Original Paint Colo(u)r or not?

[adigra]

I can only assume what the original colour of my car was as Lotus don't have record of it. By the time I bought it, it already had one colour change, so I just decided to choose a period Lotus colour I liked most. That way it's period correct, but it's to my liking and what I would've ordered when it was originally on sale.

If resale is a very important factor, I'd go with the original colour, but if your own enjoyment of the car is paramount, I'd go with what makes you happy. If you choose a period colour you can't really go too wrong on either front.

[StressCraxx]

When I queried the factory historian about my car's origins, he advised the information on the car as shipped to Lotus East, including color. He also advised that some cars did not have color applied at the time, to allow the distributor or dealer to paint the car in the color desired by the customer.

[S2Jay]

This may be one of those times when it is an advantage not to know the original condition. In a way, this may highlight the insignificance of original color.

Although sold to an individual as an assembled car, not a kit, there is no ?Official? Lotus record of the original color for my car, per Mr Graham. This suggests that I can choose the color & call it original. Who can argue?

In my case, the topside is one color [period correct], yet the wheelwells are [coincidentally] my favorite Elan color [which is what this will now become].

If the actual original color is only a re-paint away, enjoy the color you like & let the next PF [poor fool] worry about original.

I am beginning to think that this slavish devotion to originality is the product of pseudo-aficionado type ?collectors? with way too much $$, and who need to create value in something in order to raise the price and make a profit.

Other than possible extra $$ from the next buyer, of what real significance is the original color?

Or maybe I am just really tired from sandblasting rusty A-Arms all day.

[cal44]

I never do color changes....but that's me. My small Lotus herd matches all the Lotus Report cards I got from Andy at Lotus. The cars that are most original bring the best prices.....according to many sources.

mike

[holywood3645]

BTW, I found out my S4 (and several others) that were sold through a dealer in Ontario Canada had not been painted when they left the UK.

Andy (the historian) checked and had no record of paint colors. I guess the dealer had them painted whatever color the customer wanted.

So what would be orginal.......

Fiberglass finish!

James

[Tahoe]

In my case the Historian had records that my car was painted Black, but at least one other person said theirs was supposedly painted Black as well, but it was actually Blue. I've done some detective work in places that you can't normally see and I've found Black covered with Medici Blue covered by Red in the back of the car , but in the front I found Medici Blue covered by Red. I also found one door to be Yellow covered by Red. My car has obviously been in an accident at some point as the windshield frame has been repaired on the same side as the yellow door. It also looks like a different front end was grafted on, but done very well.

All of this just means I won't know the entire story until the paint is stripped and I do the repaint. Black certainly could have been the original color (special order) or not, or it was Medici Blue, or it was Black with a grafted Medici Blue front end. When the time comes to paint I'll make a decision then. I originally thought I would repaint it in a year, but I leaning toward painting it in several years now. I'm just having too much fun driving now to take it off the road for a year. I do think I'll go ahead and restore the hardtop right away though.

Hardtop colors seem to be a mystery. I have feeling they came in a primer or customer specified color. The original color on mine is a dark grey, but it will be painted Silver to match the bumpers and wheels.

Nice day today, gotta go now and drive the Elan!

[Bruce Crowthorne]

I agree with Dave - just paint it a colour you like.

My S4 was originally yellow, but had 7 layers of paint in yellows, bright green (must have been 70s), orange and red!
It's now red over white with a solid gold stripe (doesn't say sprint) because I like that colour scheme.

My car is an early S4 so couldn't be a "real" Sprint, but it's a nice pretty little car.

[Famous Frank]

Make it the color or colour you want but make sure it is done at a very high standard so that no matter who looks at it, they say "Wow, that is gorgeous!"

Frank

Mine was matched to the Lotus paint!

And I can't believe you guys talk about color and no one has posted a pic. You should all be ashamed of yourselves!!!

[Tahoe]

Frank,

We should be ashamed of ourselves not posting pics of the car. Mine is not worthy of pics yet. So what is the color code you used for the hardtop? I will start by painting the hardtop and repainting the bumpers, then I will repaint the body. I will probably not paint the car for a few years like I said. I need to fix the horrible flared fenders first, and tweak them just enough to clear Panasports. In the end I want to have both stock wheels and Panasports to use as the mood strikes me, so will finese the fenders to work with either.

[pereirac]

I agree, any colour you like ... It can always be changed later

My Sprint was originally Regency red over white and when I bought her she was black over white. When I had her stripped I was going to have the original colour until I discovered Regency red was another word for maroon!! I decided to go yellow over white as I figured the Gold Leaf colours of red over white would be too common... Seems like everybody else had the same idea, as I see more yellow over white Sprints than any other colour.. You just can't win....

Carl

[rcombs]

Frank,

Is that French Blue? Looks really nice, can I get the mix code from you? Mine is one of the ones shipped to Canada without paint and I have been thinking of painting it blue.

Thanks,
Rick

[Famous Frank]

Rick and Russ,

Sorry not to reply sooner. The Hardtop and the Bumpers are Toyota Silver. It's the color silver they have been using for sometime. The sample I gave the painter came from a 2012 Toyota 4Runner. The blue is not French Blue (also called Medici Blue). Its the color that came on the car. It has more blue in it. I will look around for the can that was in the trunk. It has a Lotus Part number but no one has ever been able to tell me what color it is. I call it Wedgwood Blue. It's a color I love and it's pretty cool to have a Lotus metal touch up tin that is almost 50 years old. The painter had to match the color to a few drops that were on the outside of the tin. When I find it, I'll post a pic. I love pics!

Frank

[nomad]

Agree, Frank, that your color is "Wedgewood" blue but always thought that French blue and Medici blue were different.
What I really would like to know about though is how your 5 speed swap is coming!

Kurt
26/3754 [ to be "Medici blue"]

[tonyr27]

Agree, Frank, that your color is "Wedgewood" blue but always thought that French blue and Medici blue were different.

Kurt
26/3754 [ to be "Medici blue"]

It would be good to have a set of the different blues together to see the variations.

Our S3 is Medici.