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