years. Check at IDF Modeling for more info on colors.

Considering the photo looks like the Centurion has a base coat, washes, and pastels you are probably best in selecting a base colour close to the colour and try some test patches.

Actual AFV colours don't stay the same as they did when they were first applied. They become dirty, stained, faded, and chipped as they are used.

Be prepared to experiment with the base colour and add either a lighter or darker colour to change it to what you are happy with.

If you look at the text caption in the link to the Centurion it says:

"This is the Coree Ben Gurion kit, built virtually straight from the box. The basic Israeli sand colour was a mix of Tamiya Acrylics, with weathering being done using pastels & washes. In building it, I must thank Paul Warner, Paul Barker, and Mark Hazzard for their information, suggestions and materiels. Photos are by John Ruddlestone"

So, I guess you could start with mixing Tamiya paints or try posting a message on Missing Lynx asking the builder...Graham Tetley, what paints he used.

Good luck with your project.

for 1982 you can go for:
Life color No UA 035 Israeli Sand Grey 82

Tamiya mix 50% xf-20 medium grey+50% xf-57 buff

Humbrol 50% 164 dark sea grey + 20% 163 dark green III + 15% 062 leather + 15% 121 pale stone

_NOTE_ these are mixes that you can use as a start.
IDF armor color is difficult to get right as there is no one right color.
Vehicle color differs from vehicle to vehicle and from unit to unit. and don't forget sunbleatching. So the best thing is get a reverence photo you like the color of and take the paint you are most comfortable with en go experiment.

Hoop it helps.

Jan-Willem

An IDF vet I know suggested a 50-50 mix of US Armor Sand and US Olive Drab (in the Testors Model Master range) as a decent representation for Israeli Sand Gray of that period, based on a paint sample he brought back to the US with him (this was before MM offered their own premixed color). As others have pointed out, local commanders often modified the paint to suit the local terrain, and even a slight coat of dust would dramatically alter the finished appearance. Still, the basic gray-green paint, introduced shortly before the 1973 war, was dingy and esthetically less appealing than the desert sand color seen in 1967. Of course, the IDF had other issues on their minds.
As for your project, you can start with the official color and then weather the heck out of it, or you can use the Verlinden approach, which is to choose a shade close to the final weathered color and then weather a little (he almost never used OD paint on his US tank models--he started with any old shade of olive green, knowing that under all that simulated dirt, it didn't matter). It's really just an artistic choice.