Paint and upholstery colors that just KILL the look of a 1930's Classic

[John Bloom]

This thread hits near and dear to me. I am always looking at cars and frequently see one that has my interest (year, make, model) and in reasonable condition for the price..............but the color choice stops you dead in your tracks.  The cost in time and money to fix it starts to be wrestled around in my mind.  I start to play with “halfway solutions” (change the running boards and fender colors, and different color wheels and live with the rest.  Or different color top along with wheel and tire changes (lose white walls), etc.....  

 

at a certain price, you can talk yourself into it. I always enjoy when Walt gives some suggestions about how color could be changed to improve the look. 
 

 

[3macboys]

44 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Pastel yellow, maybe okay...but with pea soup green...ugh!

Why do all those cars with the wide whites make me think of the guy with the suit wearing a white belt and white shoes?  Black walls on that car will change the look dramatically

[Cadillac Fan]

17 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

The 1970's idea of how 1930's Classics should be portrayed: dark red and metallic silver...

Yes, but it could be much worse ( now restored in a dark green):

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Cadillac Fan (see edit history)

[Buffalowed Bill]

5 hours ago, alsancle said:

 

Could you find an example of what you consider a tasteful prewar car painted red? 

 

 

Obviously there is probably no example of a pre-war car that would convince you that red is an appropriate choice. Prejudice against a single color is impossible to overcome. As a restorer and owner of a red car for last thirty five years, I can attest to the fact that you are definitely in the minority with your view. 

[edinmass]

3 hours ago, alsancle said:

Restored by Byard Libby for Tom Derro in the the early 90s.  Tom was a very nice man with a great collection but he missed on this one.

 

I thought he got the color chips from Big Al! It wasn’t as bad in person as it looks in the photos......almost, but not quite.

[Restorer32]

9 hours ago, ericmac said:

I stand corrected.  The oyster gray car is a town car. Hope you took your nausea meds.

The Oyster Grey town car is done in its original colors I believe.  The Interior fabric was sourced at great expense from the original weaver using the original pattern.  If our goal is "restoration" then why bitch when a car is done as original?  And NO we did not restore the Dues but I know who did.

[prewarnut]

I dunno, this shouldn't be a problem. Packard blue goes with everything.😁

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Goodness, what a bunch of opinions!!  Must have been a slow day.

  

  BLONDS, BRUNETTS and RED HEADS.  I love 'em all!  Choice is BLACK.

 

  Ben

[ericmac]

1 hour ago, Restorer32 said:

The Oyster Grey town car is done in its original colors I believe.  The Interior fabric was sourced at great expense from the original weaver using the original pattern.  If our goal is "restoration" then why bitch when a car is done as original?  And NO we did not restore the Dues but I know who did.

I am not saying the oyster gray Duesenberg is wrong. It just is not particularly aestetically appealing.  On the other hand,  the '37 Cadillac pictured is both wrong and unappealing aestetically. I think the Duesenberg would have been 90% better on blackwall tires as it is just too much "bling." The Cadillac as it appears today at the Gilmore Car Museum is pictured here.i think the before and after photos give a great illustration of how much of an impact color can have.

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by ericmac
Clarification (see edit history)

[8E45E]

34 minutes ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:

Goodness, what a bunch of opinions!!  Must have been a slow day.

  

  BLONDS, BRUNETTS and RED HEADS.  I love 'em all!  Choice is BLACK.

In a third grade class, the BLONDE will be the best looking.  She's 23 years old!!

 

Craig

[RansomEli]

"Could you find an example of what you consider a tasteful prewar car painted red? "

 

You didn't specify which war...

[Walt G]

Red on a pre WWII car is acceptable , but to me bright red on a car usually looses interest or authenticity after about 1913. Maroon ( with assorted tints to make it look more "red" or "brown") can be an outstanding original color but many cars built pre WWII and restored in the 1960s and up would be two toned with silver - maroon and silver was a popular choice even for huge 7 passenger sedans in the post war restoration era. I think now many car collectors have a much more interest in close or exact period colors to choose from, There are still a lot of "experts" ( self proclaimed mostly) who state in a bold 'superior knowledge' voice "for $50 when new you could have had a car painted any color you wanted " ( add to this a 'so there " look on their face) the thing is people in the pre war era didn't have an extra $50 to spend on anything. Many weren't making $50 per week.

I do not judge cars at shows or any place else - I would be to critical on what is/isn't period that the car has as part of its character.

