Thread: More questions on color - 3W Highboy

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Getting close on my frame to bring it for powder coating...when we originally started planning the build for this car I told my youngest son (17 yrs. old) that I wanted him to be involved, he's not mechanically inclined, but wants to help, so one of the things we discussed was color, he suggested a really bright green.
The guy that does my powder work coated a sample for me in his brightest green, but after seeing it, I wonder if it'll be to "plastic"/ trendy looking (if that makes sense).
I know that the typical answer is that you build what you want, and I'm not planning on selling the car soon (perhaps give it to my son 15 or 20 years from now), yet I also want to be realistic, and don't want to be stuck with someting that 10 or 15 years from now looks really dated (like some of the colors of the rods built in the late 80's look now).
I know you can't go wrong with red, but my truck is already red, so I want to something different than that.
I guess the other color I'm leaning toward is black, but since I'm planning on flames (with both color schemes) I want to be sure it doesn't look like a clone of the "California Kid".
I've got a picture of another car I saw at a car show this summer that is close to the color of green we're leaning towards that I'll try to post, but to give an idea, the color green is very close to the green of Kawasaki motorcycles, and also very similar to the early seventies Mopar Lime Green.
Not really looking for an answer, just feedback and opinions.

I was watching a recap of the barret-jackson car auction over the weekend and saw a cool car that was painted with a green like that, it was very loud. but looked good.


you could paint it Kawasaki green, and if it looked to much then you could break it up with blue or black. to tone down the green or add a blue pearl in the mix . could give you and him what you want. just a thought though.

I once painted a 70 chevy with lime yellow that was very loud. but after tinting the windows black, and put a black bed cap on it.

and ran a fine red pinstripe down the length of the body it realy made a difference and looked a better.

You're right about trendy colors, they will really date a car in short order.

A recent color that I think is a good alternative to black is a 2005 Mustang color called Sonic Blue, it's not available on 2006, '05 only. It's a nice, rich blue, with a tendency toward red on the spectrum without looking purple. A friend sent me a picture a while back of a '56 F100 done in this color with a traditional flame job on it and it was a major knock out. Unfortunately I didn't keep the pic to show you. Another dark blue that looks nice and rich is on the Chrysler 300, it's not a pearl or metallic, but looks very sharp with some polished accents from wheels, etc. I've seen it on base model 300's and it doesn't look as good without the counter of the polished aluminum.

Found it! Senility is a wonderful thing...................you meet new people everyday and they already know your name!

Turns out it was more of an Ohio flame style rather than traditional.

Resin. You could have a granddaughter like mine that wants me to paint my '32 "Pink". She is only five and is sticking fast to that color! Let us know what you guys decide on.

".......I guess the other color I'm leaning toward is black, but since I'm planning on flames (with both color schemes) I want to be sure it doesn't look like a clone of the "California Kid"........"


Black might not be such a bad choice, it is definitely a pretty timeless classic look. To me it would seem to be a question of a unique or at least not so frequently used flame scheme/color combination. If it were me, I might even think past using flames and maybe consider some other type of graphic, possibly even looking to some of the things that were done in the 60's.

While certain combinations can certainly date a car to the era that it was constructed in, it does not necessarily mean it's not an appealing combination.

Finally, I was in the situation you are in now at one point. I was building a car and down to the point of picking a color. I had done several red/white and blue/white 2 tone combinations on past cars and was pretty burned out on the colors. I decided to go with the original gold and white factory colors. The car came out ok, but after it was done, I really wished I'd gone with the colors I liked. Chances are, if I had I would have kept the car longer!!!!!

Thank you all for the replies...doesn't make the choice any easier, but I really appreciate the input.
I like the bright green, and I like the black, as I said, one of the reasons I'm hesitant on black w/ flames is because of my fear of it being referred to as a clone of the "California Kid", yet realistically, here in West Michigan, you so rarely see street rods on the street that the average observer of the car won't have a clue as to what a "California Kid" is.
I've been spending a little time the last couple days with a drawing I made of a '32 3W and coloring it with both combinations, and obviously the black with flames looks good, but when I do the green and add the flames (white going to yellow going to orange going to red with a bright blue pinstripe outline) that (at least to me) breaks up the color and makes the green look a lot less like "plastic"; if that makes sense.
Also I'm planning on American Racing Saltflat wheels with the magnesium painted centers, and coated over the frame headers.
Both these will break up the color some more.
Also, with the green, I can add a drop shadow behind the flames.
Back to my point...I'm thinking that a bright green is similar to a bright red, bright orange, or bright yellow, and those don't look out of place when you see them, just want to be sure that 10-15 years from now it doesn't look like the pastel rose colors I've seen on some older cars.
I recognize I'm rambling here, just voicing some of the different arguements going back and forth in my head.
I'll try and get a copy of my color scheme ideas and post that within the next day or so.

Originally posted by deuce4papa
Resin. You could have a granddaughter like mine that wants me to paint my '32 "Pink". She is only five and is sticking fast to that color! Let us know what you guys decide on.

Look at the Raspberry pearl color on the Chevy pickup from about 10 years ago. It's pretty cool, and if you tell her it's "dark pink", she might buy into it! :-)~ Another option might be a Magenta candy over a similar base color.

Here is a Magenta colored shot I stole from one of our galleries.

Another option might be to use a "coral" color (pastel pink-orange) like the factories used in the fifties. Colors that were used often with it included black and ivory.

"I guess the other color I'm leaning toward is black."

Whatever color you choose, black is considered a neutral color that goes with anything. If you do the frame in black, then you won't have to tear the car completely down when you decide, someday, to repaint it!

paint the car black, and use the green in the flames . take a look at this bike and think of how it would look with bright green flames over black.

Go with the green and high-lite/detail it with contrasting/accenting colors. Go to a art store, home depot or other paint/decorator store and find a color wheel and you will be surprised with what will look good. Also some of the "older" factory colors will surprise a lot of folks when they are painted with the new 2-part paint system and tweaked a little.
My 1.5 cents worth.
Jim

If you factor in resale appeal, you cannot go wrong with red, orange, yellow or black. Other colors make a rod harder to sell.

I am not sure about that green. I agree that go with black and add the green to it in flames.
But if your heart is set on green Hot Hues and House of color off a few shades of green candy over a silver pearl or gold that look great. Little steep in price but very nice.
I am doing Silver and Black with flames.
Just got my frame and tank done last week.
You can see it here
http://photobucket.com/albums/v281/i...0street%20rod/