Opinions pls...
Discussion
Just think carefully before you do it though. Usually a full repaint is only done when the car is dismantled completely. Have you thought about repainting ther engine bay and the boot for example? Nothing worse than a rough and ready colour change which is immediately evident when you open the bonnet. That being said though, when my E type was restores 20 years back I did change the colour but all these years later I am wondering if I did the right thing. I still love the opalescent silver blue with dark blue interior, don't get me wrong, but she was originally gunmetal with red.
I would say keep the original colour is if it's an unrebuilt, completely original car, in which case it'll be worth more if it is completely unchanged from new, or if it has particular history - if all the photos of it when it was being raced or owned by a famous owner are in red, then it will devalue it if it's now green, or if it is a rare colour - there were a few Mk2 Sprites made in Salmon pink (awful colour IMHO!) but I think only 1 survives, so it would be a shame to destroy it)
One thing that does annoy me, but whether it bothers you or not is up to you, is where there were a limited number of colours available and they are well know, do use a completely different colour - I don't mean using Ferrari red instead of Ford red, but when the available colours were re, white, blue, spraying it maroon - to my eyes it just doesn't look right!
As others said, it's your car and if you intend to keep it for a long time, it doesn't matter, but if you might sell it, it could be worth consideriunbg originality if that will make it worth more.
I suppose that if it's a classic minin, and they made billions of them it won't make much difference, but if it's a Unobtainium Rario Mk3, ( 6 produced, 4 crashed at Lemans and scrapped) 6 it's more important!
One thing that does annoy me, but whether it bothers you or not is up to you, is where there were a limited number of colours available and they are well know, do use a completely different colour - I don't mean using Ferrari red instead of Ford red, but when the available colours were re, white, blue, spraying it maroon - to my eyes it just doesn't look right!
As others said, it's your car and if you intend to keep it for a long time, it doesn't matter, but if you might sell it, it could be worth consideriunbg originality if that will make it worth more.
I suppose that if it's a classic minin, and they made billions of them it won't make much difference, but if it's a Unobtainium Rario Mk3, ( 6 produced, 4 crashed at Lemans and scrapped) 6 it's more important!
Why are you restoring your car?
1) To try and make money but selling it for more than the purchase/restoration cost.
2) Because it's your baby and you're only going to give up the V5 when someone pull it from your cold, dead hands?
1) Origonal colour.
2) Whatever the hell you like!
I'm firmly in the do-what-you-like camp and when someone starts tutting I just ask them when their house was built. If it's pre-1940 I ask them if they stripped out all the piping, replacing it with lead and it it's 1940-1980 I ask them if they replaced all the blue asbestos. If they haven't I tell them where they can take their opinons of what I do ot my car.
1) To try and make money but selling it for more than the purchase/restoration cost.
2) Because it's your baby and you're only going to give up the V5 when someone pull it from your cold, dead hands?
1) Origonal colour.
2) Whatever the hell you like!
I'm firmly in the do-what-you-like camp and when someone starts tutting I just ask them when their house was built. If it's pre-1940 I ask them if they stripped out all the piping, replacing it with lead and it it's 1940-1980 I ask them if they replaced all the blue asbestos. If they haven't I tell them where they can take their opinons of what I do ot my car.
Paint it how you like but I have never, no... never ever seen a convincing colour change that wasn't a nut and bolt rebuild.
If it's a valuable car where provenance matters, you will give the value a big knock with a colour change. If you are still determined to change the colour, even on a 'popular' classic then go for something from the original colour chart.
Possible exceptions are American cars where they seem to paint 'em all grey for the inner panels and colour for the outsides.
If it's a valuable car where provenance matters, you will give the value a big knock with a colour change. If you are still determined to change the colour, even on a 'popular' classic then go for something from the original colour chart.
Possible exceptions are American cars where they seem to paint 'em all grey for the inner panels and colour for the outsides.
MotherFunk said:
is it a Big No No to change from the original colour?
complete Respray i mean.
completely new to classic cars,well sort of.
If you arn't worried about reducing it's future value, and it depends on what car it is as to the degree of devaluation, then as said, it's your car, so do as you wish and paint it, drive it and enjoy it complete Respray i mean.
completely new to classic cars,well sort of.
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