White wall tires have taken on a " don't like em" stance by many within the past decade, but not every car looks horrible if they are equipped with them - depends upon the wheels : style, color, size etc and what year a car is - the same make of car in the same colors 5 years apart can look very different depending upon all the factors just mentioned. This could be a whole topic for a seminar at an AACA annual meeting, as could custom coach builders, and so many other things that are mentioned here and are very very popular for discussion. Discussion is great BUT cars are visual, you need the period images/photographs and access to that is not often available.

Yes, I have given talks on automotive subjects - mostly coach builders and styling/design. I did this at two CCCA annual meetings in the past ( when I still was a member of that tribe) the one setting for that I recall with much fondness was the former design studios for GM in Detroit , now part of the Creative Art Institute

the talk I gave was in a styling studio that had a turn table still operable in the floor and there was a 1937 V16 Cadillac fastback coupe provided by the Stahl collection on there rotating while I gave the talk.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Walt G (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

In person and away from a group of other cars always seems to be the best setting to appreciate a car for any attributes.

 

Or the presentation that etches itself indelibly in your mind. What would a person look for at the Cadillac store after sitting in the easy chair with a magazine folded to this page for a month.

My Dad bought a new car every three years. I have a few brochures folded open to the exact car he purchased. They are permanently folded with the price written in the margin by the local salesman.

He bought a few dogish colors over the years but those weren't the calculated cars. And when he did my Mother showed her disappointment.

 

Walt's comments hit home for me. Ford came out with its Heritage Burgundy in 1963 or 64. I fell in love with it. I am not much of a Ford guy but I have had two Buicks painted that color. In 1978 I bought my '64 Riviera that was brown. In 1981 it was maroon. For the past five years or so I have been scheming a way to tutone it maroon and silver, probably influenced by the 1930's show cars. It is not a 1930's car but the flavor of my taste and memories doesn't seem to notice the years.

[Curti]

My dad was a Chrysler Plymouth salesman thru the 50's and 60's. In his opinion the worst color for resale was brown.  They called it stay around brown.  I personally like green as it in my favorite 

color, but not many cars are green from the factory. I think Corvetts came from the factory green only one year in the 70's . They were poorly recieved by the public.   

[1937hd45]

2 minutes ago, Curti said:

I personally like green as it in my favorite 

color, but not many cars are green from the factory. I think Corvetts came from the factory green only one year in the 70's . They were poorly recieved by the public.   

There was one here in town, Bloomington Gold winner and all with the fancy wheels, drop dead gorgeous car, and I'm a Ford guy. 

 

Bob 

[zepher]

1 hour ago, Curti said:

My dad was a Chrysler Plymouth salesman thru the 50's and 60's. In his opinion the worst color for resale was brown.  They called it stay around brown.  I personally like green as it in my favorite 

color, but not many cars are green from the factory. I think Corvetts came from the factory green only one year in the 70's . They were poorly recieved by the public.   

 

Chevy used Polo Green on the mid 90's Corvettes.

It was also offered with the ZR1 trim.

[JFranklin]

If I had painted my cars green and maroon I could be part of this discussion= oh well!

[CarlLaFong]

Some time go I was looking for a Model T. I located one nearby and talked to the seller. It sounded good though I felt it was slightly overpriced. I drove over to have a look see. I approachd the house and the car was in the driveway. It seemed to be a very well done coupe. The red wheels caught my eye immediately but nothing that an hour or so and a gun full of black enamel wouldn't solve. I got closer and saw the deal breaker, the red crushed velvet interior. It looked like a coffin. He would have needed to deduct the cost of a correct interior to even begin to interest me but I took the high road and went back to my truck and beat a path for home

[ericmac]

2 hours ago, Curti said:

My dad was a Chrysler Plymouth salesman thru the 50's and 60's. In his opinion the worst color for resale was brown.  They called it stay around brown.  I personally like green as it in my favorite 

color, but not many cars are green from the factory. I think Corvetts came from the factory green only one year in the 70's . They were poorly recieved by the public.   

It's funny you mentioned the relative scarcity of green cars as I currently own four antique cars, all of which are currently black. They are a 13 Ford Model T Touring,  a 26 Ford Model T Touring, a 26 Ford Model T Fordor and a 37 Cadillac 70 Series Fleetwood Convertible Sedan.  To your point, all four, when new, were painted green.  

