Help with new paint color...please

[burgandy81]

Hi All,

Last summer I had an unfortunate collision with a rather large deer. My appointment with the body shop is coming up in early March and I have decided to get the car painted while the repair is being done. 




I have enough aesthetic sense to know I REALLY like some things and not others. Tragically, I do not have enough aesthetic sense to be confident in choosing colors. At least I know it......

I have always loved grey/silver/blue on these cars (at the risk of making my username obsolete). While I have a couple of paint code charts, I am struggling to match the small paint square to pictures of cars.




This is the first car I have had painted and the chance to chose the color is causing me stress! The permanence (and cost!!) of the decision is overwhelming.

Below are a few cars that I really like and I am hoping the Fiat Brain Trust may be able to help put some paint codes to the pictures?

Car #1. Here is a little inspiration to get us going! If anyone can suggest a Fiat (or other) paint code for this color I would be eternally grateful.



Car #2. Here is one of my favorites from Bring a Trailer. Is this a stock color? Which one?


https://bringatrailer.com/2007/06/10/19 ... fications/

Car #3. Another nice car. Color?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981- ... -spider-7/

Car #4. And another. Paint code?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984- ... ninfarina/

Car #4. A very pretty car but I do not think this is factory paint?? Any guesses?


Thanks for reading. If you have any ideas on this please reply with the Car# and possible paint codes.

Kind regards,

Jordan

[DieselSpider]

I was considering putting mine back to the original blue metallic two tone instead of the really bad acrylic red a prior owner put on it but then the title and registration would also need to be amended so I just stuck with red albeit a nicer cherry pepper red. Simple would be to read the paint code on the cars specification plate and go with what the car came with from the factory.

[SteinOnkel]

Allow me to offer up some general advice when picking colors.

I always start from the inside out. What color is the carpet? The seats? The floor mats? Those are most likely all a given. Then you go to the exterior. What color is the top? The wheels? Also givens.

Now you need to start figuring out how the overall picture will look. When designing with color, there are usually two ways you can go: compliment or contrast. Either is perfectly fine.

As a designer in a perfect world, I'm never forced to pick more than three colors. When it comes to cars (especially the interiors) it gets a little bit more complicated. A good starting point is color.adobe.com

My Fiat looks (or will look) like this:

- Light beige seats and headrets
- black carpet
- red floormats
- black top
- grand prix white exterior

Still deciding on the color of the wood. I'd love to repeat some of the red and I like things with a local heritage. It's a California car, so the go-to would be redwood. That likes to turn dull grey in an exterior use though

Cheers
Steiny

[burgandy81]

Simple would be to read the paint code on the cars specification plate and go with what the car came with from the factory.

True.... but it would not be much fun!


Hey Steiny,

That is some nice and thoughtful advice!

My car will be....

Black seats, console, door cards, and dash
Dark grey/black speckled carpet
Floor mats - black
Black soft top
Pinin Hardtop recovered in dark charcoal vinyl (as close to tire colour as I can find) - Future
15" Satin Black steel wheels from a Fiat 500 with 1970 Spider hubcaps. - Near Future
The dash is currently stock although I am up for anything.

Can anyone suggest paint codes for the cars above?

Cheers,

Jordan

[DieselSpider]

For a total color change I would consider the #427 Mexican Blue Met or the #432 Azure Blue Met however I do not consider dealing with updating titles, registration and the DMV as fun so if the title and registration currently states red as the color then I would more likely go with the #294 Orient Yellow (calling it red) or #162 Martian Red.

You really need to decide though what you like otherwise you could end up with something like this:


Some here might really love that paint job while others might want to paint it over in battleship gray.

[aj81spider]

I'd check your title before getting too worked up about the color. For example, Massachusetts titles don't list the color (at least the ones I have for my cars!).

[burgandy81]

Regulatory colour change in my area (BC, Canada) is relatively easy.

#427 Mexican Blue Met or the #432 Azure Blue Met

Do you have links to pictures of cars with these colours? My challenge is that I feel colours look very different on a car than on the chip. 

