Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I have a 73 MOTION CAMERO, The original color is midnight green/white strips. the green looks like the color on those cheap plastic out door chairs,no metalic. BUTT UGLY...... How much will a color change hut the value?

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Jon, on a car like that it could mean a lot to change the color. No matter how ugly you think it is, original is always the best when it comes to a car like yours. The new base clear systems actually make some of the old colors look better than they did when new....................RatPack...............

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I have to agree with Rat Pak. I don't believe there is such a thing as a ugly colour when the new base clears are used. A good paint job makes all the difference in the world!
Peter

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Paint it the correct color with a Killer Paint job and you will love it. Also write Camaro 25 times on a Chalkboard.

[Edited by Charley Lillard (01-29-2002 at 04:14 PM).]

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

OOP's Camaro.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Paint it the original color. Charley, write chalkboard 25 times on the chalkboard!!! Jim

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I figured car guy's were exempt from spelling test. I guess I'll paint it the original color. Hopfully it looks good. I will try to have it done in time for the reunion.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Definitely paint it the original color, then you never need to explain anything. A lot of guys really like the dark green colors, so you don't have to worry about resale.
M

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

If it were anything other than a MOTION car, I'd say life's too short to reshoot ugly colors....hmm...that's a tough one.

The guys are correct about quality paint. I've seen outstanding, attractive examples of Burnished Brown, Fathom Green, and Granada Gold. But if you don't nail the quality, they're as ugly as they sound. One note here-take the time to shoot a test panel first. Have your painter "tweak" the color a little if it doesn't look right. On rarely seen colors, you have some latitude to play with the color a little, because people don't remember the color well enough to call you on it. I have a friend that uses modern formulas with more visual snap when he restores silver cars. Silver cars are so few and far between, nobody notices the difference, other than the car stands out more than the original, duller formula would have.

I also have a customer who paints almost all his cars Tuxedo Black (including an original Cranberry Red LS-5 w/AC '70 Chevelle), because they're his cars, dammit, and he wants them that way. If the test panels just don't work out, pick another '73 era color and shoot it right. (I'd lean towards red with a white Motion stripe...)

I'll go out on a limb and say that a color change will cost you $5-10K resale on a top flight, documented Motion car. But if you can't stand the look of it when its done, what's the point, unless you're planning to turn it right away. Good luck.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

'silver cars are so few and far between'. I didn't think that silver cars were very rare, I seem to see a few at each show I go to - especially '69 Z's??
M

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

OK how about a related question---on a 70 musclecar--if the original paint is very nice but not perfect---the vinyl top is exceptional but not perfect!!! What is the difference in worth between orginal paint and a top-notch redo.

I know that is controversial without seeing the car--but as a rule of thumb which is it???

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I find it hard to believe that Silver cars are so rare.I seem to find lots of them. I bought a really clean running drivable 69 Z28 to restore, but I'm selling it because I don't like the colour. Before I sink $20,000 (Cdn)into a car, I want to make sure that I'm going to love it when it's done.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Hi! I don't post often, but I read this board everyday. I've wondered about the paint issue many times.....

I have a '70 Nova SS 396/350hp car. The original factory color was Cortez Silver. The previous owner had it painted Black Cherry. Some things were done.... well, in my opinion, a little half-@ssed on the body. But I don't know much about body work to really qualify that opinion.

Anyway, someday I'd love to be able to get the body issues corrected and done properly. I've often wondered whether to switch it back to the factory silver color or keep the Black Cherry. The color looks nice, but it isn't original to that SS396 car.

Since this isn't a "supercar" type of machine, is the paint color as critical of an issue?

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/G...372/allen.html

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

The original color thing varies with each and every individual car. A rule of thumb we use is that if the retail market value of the Car is $20,000.00 or less, then a color change will not hurt resale value and may even enhance it.
If money is no object, just do it your way.
While I don't support the practice, a repro Trim tag is only $275.00 for any color you desire!
What percentage of mid-year Vetts came red from the factory? Whats the numbers match percentage today? Higher in my opinion.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Okay, this is a good discussion and I feel qualified to add some more input.