[Buffalowed Bill]

It seems as though some observers think that if a car, and it's color doesn't, conform to some preconceived notion of the prewar offerings then it must be inappropriate. Nothing could be farther from the truth. IMO what seems to happen is mischaracterization of the era. Custom colors and special models were one of the hallmarks of the "Classic Era." Late 20's to about 1934 saw many wild combinations that would not have often been considered throughout the latter part of the 30's. No two people are going to have the same taste in cars or colors. The mistake made is to think that an authentically restored car will always conform to today's standards.

 

I'm including an ad for an authentically restored model. It's not mine and I have no interest in it's sale. I'm reserving my own opinion regarding the color. The restoration is authentic.

 

https://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=69647&country=us

[1937hd45]

17 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

 

 

I'm including an ad for an authentically restored model. It's not mine and I have no interest in it's sale. I'm reserving my own opinion regarding the color. The restoration is authentic.

 

https://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=69647&country=us

The Studebaker is for sale, if it was in green or blue there would be sold sign on the windshield IMO. 

 

Bob 

Edited November 15, 2021 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[Buffalowed Bill]

Bob,

 

The fact is that it is a limited production package and only came in two color combinations. If it was yours would you paint it a non-authentic color to make the sale.

[8E45E]

14 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

I'm including an ad for an authentically restored model. It's not mine and I have no interest in it's sale. I'm reserving my own opinion regarding the color. The restoration is authentic.

 

https://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=69647&country=us

1931 Studebaker President Four Seasons Roadsters with the Speedway option had RED chassis:  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/29712-more-eye-candy-12-16-prewar?28963-More-Eye-Candy-12-16-Prewar=&highlight=seasons

 

Craig

[Str8-8-Dave]

A sore point with me is when an early car that is absolutely supposed to have black fenders, gravel and gas tank shields and running board aprons is painted some other color.  Cardinal sin as far as I care...

[8E45E]

3 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

Bob,

 

The fact is that it is a limited production package and only came in two color combinations. If it was yours would you paint it a non-authentic color to make the sale.

That's correct. 

 

Only two exterior body colors to complement the Cardinal Red chassis and trim was either Velvet Black or Chessylite Gray on a Speedway:  https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/racy-roadster-1931-studebaker-president-eight-roadster-speedway

 

Craig

[1937hd45]

8 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

Bob,

 

The fact is that it is a limited production package and only came in two color combinations. If it was yours would you paint it a non-authentic color to make the sale.

Is the other color option? 

[Restorer32]

It still irritates me that a car we restored in its original and very distinctive color had its fenders and splash aprons repainted in black by a car salesman who claims to be all about authenticity because he thought the car would "sell better" with black fenders etc. The upholstery was also modified to make it "more sellable".

[Bhigdog]

A salesman is paid to sell not obsess over correct.............Bob

[8E45E]

5 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Is the other color option? 

 

On a Four Seasons roadster with the Speedway option, the exterior body colors were limited to Chessylite Gray or Velvet Black to compliment the Cardinal Red chassis and trim.  

 

Any other Four Seasons roadster, could have either Coach Green, or Chippendale Brown fenders:  

 

 

Craig

[Matt Harwood]

Yes, technically the high-end automakers would paint the car any color the customer wanted. However, I don't see that as a great justification for painting it flat-out wrong colors today. The automaker had a reputation to uphold and wasn't going to just let anyone turn their cars into clown shoes. They had professionals who helped customers select colors, materials, and even hardware and those professionals would have had impeccable taste guided by the coachbuilders and OEMs themselves. It was far more involved than just walking in and filling out a form that said, "1934 Packard limousine, Orange with Yellow spots," then writing the check.

 

So yes, eventually, if you hammered them sufficiently, they would relent and allow you to buy whatever pimpmobile you wanted. But there would be a lot of advice along the way trying to discourage you from doing it. I bet only a tiny fraction of the awful colors on cars today were actually on them when they were new. Hell, some of the colors you see today weren't even possible in the 1930s.

 

A few years ago, I tried to order a canary yellow Audi station wagon and the VP called me from Germany to ask if I was sure I wanted it--although he never said as much, they sure as hell didn't want to build it. Eventually I relented and bought a more familiar color which, admittedly, was a lot easier to sell a few years ago than a bright canary yellow one would have been. It was ultimately the right choice.

