Picture thoughts and help please

That cranberry interior is beautiful. My thoughts are stay with the red and black or go for black and cranberry. Speaking from experience, metallic colors are hell to touch up. My car has been totally repainted 3 times and even now need another since my touch up work doesn't blend as well as it should. Both black and red paints shine up great under wax and are easier to touch up.

I am leaning towards the black and cranberry one of the things that I am having an interesting time trying to decide is do I go with the cranberry top to match the interior or do I go with a black top on a black car I really kind of like the idea of the deep cranberry top I just wish that there was some sort of a picture I could get to see with the car would look like

Key West. Black car? You are braver than I am. Even here, on the panhandle coast, you don't see many black cars unless driven by a tourist. Just too hot!

My VS is the color combination in your last picture,  silver and a wine color interior, but I have black carpet and a black roof. The roof is a non issue as I never put it up unless in a storm (has happened once). I am going to change the carpet to gray when a change is due.

If I lived where you do I'd be looking at one of those light, original pastel colors from the 50's, particularly one of the blues or greens with a light saddle interior.

Whatever you choose though, will be right, because it's your money and your car! Have at it.

Are you sure your red car is an IM?

Yes very sure. IM is stamped on the hinges, plus every switch (ignition, headlights and such) is engraved with an IM plus their part number. Plus I called IM directly and they ran my number and told me it was a very early IM.

 Why do you ask?

Well that pretty much confirms it.  I was just wondering because the top frame looks like the typical Vintage frame.

Which member has the charcoal grey Speedster with the offset grey racing  stripe? He's been to SLO a few times with his wife. I think his top is a cranberry / merlot color to match his interior.

I've always liked this combination:

Your exterior paint still looks good - why mess with it if you don't need to? I have that tan interior in my (ivory) VS and, while it definitely will show dirt more than your black interior, vinyl is pretty easy to keep clean. The worst thing about light tan is keeping a canvas tonneau clean. It will need to be thoroughly cleaned (or even replaced) after a few years. The same is probably true for a light tan canvas top, if you use it much. Some folks with tan interiors opt for a black top for that reason.

I like the cranberry interior - in a silver car, but I think it would clash with and never work in a red one.

I agree I’ve just had her now for about eight years and I love the red and the black but when I saw that really dark cranberry interior with a matching top I just really wanted to put that on my car and you’re absolutely correct that will not go in anyway with red so I think what I’m gonna end up doing is repainting my car black going with that really dark cranberry interior with a matching top and tonneau cover

TRP posted:

Which member has the charcoal grey Speedster with the offset grey racing  stripe? He's been to SLO a few times with his wife. I think his top is a cranberry / merlot color to match his interior.

That was John & Diane Kaufman. Here is a pic of his car (bottom of pic) at one of our West Coast cruise in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Click on pic to enlarge.

@TRP   @jzzzake

Here's what mine looks like....oops.....looked like. Got a lot of positive comments on the red/camel combo.

If you're stuck on the cranberry interior, here's another paint color to consider (I think it's Fjord Green, but maybe not). The video shows the paint against the interior well.

jzzzake posted:

I am leaning towards the black and cranberry one of the things that I am having an interesting time trying to decide is do I go with the cranberry top to match the interior or do I go with a black top on a black car I really kind of like the idea of the deep cranberry top I just wish that there was some sort of a picture I could get to see with the car would look like

Best I could find on short notice...

That is a great picture, that you very much. I do really like the cranberry top. Just something a little different

Mine is a bit different with the Merlot exterior and the whiskey tan interior. 

TRP posted:

Which member has the charcoal grey Speedster with the offset grey racing  stripe? He's been to SLO a few times with his wife. I think his top is a cranberry / merlot color to match his interior.

John Kaufman has that car. 

Repainting a car has become quite costly.  If the red is in good shape I'd keep it.  Red is often called jokingly "resale" red since on such a small sporty car, the color is liked by all potential buyers.  Many shy away from odd color purchases like light green, blue or yellows.  That said if you are keeping it for many years - go for what you like.  Painting a car a dark color will add to painting costs too - as more prep work is needed to keep flaws being visible.

In 2018 Mazda MX-5 (Miata) introduced a dark cherry red top that looks great on many exterior colors. Unfortunately, with Mazda, you can't match the interior - but they do have a black interior with dark red stitching. The Porsche Boxster can also be had with a dark red top.