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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. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    The good news is every car looks better black. Bad news is most cars don't have a straight enough body to be painted black.
     
  2. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    I build cars for guys, as a hobby, and I can tell you, it's probably the biggest, hardest decision these guys have to make. Haven't met one yet, that knew what he wanted. I do a lot of custom paint, and for 2 guys, at least, I've painted a dozen gallon cans, to try and dial in the exact color, even when they KNEW what color they wanted! My good friend, Ron, went around for a week or 2 carrying his can painted a custom based Candy Brandywine, to be sure it looked "right" in different types of lighting. The most important things to make a car look it's best, are Color, Wheels and Stance. Wheels and stance can be changed relatively easily, and not too expensively. Paint CANNOT!
    Had a customer on a full rebuild on an OT El Camino. Over a year in deciding colors and design. I did over a dozen paint schemes, he had Murray Pfaff do a bunch of designs, before he finally chose one of mine, and I'm not sure he was truly crazy about that one, either!
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,933

    squirrel
    Member

    usually it's not a problem, I can see pretty early on what color a car needs to be. But Almost Funny, still doesn't have a plan....
     
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  4. Joe H
    Joined: Feb 10, 2008
    Posts: 1,525

    Joe H
    Member

    I drove through new car lots for a month looking at colors, would take a few days now since everything is white or gray! Dodge has a really good looking dark maroon on the newest Challengers that would look good on an old car.
     
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  5. Talking with Dave we were looking at everything already in etching primer green and he said that wouldn't look to bad if it were shiny, I threw out if he was thinking green had he looked at the new Fiat colors, they have a few nice greens.

    Gary, sleep deprivation can be linked to hearing voices from inanimate objects . :D HRP
     
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  6. chopnchaneled
    Joined: Oct 21, 2004
    Posts: 1,428

    chopnchaneled
    Member
    from Buford Ga.

    Danny,

    If you recall ? :) a couple years ago i was in search of a 27 T roadster, Well found one, body from texas, turtle deck alabama.

    Pinched a 32 frame for it, quick change etc. Did not have a minutes problem
    building it into a roller, tore it apart well over six months ago for paint.
    then came the brain fart what color ?

    Almost reddy to the let someone like your misses who knows what they want from the start to figure it out.
     
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  7. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    Yes, That Fiat light green looks like a match for early 1950's Ford truck green. Grabbing a color from a car sure gives a better overall idea than paint chips that are one inch square. Bob
     
  8. Yes Joe, I do remember you looking for a T roadster, I wondered if you had finished it.

    Brenda help Alex with his trackster, you can tell she likes green and obviously so does Alex. HRP

    140265-Mvc-425s.jpg

    ALEX 1.jpg
     
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  9. missysdad1
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 3,305

    missysdad1
    Member

    I have terrible taste in colors...and so does most everybody else it would seem. Anything other than an authentic factory color or color combination sets off red flags in my head, and if I ignore them I know the color I choose will be a loser, sooner or later. It's a totally subliminal thing.
     
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  10. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    A little
    0526190821_HDR.jpg
     
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  11. Add to the burden of making the choice of color & which materials to use, do you want a solid color or a metallic finish.

    For my cars, I prefer a solid color. HRP
     
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  12. Black_Sheep
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,446

    Black_Sheep
    Member

    It's a factory GM color from 1963, Chevrolet called it Laurel Green. The roof is Lexus Starfire Pearl
     
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  13. Sporty45
    Joined: Jun 1, 2015
    Posts: 1,168

    Sporty45
    Member

    I've been thinking about a color for several years, but was not in a hurry because it has been all apart for about 20 years, and not even close to needing paint! I am finally at a point where a decision needed to be made because I want to get the body back on the frame and need to have the firewall painted first because it's easier to do now than later! I have gone from greens to blues and even considered a burnt orange, but have finally decided on a burgundy. It looks good on it I think!

    IMG_20181010_162714746.jpg IMG_20181010_163024828.jpg
     
  14. Mahty
    Joined: Nov 20, 2016
    Posts: 51

    Mahty

    My latest project is going to be a factory color. So my choices are limited. Which helps, but I also consider the interior. Black matches everything, and it’s easier if you like painting cars completely torn apart, which I do. But I’m looking for a more classy look on my Caddy, so a metallic is prob going to be my choice. It’s never an easy decision, unless it’s a high dollar resto. Factory pink is the current front runner. But can I drive a pink car?


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  15. reefer
    Joined: Oct 17, 2001
    Posts: 787

    reefer
    Member

    I had an original 32 roadster... I stripped it and changed a few things but could not decide on a colour.I was talked out of black by mates and opted for a dark brown with a reddish tint. It looked ok in the paint shop but died when outside in the sun... I never grew to love it and sold the car( like an idiot).

    I’ve just soldmy36 Cabriolet in Bambalino Blue.. sometimes I loved it other times I hated it, the only two I’ve ever been satisfied with were black.

    Picking a colour is a nightmare for me.
     

