Down to choosing paint, I need some input

Okay, I'm at the point where in the next month or so, I'll be spraying the speedster but now I've found a few more colour combinations that tickle my fancy.

My speedster is currently silver with a black interior and it looks kinda bland as the chrome wheels, trim etc doens't jump out.

I was thinking of changing it to gunmetal metallic silver (dark) so that the trim etc pops out a bit more. With an oxblood interior.

But this weekend I saw pictures of a really nice black speedster with a tan interior which has got me all confused again.

I've had a black car before (daily driver) and I hated it as it showed up the dirt straiht away and also showed all of the inperfections in the paint/ body.

As the Speedster won't be used everyday I'm thinking of taking the jump and going for black.

Anyone out there with a black speedster who can advise me otherwise? Or are you glad it's black?

- G

I don't have a black speedster, in fact I don't even have a black car but, I've had several black cars in the past and I can truthfully say that when the car is clean (basically for 5 minutes after your wash/wax and detail the paint) it looks absolutely the best!!!!

But, as pointed out, it gets dirty, at the same rate as any other color car but, it shows much worse than say a white car.

Additionally, to get a great black paint job, it requires hours and hours of block sanding to remove even the slightest body imperfections. Not to say that other colors you choose will hide ripples and dents but black compounds the imperfection to the point that you wish it wasn't black anymore.

Finally, regardless of how great a job you do during the preparation of the car to receive paint, the body is shrinking on a daily basis. Even cured bodies still shrink and when they shrink, they create imperfections in the paint.

My wifes car is a 2002 Lincoln LS V-8 painted a metallic gray. The chrome allow wheels really pop with that paint color. Another color that makes chrome pop is a little known Porsche color called Meridian.
It seems to change color shade depending on the position of the sun.

I went to my local Porsche dealer and started looking at a 2002 996 Porsche that I eventually bought. I looked at it several times before making the purchase and each time I went to the dealer, I thought it was a different car as the color had changed (or, appeared to change)

I think that I just needed someone else to confirm this for me. I know how inpractical the colour is on a kit car and I know that a week after the spray job, I'll be swearing...

I was stuck on Gun Metal metallic grey with oxblood for so long now, but I got to looking at different paint schemes and am even considering Red with a Tan Interior.

Well these are my options.......

1) Black with tan interior - scrap this one
2) Gunmetal Metallic Grey with oxblood red interior _1st choice so far.
3) Arrest me red with tan interior - hmmmm
4) White with a tan interior......

I'm so confused.

Mine is original Black gelcoat (red interior) - which buffs and polishes up fine for a driver. I actually prefer the classic "German racing silver" - even when it gets dull and looks more like pewter. Silver was James Dean's choice too for a 550 (might still be around if he had selected red!)

Gary, Gunmetal is not commonly done. It's got my vote, especially with a maroon or oxblood interior color. Right on. Scrap the rest -- unless you want to go down a beaten path ...
If you were to consider other uncommon colors, a warm gull gray, an Irish green or a walnut brown would all look very nice with saddle brown leather and a light brown or tan canvas top.
I'm discovering the limiting factor of the interior color on my choices as I contemplate paint again. I can't think of anything other than silver or white that go naturally with Safety Orange. I'd recommend choosing the interior first, and then going for a complimentary paint color after that decision's settled. You might find more options available than you thought.
Again, an opinion, but I think earth tones (greens, browns, umbers and the like that you'd find in the woods) go better with brown, while your sporting colors (think NFL jersey combos or synthetic polyester-looking colors that DON'T occur in nature) tend to look better combined with black tops and interiors.
How 'bout this ... what colors of shirt can you pull off with what colors of belt, watchband and shoes? Maybe you could bring the wife/SO in on the decision -- especially if she changes your clothes before you go out. :)

Cory: Thanks for that, I enjoyed reading it and was nodding my head at every line.

As for the fasion side of things, I don't dress to match anything, I'm a strictly comfort kinda guy.

Example:
Brown & orange low tops
high white socks pulled upto my ankles
camo army pants
random t-shirt, purple, green
big assed silver divers watch

So my options are pretty much open....:-)

I quite like the gun metal metallic idea and this has been in my mind for a while now. My car is currently light silver, but it's not POW enough (know what I mean?) It doesn't say "oi look at me, and by the by, get out of my way!!!!!"

