Colour choice - Standard or non. Thoughts please.

[boggie]

Hi All,

 

I am at the stage of engine bay stripped and front skirt removed ready to paint the engine bay. We are going to paint the whole car eventually so I was thinking: I was going to keep the colour as it is because it suits the car well, IMO. However it is a non-standard and (I think) non-Triumph hue, does this matter?

 

My wire brush tells me that the car was originally supplied signal red, this paint is still available from Moss so if I wanted to return it to original I could. The only other colours available from Moss are BRG, Navy Blue and New White. Of those only the Red and BRG were officially available at the time the car was built (01/60). Has anyone a picture of New White? Is it a cream as the Moss catalogue seems to show?

 

It seems my choices are:

 

1. Return the car to its original Signal Red livery.

2. Choose another Triumph colour.

3. Keep the colour as the existing non-standard cream.

 

There is another choice, to choose a completely different, more modern (and therefore readily available) colour. Perhaps from a manufacturer other than Triumph. For example I think the car would look very good painted BL gold or Ford lime green......

 

Only kidding but putting aside my reservations against using a non-standard colour would allow me much more choice. Silver would look nice or other metallic paints etc.

 

Your thoughts please?

 

Thanks, Ian

[stuart]

Its your car so have it painted in your own choice. Just bear in mind any non standard colour or sometimes one not available at the build date can sometimes detract from the value if you decide to sell. Though Triumph would paint the car in any colour you liked at that time. Hence some odd colours and trim combinations that have turned up over the years.

Personally I think there are more than enough red ones around now (sorry chaps ) so something different will make you stand out from the crowd. Thats one reason my 2 is going to be Gunmetal grey met.

Stuart.

[Trevor S]

Hi Ian,

 

Have a look at :

http://www.teglerizer.com/triumphcolors/index.html

It may help you decide if you are thinking of staying with a Triumph colour, although regretably new white is not shown. I'm sure you will be able to find someone to mix a colour for you other than the Moss ones mentioned if you fancy something different.

I think the choice of what colour to paint your car is such a personal decision that you have got to go with what you personally want to do, especially if you intend to keep the car a long time. You can't please everyone out there but you should try and please yourself in view of the considerable effort you are obviously putting into it.

My personal view, not that it should infuence you nor anyone else, is that a "special" car such as a works rally car or TS1 , TS2 for eg should retain their original colours. Otherwise I personally would stick with a Triumph colour I liked even if it wasn't available for your model at the time it was made. I must say I personally do not like to see TRs in metalic paint finish, but that's just me. In theory you may find you may not get the same price for a car in none original colours if the majortity of buyers still want the original colour, but I don't know if they do.

 

I have a TR4 which was powder blue when it left the factory, and I restored it (from lime green) back to powder blue. I love the colour but I must admit I was pleased it had originally been powder blue also.

I'm restoring a TR2 long door which is now primrose yellow, it's original colour being geranium which personally I would not have liked to have lived with, and it was BRG when I bought it. I have had greatly differing views on my choice of colour, from comments disliking or liking the colour, liking the colour but stating I shouldn't have painted it that colour as it wasn't a TR2 colour, advising that it was my car so I should paint it whatever damn colour I liked, to being accused of sacrilege in painting a relatively rare car in it's none original colour and a none original long door TR2 colour at that.

In my view a car can be re-painted in the long term, as both of mine had been before I got them, so the pursists I believe would have difficulty implying that the car was somehow permanently incapabale of being restored to original spec, hence as a temporary modification I would paint your car the colour you want it. Some will like it some will not, whatever you do.

Edited December 1, 2008 by Trevor S

[Kiwifrog]

Boggie,

 

Personally I like your car in the color it is in the photo it really suits the car, now if it had a red interior it would be simply striking! Its your CAR not the Mona Lisa and you should paint it any colour you like even lime green with orange spots if thats what you want. ITS A CAR it was made for having fun with and that includes the colours!!!!

 

Cheers

 

Alan

[Don Elliott]

My 1958 TR3A was black when I bought it and it's been that colour all these 50 years.

 

Black is another original sidescreen colour which is readily available.

[PatB]

If you are planning to seriously show the car once finished then it's original livery would be the way to go.

If it will be your driver/therapy then what pleases you the most is the ticket, remember paint isn't like a tatoo, it can be changed back.

On the practical side the darker shades show off body flaws, if it's to be a dark color then your bodywork should be top notch....the dark colors also show off dirt very nicely.

My red TR3 is/was red form the factory, and I do like the color but if I was to repaint I'd go with a light shade as the desert dust is simply a pain.

[Menno van Rij]

Personally I like your car in the color it is in the photo it really suits the car

I agree with Alan! Also on the interior colour! Not flame red, but a little darker!

 

I always look at your avatar thinking that the primrose yellow colour would have been my second choice (after the powder blue colour on my car). But then again... perhaps a metallic colour would be an option too! Not many TRs with a classic metallic colour around, I think. Jaguar had a beautiful metallic colour on their mkIIs.

