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Matte or satin is a firm no I my opinion.
I would stay with the original paint, not because I’m about originally, but because it is the perfect paint on the car.
I’m in the middle of the repaint of my 73 and I had chosen several new car colors, but my painter discouraged me and said that they would not look as nice nor complement the lines on a C3.
He has been restoring and painting Corvettes for over 40 years, so I assume he knows his business.
I actually like the matte finish, but I dont feel like it will go well with my build. I usually like it on more aggressive-looking builds with changed bodywork and bright paint.
Did you have a chance to see some samples of the modern color vs the original one? Would love to see the difference. It's a bit of a headache for me because this is an opportunity to make the car very cool or kinda ruin the build. My vision is blacked out og style vette with tiny bits of chrome.
Sooooo that’s a no on the Yellow? The green is back baby!!!!
Carbon Black is a very dark blue, I considered it but nope.
Dave
Sorry Dave, but right now Yellow is my #1.
Black was my first and only choice for a long time, but this build is a hot rodded sports car and needs some color.
68 Safari Yellow (on the right)
I’m doing a LS1/T56 swap on my 1981, and need help locking down a black paint color for the resto. I’m doing a restomod/pro touring build and want to go for a blacked out modern vibe. No chrome, glossy black paint, modern 18/19” matte black five spoke or mesh wheels, all black interior, white LED digital gauges, LED halo head lights and tail lights, etc.
I know this is a C2, but this is the type of vibe I’m going for:
I’m torn between an inky deep flat black, a moderately metallic black with (maybe) some blue undertones, or a super heavy metallic black like Lexus’ Caviar. I’m actually saw Caviar at the NY Auto Show today and it’s beautiful.
Regular photo:
NY Auto Show with perfect lighting, it doesn’t look this nearly this heavy in person:
I’m kind of leaning towards Caviar, as it has a ton of depth and is kind of unique (as far as blacks go), but I’m concerned that it’s too loud for such an old car.
Volvo Onyx Black, also from NY Auto Show, also doesn’t look quite as vibrant in person:
This is an alternative that isn’t quite as metallic in person. I’m not sure about a super inky black with no metallic, as I think it’ll be too boring and not modern enough for the build. But I’m worried something too modern will clash with the aesthetic of the older car.
Thoughts? Should I send it and do Caviar? Should I keep it super classy with no metallic? Or should I find a happy medium with a moderate traditional modern black metallic?
Here is what I found out after choosing several new car paint colors for my C3’s new paint.
I took my top color choices to the painter, who has been restoring Corvettes for over 40 years, and he showed me why each one was a horrible choice for a C3..
Even though they looked awesome on the modern cars he explained how the paint would lay and look on a C3 with its long curves and smooth edges.
I totally trust his opinion and experience.
Before you make your final choice talk it over with a professional.
Here is what I found out after choosing several new car paint colors for my C3’s new paint.
I took my top color choices to the painter, who has been restoring Corvettes for over 40 years, and he showed me why each one was a horrible choice for a C3..
Even though they looked awesome on the modern cars he explained how the paint would lay and look on a C3 with its long curves and smooth edges.
I totally trust his opinion and experience.
Before you make your final choice talk it over with a professional.
Yeah this is what I was worried about, modern colors looking bad on an older vehicle. My guy does work all around - he paints a lot of older vehicles, but he does modern as well. Not sure if he’s going to have that knowledge to be able to walk me through that.
What were some of the reasons your guy gave you? Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what color did you ultimately settle on?
We talked about metallics, metal flakes, lacquer, and many different shades and colors.
He explained how one color of black could look beautiful on one car, but look like a circus clown on another.
He referred to bling and asked me how much bling I wanted going down the road.
He showed me how he could mix less metal flakes in paint to give it less bling and still get the true colors in the paint to come out.
We even talked about how all colors have different hues and how green isn’t always just green.
Black was always my top color choice until I started looking around on the street and at car shows and noticed there was a sea of silver, grays, and black cars.
Then I started looking through all the C3 by color threads to see what color really looked best on a C3.
What I decided for my car came down to one of the green shades, either Fathom Green or Lime Rock Green, until my painter painted me a couple of panels of the true colors, and for a long time it was 69 Fathom Green.
Then one day I ran across a beautiful 68 Safari yellow at a car show, it was stunning, bright, and the perfect color for a hot rod sports car.
Yellow was never even in my top color considerations.
So now the car will be painted 68 Safari Yellow, panel on the right.
When you clear coat black it doesn't look as deep as the original black lacquers.
In order to make it look ink black you need to mix some black base into the clear and it traps the light better and appears INK BLACK.
For ink black I shoot base then, 2 coats of 50/50 10% reduced, one of 25% black with clear 10% reduced, one mixed clear then a final coat of 30% reduced clear, most of which is blocked down prior to polishing.
I love laser straight panels with mirror paint... however this would get you killed in a NCRS show.
BTW, If you get near perfect reflections, you have near perfect bodywork...
Got a new project 2 months ago. Needs a lot, but outside is pretty!
‘73 454.
87k miles.
Not originally black, but this does it for me!
Needs a lot of work (I mean a lot!) but the stuff that really matters is in good shape!
‘73 454.
87k miles.
Not originally black, but this does it for me!
Needs a lot of work (I mean a lot!) but the stuff that really matters is in good shape!
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