SILVER-Ok, its not super rare to find an original silver car, but many have been repainted (like the black cherry car above), and silver is not a color that ages well in sunlight, so there aren't too many original paint cars to compare to. I think Cortez Silver is a dullish, dark silver. There's a loaded Cortez Silver Z/28 here in the Pacific NW, done by my friend in a modern, brighter silver, that is flat out stunning, and draws a crowd wherever it goes. We also got 35K for it before the market really took off. The color is brighter, but it still looks period correct, no mica chips or color changing nonsense. I would repaint a silver car this color in a heartbeat, especially with black or red trim. The other cool thing is that its not a love it or hate it color like Hugger Orange. Some may like it less than others, but nobody seems to really dislike it, this is key when you're selling to spouses who have to agree on the car. My silver comment was also given in the broad sense, where you don't see many early 60's Chevs or Mustangs in silver, but they look great-and different from the rest. I know there's more late 60's/early 70's Chevs in that, but we don't have the glut of silver Z's you guys speak of.

Some cars NEED a color change. Frost Green and the various light green, ivy gold variations that exist are almost unsellable in musclecars. If its also a column shift automatic, start finding floor shifts and better colors. White cars are tough, I personally like many of them, but MANY people don't. Turning a white car black is almost never a value reducer. If the body is straight enough, black is almost always a good resale with little downside.

As for "original paint" versus redoing...you have to use your judgement. I LOVE original paint cars. But I've seen beaten and scratched cars with horrid, touched up paint, that the owners crow about being original; however, if an average Joe looks at the car and says, "it needs paint", then it does. Sadly, often when you redo your "pretty good" original paint and "pretty nice" vinyl top, your "pretty decent" original interior is going to look like hell, and your "nice for factory chrome" bumpers will need a trip to the platers, and so on, and so on, and so on. Also your nice "survivor" suddenly becomes a "partial restoration" after that nice paint job is done, implying it now needs the finishing I stated above.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I know what your saying, but I have too disagree on "white cars are tuff". I was was never really a white car fan either till I got my white Camaro. Man, with the endura bumper, white wheels,....I like it more than my hugger car now, and I'm a big hugger fan!
Peter

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Cortez Silver? Thats ironic. That is the color I had planed to paint my car.I looked at all the 73 colors to me there isn't a good looking color to choose from.I have allways loved Cortez silver i had a 69 SS396 Chevelle,69SS396 Nova,69SS396 Camaro,69 Camaro convertable all Cortez silver original color cars. If done right with base clear this color look sharp. I also have a body shop so it dosent cost me that much to paint a car prabably 500-800 bucks plus my time. And yes 69 is the best year in my opinion

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

If you are going to change the color of a car then change it, but do not change the trim tag. The trim tag should only be replaced in the event the original one is damaged or even hard to read. Then and only then it should be changed and the original kept with the car. Don't change the trim tag to just to change the color or trim on a car. Be honest and up front with someone that asks if it was original and tell them yes or no. Most of the time if the original color is undesirable to you then it probably is to most others and if the change you made is to a more popular color (other than red) then most people would not care.

Let me give you an example along these same lines. I was restoring an original LS5 70 Chevelle that was Forest Green with dk green interior. I sold the car to a friend of mine before I finished it and he said he was going to paint it the rare 70 Chevelle color of red. After some serious discussions about why he should not do this he ended up painting the car the original color. He did make a few changes though, black stripes instead of white and a black interior instead of green. Otherwise it was stock. His car would draw more attention at a show than the guys that had the red Chevelles with black stripes. Nobody could figure that out except me, and that was he had the guts to paint the car the original color. When it came time to sell the car he had no problem because other than the interior color, which most everyone likes black, and the stripes the car was correct. The guy that bought it passed on another friends Chevelle that was equal to the green car and we asked why. He told us that it was another Chevelle painted red that was originally Gobi Beige. So color in this case the color did and did not matter.