I grow weary of this idea that they'd do anything a customer wanted being used as justification for bad taste today. Bad taste was one thing the high-end automakers were not selling in the Classic era.

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Curti said:

  I personally like green as it in my favorite color, but not many cars are green from the factory. I think Corvetts came from the factory green only one year in the 70's . They were poorly recieved by the public.   

I don't wish to seem pedantic Curti (I am also a big fan of green cars) but Green has been offered on almost every year of Corvette since 1956.  Perception does have a way of fooling us over the years, but by 1965 it was the second best selling color out of the 10 choices offered for Corvettes.  In 1967 and '68 it was the best selling color by a wide margin and this trend continued into the early 70's.  It drifted down the list in the later 70's and 80's but made a strong comeback in the 1990's.

Cheers, Greg

🍸

[Hudsy Wudsy]

If I had to guess, I'd say that this is the most loathed color scheme of the seventies:

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Khaki and red are Target colors:

[8E45E]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

Yes, technically the high-end automakers would paint the car any color the customer wanted. However, I don't see that as a great justification for painting it flat-out wrong colors today. The automaker had a reputation to uphold and wasn't going to just let anyone turn their cars into clown shoes. They had professionals who helped customers select colors, materials, and even hardware and those professionals would have had impeccable taste guided by the coachbuilders and OEMs themselves. It was far more involved than just walking in and filling out a form that said, "1934 Packard limousine, Orange with Yellow spots," then writing the check.

 

So yes, eventually, if you hammered them sufficiently, they would relent and allow you to buy whatever pimpmobile you wanted. But there would be a lot of advice along the way trying to discourage you from doing it. I bet only a tiny fraction of the awful colors on cars today were actually on them when they were new. Hell, some of the colors you see today weren't even possible in the 1930s.

 

A few years ago, I tried to order a canary yellow Audi station wagon and the VP called me from Germany to ask if I was sure I wanted it--although he never said as much, they sure as hell didn't want to build it. Eventually I relented and bought a more familiar color which, admittedly, was a lot easier to sell a few years ago than a bright canary yellow one would have been. It was ultimately the right choice.

I grow weary of this idea that they'd do anything a customer wanted being used as justification for bad taste today. Bad taste was one thing the high-end automakers were not selling in the Classic era.

 

 

Rolls-Royce and Porsche don't seem to care about image any longer as long as their customers are willing to pay for their often wretched excess.

 

See my Post #10 here:  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/stove-huggers-the-non-studebaker-forum/1896479-why-rolls-royce-cars-are-so-expensive

 

Craig

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[prewarnut]

1 hour ago, 8E45E said:

.... Porsche don't seem to care about image any longer as long as their customers are willing to pay for their often wretched excess.

 

You mean when you haggle with the salesman on just attempting to get an allocation and being asked how many cars you've bought from them and then being told, if we call you it will be $10K over sticker, $20K for those customers out of state,,,.and you have to submit your "Not-so-fairway-spot-on-your-golfball-green" or "Hyperventillating-dog-gingiva-on-a-sunny-day-taupe" to xxxxxUSA headquarters for approval and maybe we'll only charge you $12.5K extra for it. Yeah, been there, almost done that....

[Hudsy Wudsy]

At the risk of getting too cerebral on you guys, I'll say that trends never happen in a vacuum. That cream, brown and orange color scheme that I mentioned above undoubtedly was heavily influenced by the god-awful Spanish Mediterranean designs that plagued our houses and our lives in the late sixties and seventies:

spanish mediterranean house interior - Google Search

[Hudsy Wudsy]

And just to remind you fellas of how miserable the era was, here's numerous Conquistador Images to give you pain:

 

conquistador painting - Google Search

 

For a time these hung on every guy's aunt's halls.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Hudsy Wudsy (see edit history)

[Professor]

Sometime in the early 1970s, the first “restoration” of my Chrysler included changing the color from the factory black to this shade of green.  I return my restorations to the factory color, whether or not I like the color.  In this case, I would have kept the green but am much happier with black.

[Jim Skelly]

23 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Don't forget Ruxton with its unusual color combinations.

 

Craig

go look 7 posts prior to your comments ...

[trimacar]

5 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

It still irritates me that a car we restored in its original and very distinctive color had its fenders and splash aprons repainted in black by a car salesman who claims to be all about authenticity because he thought the car would "sell better" with black fenders etc. The upholstery was also modified to make it "more sellable".

On a famous TV show, perhaps?