    Attached Files:

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  16. deuceman32
    Joined: Oct 23, 2007
    Posts: 459

    deuceman32
    Member

    I struggled once, bigtime. It was autumn 1984 and I had a full fendered 34 Ford roadster nearing completion. I loved how the car looked and sat, but what colour? I was looking at metallic silvers and grays but it just wasn't setting right with me. In retrospect, I can see that metallic paint would have been out of character with the build and the younger me was feeling it somehow without knowing it. One Sunday morning my bride-to-be and I stopped by a Pontiac dealership where a friend was sales manger. They had just angle-parked 3 new Firebirds ou the lawn; silver, dark blue, and gray. We were going back and forth between the silver one and the gray one a few times until a moment where we both stopped at opposite ends of the blue one in the middle, and, in perfect unison, pointed and said, "That's a good colour!" Turned out to be 1985 model code 26 dark blue, Fisher code WA8596, and the roadster looked great wearing it.
     
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  17. 61gasser
    Joined: Dec 23, 2010
    Posts: 83

    61gasser
    Member

    Was this truck at the GSTA car show this year?
     
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  18. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    That's funny!
     
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  19. Mahty
    Joined: Nov 20, 2016
    Posts: 51

    Mahty

    A good alternative to straight black is mixed blacks. Like a blue so dark, at first glance it is black, then you see it. Painted a car candy black once for a customer. PITA! But it looked real good in the sun, and just black in dim light.


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  20. Having an art school background, I've never had any indecision about colors. My avatar is 'resale red' because it was the least objectional color on the cars I looked at, but wouldn't have been my choice. I passed on another that I liked the overall set-up of the car more, but just couldn't take the 'easter egg' blue with graphics combo... and couldn't afford a repaint (still can't... LOL).

    There's a lot of factors that drive color choice, but IMO an owners inability to visualize what it will look like on the finished vehicle is the major reason for indecision and sometimes poor choices. And not everyone possesses 'color sense' either, which IMO is what caused the late spate of cars painted from the 'baby poo' palette of colors although it's not limited to just those.

    Designers/stylists get paid big bucks to spend a lot of time selecting colors for new cars, and they'll be the first to tell you privately that they have favorites and some colors are selected because of 'market research' and not because they look particularly good.
     
  21. Black_Sheep
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,446

    Black_Sheep
    Member

    Yes, towards the east end of the main floor
     
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  22. topher5150
    Joined: Feb 10, 2017
    Posts: 3,338

    topher5150
    Member

    Truck64 and HOTRODPRIMER like this.
  23. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,174

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    had a '55 Chevy in High School that was damaged real bad by a drunk hitting it - body shop might have been able to save it but, I wanted it painted the trendy Hot Rod Orange - problem was that it had a blue & white interior that I could not afford to change - I ended up letting it go after I stripped out the drive train and put into a '57 Chevy - should gone for the major repair on '55 and new matching metallic silver liked my folks suggested - oh well, live and learn - wife found the color for her '50 Chevy PU in a box of 64 Crayons - never know where you will find the right color - but, just because a color looks good on one ride does not mean it will look good on another - sold a '65 Chevy II SS painted Corvette yellow - new owner painted it dark metallic blue - it lost all looks of the Hot Rod it was was
     
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  24. Frankie47
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 1,877

    Frankie47
    Member
    from omaha ne.

    There was a Gent on here that had a wild Tri-5 chevy, it was like ice blue with some really wild[orannge?] design......while it looked and was awesome he grew tired of it because it was so complicated.....in the end he went with a simple factory Red and White Tu tone.
    Something that didn't jump out and grab him by the throat every time he went to get in it. I love flames but that is the reason I will probably never have any.
     
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  25. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,818

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

    Does anybody remember the thread on blue painted rods? I searched but I guess I don’t have enough key words to narrow the search.
     
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  26. Can’t resist chiming in
    ...my ‘64 Olds 98 2dr hdtp came from the factory in fern mist metallic. It’s now wearing a crappy $19.95 Gawdawful green
    Would love to go back stock or silver with mild custom accents.
    Interior being changed to black, from donor car. Factory green destroyed by rodents
    Old timer in town, has been painting Hot Rods and Race Cars forever. Says I need to do a dramatic color choice.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  27. KoolKat-57
    Joined: Feb 22, 2010
    Posts: 3,073

    KoolKat-57
    Member
    from Dublin, OH

    Seems that a color will just strike me when I'm getting ready for paint.
    In 1983 it was Cadillac Black Cherry and a sort of Pewter color for the '57 IMG_0431.JPG In 2016 it was Lexus Black Sapphire pearl for the '32 IMG_0050.JPG Never thought of another color combo on either car!
    KK
     
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  28. How about this thread? HRP

    BLUE CARS
     
  29. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    There are hundreds of shades of black. It all depends what color tint is mixed with the basic black pigment. As an example, a friend of mine has a black 63 Corvette that has a definite brown tint to it. The shade of the primer can also make a difference.
    My 60 Pontiac Bubbletop (avatar) is the blackest of the black. The color black is a 1978 Jaguar black. Its all black pigment with no other color tint added to it. Trust me its black.

    HRP just black without metallic looks best to me.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2019
  30. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,818

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

    Thanks!
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.

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