Paint code for rims (Montreal)

[TomBob]

I've stumbled on an unexpectedly arcane topic - paint codes for alloy rims.

I bought a donor 2000 Mk4 GTI for the AGU engine (to go into my Mk1) so I thought I'd also take the 16" Montreal rims for my daily driver Mk4 2.0l. I gave the wheels and centre caps to my panel and paint guy to paint and he's asked me what colour. Based on a previous purchase of Wurth "German Wheel Silver" I thought there was only one colour code ... how wrong!

I've read somewhere that the trailing 3 characters of the wheel part number are the colour code. The Montreal wheel part number is 1J0601025ACZ31, which implies the colour code is Z31. Sure enough that VW paint code exists - Z31 Silber Met. (rims) for Volkswagen rims / wheels | PaintColourChart.com, but this web page says the applicable years are 2011-2023 ... and that's a little late for the 2000 vehicle.

Can anyone please tell me if this code is correct or advise the correct paint code?

Tom.

[Flipper Dog]

Z31 or LZ31 was called Bright Chrome back in 2000, the same colour as Silber Met using paint code Z31.
While looking up the Montreal wheels for your vehicle I can across the part number for the centre hub cap if you need it - 1J0 601 149 A GRB

[TomBob]

Thanks Flipper Dog.

I was feeling a bit OCD worrying about this but it was puzzling how the paint codes and names keep changing over time ... yet don't really change. I'll tell my paint guy.

I'm fortunate as the hubcaps were still on the car and were undamaged, but only two had the adhesive centre vinyl VW logo decals. My research suggests the caps are no longer available and the decals never were. I'm hoping I can have new decals printed up.