Two tone paint
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 498
Likes: 32
From: Fort Wayne IN
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Unmodified
Two tone paint
Anyone have pictures of a two tone paint job with black, either on the bottom or black on top?
My 1985 is currently black but would like to get it repainted. To save money I was thinking of a two tone black and something else to keep the door jambs black.
My 1985 is currently black but would like to get it repainted. To save money I was thinking of a two tone black and something else to keep the door jambs black.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,256
Likes: 3,082
From: So Cal
2023 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
There was a medium gray / black combination in 1986 and1987. The black was the lower color. There may be images online. It wasn't super popular, about 1,400 combined for the two model years.
Factory 2-tones were first painted in the primary (Upper) color, then masked and the lower color applied over the primary. The door jambs are the primary color except for two surfaces: The rockers are the secondary color, and the lower portion of the surface behind the door gap (which can be seen from the outside when the door is closed) is masked at the transition to the striker surface. I think it would look odd with the doors open for the door jambs to be the lower color, so black should be the primary, upper color.
For a contrasting lower color, my personal thought would be a shade of silver, charcoal, or possibly a deep burgundy or deep cherry red metallic if the car has a red interior. The interior color has to be considered, but the ultimate choice of course depends on your personal tastes. Cheers.
Factory 2-tones were first painted in the primary (Upper) color, then masked and the lower color applied over the primary. The door jambs are the primary color except for two surfaces: The rockers are the secondary color, and the lower portion of the surface behind the door gap (which can be seen from the outside when the door is closed) is masked at the transition to the striker surface. I think it would look odd with the doors open for the door jambs to be the lower color, so black should be the primary, upper color.
For a contrasting lower color, my personal thought would be a shade of silver, charcoal, or possibly a deep burgundy or deep cherry red metallic if the car has a red interior. The interior color has to be considered, but the ultimate choice of course depends on your personal tastes. Cheers.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 387
Likes: 148
From: Langton, Ontario, Canada
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
If you look at custom cars with two tone paint schemes, you'll find that black on the bottom has the effect of making the car seem lower. Black on the upper surfaces is more of a formal look, and especially suitable for larger cars with slab sides. If you do the black on the bottom, make sure you spray the wheel well liners black as well, to give a uniform appearance around the wheels. 3M puts out a semi-gloss black spray paint called Mar-Hyde that is almost a perfect match to stock semi-gloss black. Have fun!
