jetjockey

I'll try to explain.
The 988 color has no "life" of it's own. It seems to rely on all the chrome and shinny stuff for pizazz. Like a 500 year old painting with the grime of ages.

1970's Marlboro Maroon has the "life" but the color is too far from Burgundy.

I'm looking for ideas that might give it some vibrance without straying so far from the 988 color as to make it obvious that the color has been changed. The change would make one say, "umm... wow i didn't know that Burgundy could look so nice. Has it been changed? Maybe - Maybe not. I'm not sure."

The car goes into paint in two weeks and I'm seeking empirical guidance for the paint guys, if such a goal as I've stated, is even possible.

Thanks

grumman41

When I see certain shades of paint it "puts" a car in a certain era. For example, a color like Ontario Orange firmly puts a Vette in the mid seventies. If you make slight changes to this Orange it can make you question the era of car and paint. To me, when someone takes an 1981 Cutlass and puts Turquoise paint on it, I get thrown off.

Are you trying to do something like this or open to any shades?

Kevin

DUB

You do understand that anything you try to do to the color will CHANGE it...thus...not make it the same. It is much like someone asking: "I have a Corvette that is white...what can it do to it to enhance it...but not change the color". The reply would be nothing can be done to what that would not immediately change it.. but try to get it to shine....if it is dull.

The color ...'is what it is'. Unless you can live with a change in the color....you can not do anything to it... because ....not knowing how much of a 'change' you would actually consider a 'change'.

The only advice I can give is get the paint shop to tint the color and shoot test panels and clear them so you can see what they did to the color. Possibly adding some white pearl to the color and shooting it....while taking out some of the silver metallic when it is being mixed. OR...adding some red pearl to the color. It is like being a 'mad scientist'...you will not know until you try and shoot it and it will either be perfect or look like dirt. I ahve my own paint mixing machine in my shop..so mixing up paint and testing it...is rather easy so I KNOW that when I formulate a special formula..I KNOW I can mix again to match what I tested and got approved.

I have done this on many Corvettes with the older paint formulas....and have had some great success in adding some radiance to the color but not shifting the color to lighter or darker. SO...hopefully the paint shop has a good EYE for color (and keeps track of what they do to the color) and the shop is willing to take the time to shoot numerous test panels and let you find the color you love. I do this for my customers because like I tell them...."I only want to paint this ONE TIME...and I want you to LOVE the color....NOT just like it".

And one trick...I cut sections of gutters for a house about 4 inches long and shoot them as a test panel...so the curves and bends allow the color to show how it changes when viewed and put under different type of light. SO ..do not just look at the color during the day in sunlight...take it home and look at it under the street lights and go up to the gas station and set it on h the hood of your car and look at it. IT can make a difference. IF the shop know paint....there are additives that can be added to paint that can aid in changing the way a color looks at the three angles when being viewed. And this additive is what causes (for example) SILVER to look silver when you look straight on at it...and when you look at it at a 45 degree angle it goes to a darker silver/gray...and when you look at it looking down the side of the car it almost goes black, This additive can actually aid in keeping the silver looking silver at the 45 degree angle and also when looking down the side.

DUB

DUB

which is it hard to know what will be an acceptable change to the color formula.

Certain colors match an era....without a doubt...in my opinion.

DUB

grumman41

This is a completely different way to look at this....I have never seen a Vette color that looks bad with perfect panel fitment, it just makes any color look perfect.

To reverse this, I don't like any color on a car with poor panel fitment.

Kevin

DUB

The BEST paint job can not HIDE bad bodywork and panel mis-alignment

BUT...I also know that there are some colors that look 'muddy' and are a bit bland. AND this is due to people now-a-days get bombarded with pearl colors and tri-stage colors form the factory. When those colors were only seen on cars when the car was custom painted.

DUB