I'm open on interior ideas, but not that much works with the gun metal metallic grey.

Car Color and Safety

http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/CarColorAndSafety.pdf

Okay first off, let me say that BLACK is my all time #1 favorite color (followed by Fishcop, Mexico Blue, Conda Green (viper), Hemi Orange, Plum Crazy and Corvette War Bonnet Yellow)...

The gunmetal with the oxblood is really sharp. Black with an oxblood interior is rarely done and really pops especially with just a couple of pieces of chrome.

angela (Steve would paint it black...)

FWIW,

When begining my project, the builder said the color choices would be the HARDEST part of the process, and he was oh so right. I think I figured out all the mechanical options in about an hour. The color thing went on for months, as has been recorded in some threads here somewhere. I started by thinking Midnight blue/tan interior and saw a number of cars in photo-galeries that confirmed this choice. Then, went to dealer and looked at some new cars in this color, and the cars looked black under many conditions, as the light changed, and the color is, after all, pretty dark. I did not want a black car, nor one that looked that way half the time. The last three sedans I've had have all been gray/silver, and I've had enough of that, although P-factory silver is THE color for these cars . . . Ended up on the other end of the color scale w/ a dark red (officially Carmona Red Metallic) which I saw on a Boxster. Have yet to see it in person (maybe tomorrow will be the big day??), but all the pictures seen so far are stunning, at least to me. Take some time to puruse the photo galleries of the builders and the SOC members, as there is MUCh to see here. We have come a long way since Henry Ford offered any color you want, as long as it is black.

This is the exterior colour that I'm looking at

http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=carrerafrontoy6.jpg

As for colours, I'm still on the fence, I saw a dull green one the other day on an outlaw and it looks HAWT.

damn damn damn.

Black

PS: on looking at pictures, please use only as a guide. Different cameras, computer monitors and especially the lighting can play tricks like you would not believe. Any final decision should be made based on actully seeing the color in person. Most paint shops will do a spray-out (for some $$, no doubt) so you can be sure be fore you make the plunge. Good luck!!

Dare to be different.

WOW, that colour is deffinatly not the norm. But man, the more I look at it, the more I like it. Damn you too for making this even worse.
:-)

I know that pictures are only to be used as a guide and that the colours always differ under different light conditions.

The more I think of it, the more I'd like an old school colour, something that screams vintage. The Gun Metal doens't do that, which is kinda sad, cause it just looks so damned hot.

If you like gunmetal then try slate grey, like John Leader's beautful Carrera, or my favorite, Scott Sloan's stone grey outlaw.

Terry, that was my thinking exactly. Always liked gunmetal, had tons of black cars, wanted something different, decided to go with a vintage color, arrived at Slate grey. I love the color, it definitely has a period look and although it was a 1960 paint option I think that a few original Speedsters were shipped in this color.

The paint looks like this in most light:

http://www.infive.com/GT/


And lighter, like this, in bright sunlight:

http://www.kitcarmag.com/featuredvehicles/0703kc_porsche_356_speedster/


And like this in low light:

Gary,
I had a Black Classic Vintage Speedster, and I loved the color.
I wanted a Widebody, so I sold the Classic, and ordered a Widebody from Vintage. I was all set to order black, when I saw their "Seal Gray".
I fell in love with the color.
The pictures don't do the car justice.

I'm having problems with my pictures:
I didn't realize that I became a non-donor to this site in July, and all my pictures were shrunk.
I Donated again tonight, but my pictures are still being shrunk. I'll get my hi-rez pictures up when the site figures out I paid.

Terry, I was looking at that exact same picture yesterday when I was digging through my vintage looking pictures. My only concern with Slate Grey is how it'll look with all of the chrome trim on as the one pictured is a bit of a GT look and sans trim.

Another option that I was looking at was Dull Green (don't know the colour). I'll try and find a picture........

Gary,
The dull green might be Stone Grey, like Scott Sloan's car.
Scott has NO bright work on his outlaw but I have seen this color on a number of 356s with chrome and it is stunning.
I'll see if I can find a photo somewhere.
If John Leader is around I'm sure he has a few photos somewhere.;)

I mentioned John Leader's car: http://www.infive.com/GT/


Do we get high-res photos? I have to resize mine drastically to look OK on this site.

Here are some Medium Res. pictures of my car (finally).