Colour change?

[Si_130/5]

Hello Sean,

Was your car painted by Kelvedon motors around 1989?

As you have an early car, painting it all yellow could be a good answer. My 'lively lemon' (I used to call it RED as I was told the registration letters LAHL mean red in Hindi) looked wonderful and it went with the shape.


Everyone has their favourite Plus Two colours and all I can do is suggest mine. I'm trying to find a perfect match in modern paint for the original cellulose maroon colour for my restoration S130/5. So many are too purple, too red or too light but when I find it this is what I'll be going for (see first picture). I know silver metalflake sills were never on the menu but this was the car that stole my heart when young and I have to recreate it.

Mike is quite right about the poor standard of metalflake roofs these days. Most people seem to blast on silver paint and sprinkle a miserly dusting of flakes leaving huge areas of silver paint like the roman purple shell at Paul Matty's. I'd insist on a solid covering.

The second pic is the correct and original shade of maroon and if the owner is reading this I'd be very grateful if he'd PM me.


Can you post a picture of your car Sean?

Best of luck,

Si

[berni29]

Hi

I love yellow on the +2 and also BRG. In my case the car is a BL MG colour "new racing green" Looks fantastic I think......

Berni

[rx8sean]

Hello Si

Thanks for all the comments, it is proving very difficult to come to a decision but I still have a week or so to make up my mind. Im about 80% sure I will keep it the same colour but will let everyone know what I end up doing. Heres a photo of the car, does anyone know whether Ford Imperial Red was offered by Lotus as an original colour?

Sean

I have tried to add a photo by using the add an attachment section without success, anyone know how to do it.

[Elanintheforest]

Have you got the colour code on the VIN plate? L11 for Regency Red? If you have, that would swing it for me. The Ford colour wasn't standard but of course you could have any colour you wanted. Here are the standard ones:
http://lotus-europa.com/colors.html
Some of the Lotus colours were the same as some Ford colours...Cirrus White for example. You would have to check out the paint codes.
Mark

[Dave_Newcastle]

There is some advice here:

http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13052

on how to add attachments


My plus two is regency red with silver painted - not metalflake, roof.

I have seen quite a few otherwise nice paint jobs spoiled by an attempt to reproduce the metalflake.

Dave

[Dave_Newcastle]

There

[Dave_Newcastle]

There

[1964 S1]

Keeping it the same color will reduce the cost of the repaint, what with door frames, ends, boot insides etc; not having to be redone. BUT, if you decide to change colors, it would be neat to figure out it's original color and if that's acceptable, paint it that as it will be worth more upon resale.

[tdafforn]

I have a regency red with black vinyl roof...
Like the look of it, but I am tempted to remove the vinyl as there is an original gold flake roof underneath waiting to get out!
Favourate colour is the pale blue with silver roof!
Mind you Pistachio is pretty cool!
Tim

[rx8sean]

Heres a pic, it's gone into the bodyshop now and they have started to strip it. I now need a new nose badge and 4 bumper bolts, anyone got any of these for sale.

[mikealdren]

Sean,
Have you decided on a colour? Also, who's doing you paintwork? If it's anywhere in the South East, I'd love to know how good they are.
Mike

[fasterbyelan]

Having removed nearly all the paint, I will be needing someone to spray my Elan in the not to distant future. Can anyone recommend someone in the South Northamptonshire area?

Thanks,

[mikealdren]

Karl,
Spyder use Maxpaint in March in Cambridgeshire and they are very good - are they close enough?
Mike

[fasterbyelan]

Karl,
Spyder use Maxpaint in March in Cambridgeshire and they are very good - are they close enough?
Mike

I will have to trailer the body so distance is not a massive problem. Does anyone know who Paul Matty uses?

[Lester Burnham]

Ford Radiant Red??

Ford Regency Purple

Don't discount white

That Roman Bronze looks nice, also Pistachio Green


I reckon the true mettle of a car is when it looks good in any colour (Muira, Stratos etc) so you know its a great design, not just a nice paintjob! The Plus 2 definitely falls into that category.