 

A few years back, when I started looking for a TR, I came across a car that had started it's life as a CDK. The original owner of that car was able to choose his own colour when the car was assembled. A bathroom tile inspired him... in fact, the tile came with the car. I have a pic somewhere, but I'm on a new computer and not all my pictures are transferred yet.

 

Menno

[Don Elliott]

The red interior on my 1958 TR3A is the correct colour - identical to the original red. The original vinyl red changed colour after 20 years to an orangy-red when it got faded by the sun. My new red interior is all leather (which can be dyed any colour you wish to have) and I garage my TR inside all the time when I'm at home and when I park, I close the tonneau cover, so the leather has not changed in 18 years.

[M. Pied Lourd]

Ian,

 

I will have the same dilemna as you in the near future......Here are my two cents (as you are asking)

 

I guess first, I would try to decide what I am going to be using this car for......is it a driver......or is this something that you will be entering into concours shows?

 

If it is a driver, I say, paint it whatever colour you desire. I would tend to first try and stick with a Triumph colour but if that is just not doing it for you, then you might want to consider something else. I don't think that there would be anything wrong with going to a modern paint/modern paint colour. I have considered painting mine black.......but not just the Triumph formulation, but something akin to the paint on a 2009 Acura TL. They have a fabulous black with dark blue undertones and at the right angle, sometimes you begin to question weather the car is black or blue.....

 

If you are going to do lots of concours type shows, you may want to change your thinking. This colour becomes somewhat more important in this type of environment. If you paint is some other colour than stock, or even some other than a Triumph colour, I am sure that you will have to answer lots of questions as to why you decided to paint it something other....."purists" out there might be offended.

 

Whatever you decide, it is your car as others have said. I would do whatever makes you happy.

 

I have a "double dilemna"......so to speak. Not only do I have to decide what colour, I have to decide the following; Do I bring the car back to stock, with a few upgrades, or do I retain it's vintage racing heritage as it spent the later part of its life in a modified racing form......

 

Let us know what you decide

 

Thanks,

M. Pied Lourd

[Bully]

Just coming up to the paint work in my TR4A rebuild, and had a similar issue. I spent a while at an International looking at cars and taking photos, trying to match interior and paintwork.

 

I'm not a lover or red sportscars, so that was out for me (sorry guys). I had also thought about something quite different - Ferrari Yellow or Metalic Purple, you may have seen these in magazines or at the show too.

 

At the end of the day, I went for something traditional. Modern colours just don't suit our cars.

 

My car was originally conifer green, and a colour I don't care for. When I brought it, it was hand brushed dark red. I've finally chosen to go for Midnight blue, which should show off the chrome well.

 

i chose a colour I liked. My car has lots of non stardard bits - suspension, engine mods, modern seats etc, so originality was not as issue for me.

 

Like others, I like your photo, so would not change it.

 

Hope this helps

 

Bully

[Menno van Rij]

I have a "double dilemna"......so to speak. Not only do I have to decide what colour, I have to decide the following; Do I bring the car back to stock, with a few upgrades, or do I retain it's vintage racing heritage as it spent the later part of its life in a modified racing form......

 

If it's a car with a (well known) racing history, I think you should respect that. If, on the other hand, the car has been on a track occasionally, spending most of it's life on the street... Then I would consider a 21st century upgrade: better steering, better brakes and suspension and electrical fan (and perhaps an alternator). And if you have a car like Don's, I think it's great to preserve its original status.

My car was a mess when I bought it, with no known history. I opted for the '21st century'approach and I don't regret that.

 

Menno

Edited December 2, 2008 by Menno van Rij

[67_gt6]

I've finally chosen to go for Midnight blue, which should show off the chrome well.

 

You won't regret that choice!

[Don Elliott]

When people see this photo of my black TR3A, they ask me if it is Midnight Blue. It's only the reflection of the blue sky we have so often here in Canada that gives it this colour.

[boggie]

Thanks Chaps! Much appreciated. Food for thought.

 

Ian

[Guest colinTR2]

Ian

I rebuilt my TR2 over a period of 3-4 years with a lot of the work done at our local Tech College, on a bodywork restoration course. When it came to choosing the colour I rather liked Old English White, but the car had originally been BRG, but with red and then blue and then yellow in parts. So I sprayed the front apron in OEW, and one of the front wings in BRG, took them both home and presented them to wife and 8/9 year old daughter with the question "which do you prefer?"

Immediately my daughter said "the green one", so that was choice made.

I was very happy to put the car back to original, and have tried to keep the rest of it that way. So when things have been repairable I have repaired, when things have been in need of replacement I have replaced with original design as far as possible.

When I bought the car it was in very poor condition and the guy gave a spare engine. I didn't know at the time, but the engine in the car was the Vanguard version, and the spare was the original TR engine with correct number. So now the original is rebuilt, in the car and all numbers match!!

So, the best of luck with your decision

Colin