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I know the purists are going to start to shudder when I say this, but you don't have to use a Fiat color. One option is to find a color that you like on an existing car (of similar size and proportion to your car), find the color code, and find a good body shop that can get that paint color.

For my '69 spider, I went with a Porsche red color, although it's been so long (30 years?) since that paint job that I could be wrong on that. But, I see the purists starting to foam at the mouth, so I'll stop there.

-Bryan

[TX82FIAT]

I've seen some sharp looking European convertibles with a glossy stone grey paint. A lot of the Porshe 356 cars. MG's, Mini's, Jags. The classic grey would go well with your described interior.

[DieselSpider]

I know the purists are going to start to shudder when I say this, but you don't have to use a Fiat color. One option is to find a color that you like on an existing car (of similar size and proportion to your car), find the color code, and find a good body shop that can get that paint color.

For my '69 spider, I went with a Porsche red color, although it's been so long (30 years?) since that paint job that I could be wrong on that. But, I see the purists starting to foam at the mouth, so I'll stop there.

-Bryan

Yes indeed that is a very popular option. You can even do this at a Fiat Dealership or go to their website and through their compare tool look are the models and colors used over the past three years and by clicking on the color swatches see photos of the cars with that paint color.

See: https://www.fiatusa.com/lineup.compare.html?app=compare

Blue Sky Metallic


Mare Blue Metallic


Hypnotique Red

[DieselSpider]

Duplicated post to delete.

[davidbruce]

HI Jordan, that looks nasty but could have been a lot worse. IMHO with all the black on the car your color pallette is wide open. I would find a car with a color I liked and get the code from it's ID tag. Ideally a small convertible. Paint chips are tantamount to useless for picking colors. However if you find a car in a parking lot you can go to the jobbers and look up the chips for that make and year to get the code. I don't know if they still do it, but the year used to be embossed in the tail light lens. Keep in mind single stage paint will look different to base coat clear. And what is equally important to finding a good body shop. My experience is most can do good work but but few do it consistently. Have you got a price on the same color versus also spraying the door jams, trunk and engine compartment? Changing colors can add a fair bit to the price. Is stripping the bits off before taking it to them and replacing them yourself an option ? If your up for that it may save a lot and yield a better job. Did Bernie come through with a fender ? Is your grille surround damaged? I may have a spare. Sorry for the novel. Hope it answers more questions than it raises.
Dave

[burgandy81]

Bryan

One option is to find a color that you like on an existing car (of similar size and proportion to your car), find the color code, and find a good body shop that can get that paint color.

Yes, agreed, that was what I was trying to accomplish with my first post as I am having a hard time finding modern cars with a color I like. See below for an option.


DieselSpider

That Fiat Blue Sky Metalic might be a contender! It has a nice retro vibe to it.


Dave,

True, we were very lucky to drive a couple of hundred Km home without issues and no injuries.

And yes, I have found a good restoration shop which is why I have had to wait so long. The engine bay is already silver and the trunk is all black so it really just the jambs. I will strip the car and give them just a shell. I have been trying to get my 2.5" exhaust completed before I start taking apart. I should start stripping the car in a couple of weeks.  

Bernie was a star in responding and getting photos although the panels he had contained a little more corrosion than I wanted to work with. I am still trying to get some panels up from California.


All, here is a possible contender. Porches Ice Blue Metalic. (Ice Blue Metallic - 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S)

[dinghyguy]

I suggest the light mettalic blue used on the 79’s
It is on one of mine and it looks good under the grey sky’s in vancouver!
Dinghyguy

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I suggest the light mettalic blue used on the 79’s
It is on one of mine and it looks good under the grey sky’s in vancouver!
Dinghyguy

I second what Dinghyguy says. He's shown some pictures of his car on this forum, and that metallic blue is truly magnificent. Makes me even consider moving to a different color than my "boring" red. Maybe. Well, maybe not...

-Bryan