Also no matter how good a restoration is there will always be traces of the original paint somewhere on the car and it can be found. Unless the body is completely dipped and stripped of all the paint which is usually not done due to the expense involved. This can also be considered fraud if you sell the car and do not disclose to the buyer that the tag had been changed to match the color. Because everyone knows that certain colors on certain cars will bring a few dollars more at selling time than something not as popular. I just finished proving for a state investigator that a 70 Chevelle a friend bought was a bogus car because the restorer did not get rid of all traces of the original color of paint on the body. What does that matter? The body was a 1972 body that the numbers had been changed on. Fraud is three times the original transaction: $50k will cost you $150k.................RatPack...............

Oh don't forget there is always previous owners out there that remember the color of the car when they owned it............................

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I'd never consider any change to a trim tag. I'm picky about original details like that, and don't believe in misrepresentation at all.

I'm happy to have found what an original '70 SS396 Nova that has what looks to be the original drivetrain in it. My main question was sorting out what the paint color change issues and how it is perceived among various crowds.

At this point, if I get the chance to have the body freshened up someday, I most probably will stick with the Black Cherry color that it is now. One reason - besides the obvious of liking the color - is that what would I do with this fine 1/18 scale Ertl Nova detailed to look like my car if I had the color changed? https://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif


http://www.amhost.com/scooter/allensnovapage1.html

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Tom406, I enjoy your observations of the hobby. One of these days we are going to do some business.

JH

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I've got to say I have a soft spot for the Cortez silver cars. We've had 3 of them (all '69s, Camaro, Chevelle, Nova), and I liked the color on all of them. I really loved our Chevelle, which had a dark blue vinyl top & interior, and was an original, low mileage L-78 car, with F-41. Before we bought it, we were hesitant as it didn't sound like a good color combo on the phone...but once we saw it, WOW!

I also gotta agree with Pete on the white car thing. I have saw both his Hugger and Dover Camaros, and the white car looks downright MEAN! Of course, the ZL-1 in the engine bay probably adds a little to it's overall "tuffness"... https://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I really like Cortez silver on a Nova, but I think that color needs a black vinyl roof to set it off.
A short story about color, I was at the Bowtie Bash car show a few years ago, abd I was parked next to Andy Keyser. Andy's modified 66 Nova was painted a bright aqua solid color that he liked to call Smurf butt blue. Best viewed with sunglasses. A photographer from Chevy High Performance magazine showed up and asked me where Andy was, he wanted to shoot pictures for a magazine feature. I said, Hey! What's wrong with my car. It's a 69 SS396 Nova, stock Fathom green. He said that the color would not look good in the magazine, too dark. So Andy's car did appear in CHP magazine, and the next time I got to chose a color for one of my Novas, I picked bright orange.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Some cars NEED a color change? A gold Yenko Camaro is one of the most sought after cars there are. We are working on a Dana prepared 396/375 1969 Nova SS. Olympic gold CX turbo on the tree. Looks good to me like that. When I did my Fathom Green Yenko years ago, people at the big Camaro shows would ask, "What color is that, its beautiful" When I would say Fathom Green it never failed to amaze people that this was a nice color done right. I have seen so many trim plates with the colors not right its amazing. If the job is done correctly, all the paints look good. I am not a big fan of changing the colors of cars. I had a Frost Green Z/RS as well. Great combo. I guess I like the less popular colors....BKH

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I remember seeing a 69 camaro with a paint delete option. The trim tag had - - where the paint code usually is. That would be pretty neat. You could repaint the car any color and it would be correct! Of course there are some purists among us that might argue that it should be left bare, just as it come from the general!! just kidding.
I will look in my books for a picture of the trip tag and attempt to post. Has anyone seen a car with this option delete?
http://images.traderonline.com/img/1.../1574571_6.jpg

[Edited by shor (02-01-2002 at 08:22 PM).]

