Car Colour Choice

[nico506]

Just a general query- what has been everyone's experience and knowledge in terms of selecting the right colour for the car- does this affect the resale value, or is it purely down to taste as I am finding the original period colours limited for my Lotus Elan SE 1968 S3.

Could anyone give me some ideas as to the colours to select and sources of information- or is this purely down to how much of a purist does one want to be.

Cheers

[Alasdair]

For a fee Colin would paint the car any colour a customer wanted!

[steveww]

Anything but yellow, there are far too many yellow ones about. :blink:

[rodgerslotus]

If the orginal color is what you like, go with it.

My 72 +2 was a weak blue, but inside of the trunk showed the orginal metallic blue which I liked. Took the trunk lid to the local auto paint store and they matched it.

Just finished painting the bonnet and trunk lid and they look really good.

Good Luck

[elans3]

You have to go with what you like. If you aim to keep the car for a long time, and you don't particularly like the true Lotus colours, then only you can make the decision, bearing in mind that you're the one person who's going to ogle it the most.
In my experience however, it can affect re-sale, and narrows your market considerably. Suppose it really matters more the further away you go from a factory hue.
I remember years ago, I spent 2 years doing a ground-up restoration of a '57 MGA Coupe, and really fancied it being done in midnight blue with magnolia leather. (non standard).
I was telling a fellow customer this one day at an MGA parts supplies place.
In the event I bottled out and painted it Orient Red, a true MGA colour.
A few months later, I met the guy again, and he'd done his in the blue with magnolia trim.
God I wish I'd been brave and done the same !!!
It looked fantastic.
Having said that , I found that selling mine was relatively easy.
You pays your money etc.
elans3

[twincamman]

there can never be too many yellow elans ed

[klev]

BRG

[elan4me]

I have just finished a restoration of my 69 elan S4. it is BRG as a proper british car should be.
Stan

[types26/36]

I agree with elans3 that the colour could effect resale, given a choice I would pick a correct coloured car over a non standard car any time, I'm not advocating the car should be "as it left the factory" as there are some upgrades worth doing but changing to a non standard colour (in my opinion) tends to loose something of the character of the Elan. Same if the engine is not finished in gray paint (Sorry Ed!) :rolleyes:
I would go with the original colour particulaly if the colour code is on the chassis plate, for my own preferences I like BRG and for a Sprint red over white, unfortunately non of my cars are finished in these colours.
Brian

[cliveyboy]

Nico
I think people make too much of having the exact paint shade.
No one has ever commented on one of my cars that its a shade too light/dark.
I take the advice of the paint shop as to what shades give the best results,looks and polish up the best. (With paint if it looks right it is right)
On a personal note I would not go RED. I went to a show once and there were 11 red Elans and my Orange one.
Clive

[twincamman]

but green is associated with Ireland [ and money] <_< ---why is it BRITSH racing green---- ?and yelLow is Belgian [and the colour of the sun] ------- is that British racing orange Clive? ED

[twincamman]

ok Brian --next rebuild ---grey---if I have a can on hand -- ed :wub:

[types26/36]

<!--QuoteBegin-twincamman+Jun 3 2005, 08:43 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (twincamman @ Jun 3 2005, 08:43 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->but green is associated with Ireland [ and money] <_<  ---why is it BRITSH racing green----[/quote]

Hey Ed,
May be we Brits like to think we have money (even though we lost the Empire)
and technically isnt Northern Ireland still part of Britain?.......ops! dont tell the IRA I said that! :unsure:
Brian

[twincamman]

There is a little corner that will always be England here in Thorold -----Tell the IRA that :ph34r: -ED [ to the rattle of a Thompson gun ]

[sk178ta]

A related and personal view: I had 2 Sprints in `71 and `73 and like, I think, 30% of customers, and 100% of those with good taste, went for the mono colour option. Lagoon blue in both cases, lurrrrvely !!
These days all restored Sprints, and lots of non-Sprints too, are painted in the Gold Leaf colours or colour over white. I am a great supporter of motor sport sponsors, smoked Gold Leaf then and JPS even now, but really don`t care for the sandwich board look. Then again, I like my car for me, not for what others think. A bit like the personalised number plates vanity thing that I just don`t get.
Jim
P.S.
Anyone got W4 NKR ?!!