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Art & Inspiration Have you ever agonized about what color to paint you project?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, May 25, 2019.

  1. This came up when a few of my hot rod pals got together for lunch on Thursday and then again when talking to Dave this afternoon, he said he has lost sleep trying to decide what color to paint his 1952 Ford truck.

    He said he originally thought black but his '34 Ford pickup & his '40 coupe were both black, I know he has told me at least 8 different colors in the last six months and he still can't nail a color down.

    He thought red but a fellow club member has a red '52 Ford and that won't work.

    I vividly remember Brenda was hell bent, bound & determined her wagon was going to be green and it took forever and at least 15 different tries before she was happy with a color.

    Paint is not cheap and it's something you have to live with,especially if you plan on keeping the car.

    So what's your story? HRP
     
  2. flatford39
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 2,799

    flatford39
    Member

    Not really as they are all black
     
    DeLuxe 32, pigfluxer, zzford and 4 others like this.
  3. WB69
    Joined: Dec 7, 2008
    Posts: 1,958

    WB69
    Member
    from Kansas

    Black is nice...….
     
  4. Sky Six
    Joined: Mar 15, 2018
    Posts: 9,480

    Sky Six
    Member
    from Arizona

    when my '54 F100 went to paint, I had spent two weeks with a color chart. When I painted the '23 I spent two weeks with a color chart. When my OT race car went to paint, I spent two weeks with a color chart.
    Either I am indecisive, lack confidence, dumber than a box of hood ornaments, or something else.
    Now that I think of it, I'v never had a black ride.
     
    Ron Funkhouser likes this.

  5. I sprayed my model A pickup red primer and my intent was to paint it yellow, I ended up painting it red and I hated it, I put it up for sale as soon as I got it back together.

    My roadster was painted hugger orange and I wish it was black!

    I have had a bunch of black cars but probably a bulk of my cars have been red primer. HRP
     
  6. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,709

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    Yep, still are. I can't decide if I want to go back with the gold on the Lincoln, or use the gallon of medium blue metallic I already have. If I stay with gold, I can probably get away with not doing the jambs, but if I change, I have got to take the interior out to do it right. No idea what color the gold is, or what it was used on, if anything, so I'd have to go somewhere and try and get somebody to match it.

    Decisions, decisions, decisions......
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  7. Still deciding... My truck was Golden rod yellow and Corinthian white from the factory, however I love the April green and Corinthian white combo. Luckily I am very slow at finishing the damn thing, so I'll have plenty more time to dwell on it!
     
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  8. willymakeit
    Joined: Apr 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,326

    willymakeit
    Member

    Have a friend with a very nice chopped 32 sedan, has worked on it for over 40 years and still cant decide on color.
    I told him prime it and drive it, he just turned 80.
     
  9. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Painting soon. More concerned about what type of paint: lacquer, enamel, urethane, single stage, two stage... each has their advantages.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  10. 0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Joined: Nov 12, 2010
    Posts: 1,782

    0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Member

    Have built hundreds of cars over the years for customers and myself. And though it sounds funny either the car tells us or in some cases another car tells us. For example if we were restoring it to original the stock color was the first choice but in some cases that color was just ugly and would have lower resale value more so than a more popular oem shade. In one case I was doing a 51 ford coupe and it was going to be painted in the pea green shade they came in, but it was going to be a mild custom, flathead was hopped up , big and little wide whites with fiesta caps and all the chrome you could get on the 51's. It would have looked okay , but I thought it would be boring but it was his car. After we got started he stopped by one day and saw a 66 mustang in the booth with a fresh of coat of Wimbelton white and out of the blue he says that's the color my car needs to be! lol So white it was and it turned out fantastic . He won a bunch of awards and turned down repeated offers to buy it. So I just let the cars decide and go from there. lol Works for me:) Larry
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2019
  11. To me Danny, my Rods are all no Brain 'ers . The bare bones 29 coupe is (flat black) for attitude. The finished 31 sedan is (gloss back).
    The 34 Dodge delivery is (Hot Rod Red) and our Nomad is factory (turquoise and white) I really can't picture them in any other colors! ;) Just Easy Peasy!!! 20190519_112201.jpeg 20181123_142444.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G920P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  12. primed34
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 1,407

    primed34
    Member

    Yep. That's why my '34 was in primer for 30 plus years.
     