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

it was actually an online add!
here it is
http://adcache.collectorcartraderonl.../1/1574571.htm

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I never cared much for the idea of color changes or even worse,trim tag changes.There are so few of these cars for sale that any color should be appreciated and bring no less value than another color.You may wait years to find another one for sale.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Shor, the - - paint code means nothing more than special paint. If it is on an SS then it could mean the stripes were deleted and it was painted a factory available color on that car. Cars never came without paint from the General. This was a misconception many years ago from people who did not understand what it meant. Also this paint code could mean the car was painted with another Dupont color that was already available from any GM car line including Cadillac or Corvette. In my case it would be Carolina Blue (1964 Code H Skyline Blue from Pontiac, Wedgewood Blue from Buick, or Bermuda Blue from Olds) on my 69 SS396 Camaro with white hockey stick stripes and white vinyl top. So you could not really paint it any color you want without doing the proper research..............RatPack.................

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

My comments on this thread reflect my experience selling vintage cars and musclecars to the general public. My Frost Green comment is borne out by two very nice cars that were of exceptional quality and popular sought-after models, but languished for sale long after lesser cars, (in "better" colors) came and went, often for more money. The Supercars, due to rarity, make this less significant, but on something more common, like a '69 325HP SS396, people can shop until they find something more to their liking.

The people on this board aren't an even cross section of the market. I liken my car tastes to musicians who are into jazz. Most people who are into jazz are people who play and listen to music so much, simple rock and roll quits being interesting to them. So they get into things less and less accessible to the masses. Guys on this board are the same. Bkhpah, after restoring so many Camaros, it only makes sense that you like the rarer, different stuff. How about a '69 RS-Z in Frost Green, stripe delete, early-no spoilers, no cowl induction, no console tach or gauges, but power windows and liquid tire chains. A car like that would thrill me greatly, just so I could drive it to every show and shatter people's assumptions. But to most casual car guys wanting to get a musclecar to take out a couple of times a month, he could never find a reason to buy that car. I could probably never convince him it wasn't a fake of some kind, much less get him to buy it from me.

On a semi-related note, I saw in one of my Vette books that in '63, Daytona blue had RED as one of the GM-recommended interiors. That's so wild, I think I may have to find one. Anybody seen one? But if I buy one, I'll have to find someone as twisted as me to buy it.......

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Ther newest car I have ever seen with the -- special paint on the tag was a '74 Z28. Anyone seen one newer than that?
Peter

[Edited by COPO PETE (02-02-2002 at 05:30 AM).]

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

We are currently updating a number of items on a board members very unique Dover White/Red interior 375 radio delete 69' Camaro. The car is equipped with rally's red line tires, red hockey stick. It's a killer combination. Were are finishing a 427 COPO Harrell 69'Camaro. This car is a wild ride with an aluminium rear wing, dash top Sun tach, mag wheels etc. It is a CX turbo on the tree. The color is Fathom Green with 721 light green interior. This one is a very strange combination, but it looks very 60's. I cannot even imagine it any other way. Also did a Island Teal 68' Yenko Camaro. Rarely seen color, but simpley awsome when done. We restored a Rally Green 69' Yenko and that is a way over the top color. All these cars have a very unusual distinction that sets them apart from other cars. I understand what Tom 406 means about color to some people. But if these cars were repainted a more popular red, it would really take away from the spirit of the era. Nothing wrong with a real red car painted red. If you stick with the correct color, I think it pays off in the long run. Marlin's Yenko Deuce is Gobi Beige. It looks sweet in person. This would not be a lot of peoples first choice, but after seeing the car, it could not be any better in any other color...BKH

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Tom I think you are correct on the non-supercar colors.People will stay away in droves if it's not their favorite color.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I have a 73 parts car (Camaro) with the -- paint delete its painted black not avalable on 73 Camaros.It also has the T code engine withe 4-Speed but its not a Z28 or type LT

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

I like red cars but I'm also bored with them. The problem with the other color cars is getting someone to look at them when you sell it. I had a Fathom Green '69 Chevelle SS with matching green interior bench seat 4-speed. When I put it up for sale I couldn't get anyone to come and see it. As soon as I told them what color it was that was it they were done with the conversation. Now when I took it to a car show people constantly told me how beautiful the color was. I finally sold it to the second guy who came and looked it.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Ran across a paint delete 70 SS ElCamino at the swap meet in Cedar Rapids IA. It was hugger orange, no stripes. Were there any code 65 hugger orange chevelles, or were they paint delete also? I can't remember ever seeing one new. Thanks.
Ken