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  13. Tri-power37
    Joined: Feb 10, 2019
    Posts: 510

    Tri-power37
    Member

    I have worked in a paint shop for 30 years and these are the things I have noticed that seem to throw people off when choosing a color . People always take the color books and the color they pick in the first ten minutes or so seems good , then they doubt themselves and change their minds over and over until they can’t see straight -end up picking a lame color! As paint has gotten more expensive people try and get the most bang for the buck and pick the most wild / crazy color to impress everybody on cruise night and it doesn’t suit the type of car at all - with color sometimes less is more! Some cars suit subtle some suit wild. Some colors seem boring on chips but not on the car , there is nothing boring about a butternut yellow ChevyII ! The best thing to do is stand back and let the car tell you what color it should be, get it straight in your head then go find the color .
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2019
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  14. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,294

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'm ashamed to admit it, but several years ago I sold a car that I built because I couldn't decide on a color to paint it. It was driving me nuts, so I got rid of it. Only time it ever happened to me.
     
  15. Black_Sheep
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,446

    Black_Sheep
    Member

    Choosing the paint for the '58 was agonizing, definitely the hardest decision of the entire build. I already had my mind made up that it would be a lighter shade of green, but which one? Hesitant to make a selection based on a 1 inch square paint chip, I looked at countless cars and pictures of cars before making the final decision. That said, I'm really happy with the outcome...
    44951218_722333181486453_6944060423607943168_o.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2019
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  16. OLSKOOL57
    Joined: Feb 14, 2019
    Posts: 477

    OLSKOOL57
    Member

    When I got the 57 Chevy last November, I kicked around the original Turquoise/White. Then I joined the HAMB in February and things changed. Car will definitely be BLACK. Not sure yet whether flat,satin,gloss or just primer, but BlACK!!!!!
     
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  17. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,818

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

    Still looking for the right blue
     
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  18. Tri-power37
    Joined: Feb 10, 2019
    Posts: 510

    Tri-power37
    Member

    Black Sheep your 58 Chevy truck is a perfect example of a subtle color choice -and also the color suiting the rest of the build perfectly! White roof .... tasty.
     
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  19. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    Paint is a long away in the future worry, but I do notice colors on new cars that are real head turners. Mini Cooper has a perfect red that I'd use on the Roadster and there are a lot of different shades of gray that I like.

    Bob
     
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  20. 427 sleeper
    Joined: Mar 8, 2017
    Posts: 2,866

    427 sleeper
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    My 56 Chevy has been completely gutted and in primer for 12 years because I couldn't pick a color!!! Couldn't decide on 2 tone or not, Finally decided on a nice metallic red for the whole car! No 2 tone! Choosing the right color is a genuine P.I.T.A!!!
     
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  21. That’s beautiful
     
  22. KFC
    Joined: Jul 17, 2008
    Posts: 445

    KFC
    Member
    from UK

    Black’s a cop out.
    * painted my first rod black
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  23. 41rodderz
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 6,540

    41rodderz
    Member
    from Oregon

    Sometimes the factory gets it right. Especially with two tone. I have seen cars over the years that you wondered why the customer checked THAT paint color box.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  24. tub1
    Joined: May 29, 2010
    Posts: 549

    tub1
    Member
    from tasmania

    primer , black or red all three have been done to death and the easy way out just my opinion but I must admit finding a colour that you will like when finished is a challenge
     
  25. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    '56 Meteor Victoria. Can be one tone, two tone, or three tone! Add to that the various colour choices which I believe could be both Ford and Merc and I can never make up my mind. I'm going to need therapy!
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  26. Frankie47
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 1,877

    Frankie47
    Member
    from omaha ne.

    I'm not real picky when it comes to color......I'm the guy who bought the Dog shit brown VW van with an orange roof for next to nothing because no one else would be caught dead in it....lol.
     
  27. X2.
    In my experience, late at night when you're in the garage & everyone else is in bed, the car- in a still small voice- will tell you the right color.:cool:
     
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  28. joeycarpunk
    Joined: Jun 21, 2004
    Posts: 4,446

    joeycarpunk
    Member
    from MN,USA

    I also think about the potential of a future sale when deciding. The I want to be different and wild in my choice thought when picking a color has ruined a lot of cars. Keep it understated and let the lines and stance of the build speak for themselves.
     
  29. Unclekeg
    Joined: Oct 10, 2016
    Posts: 9

    Unclekeg
    Member

    I’m pretty far from picking a paint color, but what you picked is really nice. What colors did you use?
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2019
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