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Some colors seem ugly until you own a vehicle of that color. I vowed to never own a Laguna Blue Corvette. This was a one year only color that is rarely seen. Every time I saw Laguna Blue I thought it was horrible looking. I found a 1966 Corvette that met all of my desires aside from it being Laguna Blue. I traded a car for this one without seeing the car on the referral of a good friend.
When it arrived with those beautiful gold lines and tan top I could not have imagined how pretty it would look. At a Regional NCRS meet people keep asking me if it was a factory color. The point that many people have made is correct. The car was painted correctly, I had really not seen one done properly.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

My first car was a 69 Camaro conv that was Rally Green. When I had the car restored bu the local vo-tech school I had my choice of color and thought long and hard about changing it. I stayed with the original color and they did a really good job with the car. I took it to shows and everyone was asking if it was the original color because it looked great. I would recommend staying with the original color because anyone that knows their Camaros will know right away when they see the trim tag if it's the original color. That's one of the things that makes me lose interest in a car at a car show.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

My Camaro is a Ash Gold with a Ivy gold deluxe interior.It's either love it or hate it.Sometimes you just have to be different.I know I've never seen more than one gold Camaro at a show.With the recent return of the more earth tone colors,on the new cars,1960's colors are not to far off the beaten path.......


Steve

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Sometimes its nice to walk through a car show and see some different color cars. There is always red,blue and black cars everywhere. I was at Charlotte a few years back and I saw a 70 LS6 chevelle that was a pale yellow with a light green interior. Now the color wasn't the thing that intrigued me but the fact that all of the documentation was with the car as well as the original owner sitting next to it! I'll buy an original owner car in a heartbeat... KP

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

Hey Bkhpah, any chance you could post some pics (or e-mail) of that Dover white 375HP car? I personally am all over White, Silver, or Black cars with red interiors and red highlights. That car sounds stunning, and I'd love to see it.

I shouldn't have made the red suggestion on the Motion car, because I'm not a "resale red" guy. Its just the most striking 2nd gen Motion car I've ever seen was bright red with a White stripe and Black interior and big and little Cragar S/S's. So if I came to own a green one, that's what I'd be tempted to paint it. (And I'll agree the world certainly doesn't need any more red '70 SS Chevelles. There's a red on red '70 SS396 here in town that I like a lot, though.)

Even in color changes you can go off the beaten path and choose a color from that year that isn't seen often. We had a '67 SS396 Camaro, originally gold, that was very nicely redone in Tahoe Turquoise. This is a seldom seen color that really stands out today, and has aged well. I never heard a single negative comment about the color change, even though we were open about it. (They usually asked if it was a factory '67 color. We said it was, just not originally on this particular Camaro.) Don't restore for resale, restore for you. I personally don't go for color change cars, but I won't hold someone to task for restoring a car the way they would have ordered it new, rather than the way it was built.

Re: Paint color , will wrong color hurt the value
 

This is a most interesting thread....It has always been my opinion that any musclecar that is to be considered "collectible," should be painted the original color. I currently own a Forest Green '70 LS6 Chevelle coupe. It is a matching numbered, documented, desirable car, currently being the earliest documented LS6 known about,a "pilot" car, and also a courtsey car for a zone rep. I never gave two seconds consideration to the color being hard to sell, only that the car itself was righteous. I will admit that the interior compliments the exterior, and really sets it off (Forest Green exterior, saddle buckets, white stripes), which was a huge plus. The car probably wouldn't look as good to me if it had a black or green interior. I always get compliments on the cars' color combination whenever I take it out. I could have repainted it "re-sale" red, but to be honest... WHY??????? The documentation and car should stand on its' own, not whether it is a "desirable" color as opposed to a "non-desirable," one. I'll let everyone else go buy non original colored red LS6's and blue Camaros, but give me something different. Just my take on it.