What is the best colour for a TR5

[Red 6]

Colour is fashion and fashion changes.

 

For example 10 years ago no one in their right mind would have bought a white car, silver was the new black and now white is the new silver.

 

I have always loved red, not the orangy pimento red but "red" red in fact all my cars were painted red, well all except the blue and green ones.

 

So now I am faced with a decision: what is the best colour to paint my car. The fashion of 5 or so years back was of course Jasmin, a trend made popular by Harry Dent, and still a great colour, I favour red of course, but what of white? should it be bright white or should it tend towards Ivory white.

 

It is true colours like royal or sapphire blue look great when clean and stood alone, but when in a line up of cars tend to vanish, so do you want your pride and joy to stand out in a crowd?

 

I once bought a bright yellow car, it was fab but stood out too much, far too much I still have nightmares about that one.

 

So my tendancy would be to go red, but fashion dictates white. What does the forum massif have to say?

[alan atkinson]

Wedgewood gets my vote.

Or Valencia if it's too light for your tastes. Both look stunning on the right car.

Black would be third.

[stuart]

Royal Blue every time, The number of customers who comment on how nice that colour is far outstrips any thing else.

Stuart.

[TR 2100]

Valencia would be my choice, although I do like Jasmine.

Not so keen on dark colours, Yes to red, No to white.

 

AlanR

[PJK]

What was the car's original colour? I think a restored TR5 should always be painted in its original colour.

[Bald Rick]

Yellow

 

Tony

[RogerH]

Hi Red6,

my TR4 came home last Monday from the painters - Royal Blue (56).

It's the dogs doo dahs (almost as good as the white 4A, but then it isn't really white either - sort of mushroomy colour).

 

 

Roger

 

PS -the quality of the car should also dictate the colour -

Good flat panels - dark colour

Good panel gaps - light colour

Edited May 26, 2011 by RogerH

[carld]

When I bought my 5 three years ago it was Valencia, which I was going to change immediately!, however Valencia grew on me, that and the fact that so many people commented on what a lovely colour.

 

Cheers Carl

[johnny250]

What was the car's original colour? I think a restored TR5 should always be painted in its original colour.

 

 

Exactly......it's part of its history, matches the commission plate.... keep that bit original at least

and another vote for Valencia blue

Edited May 26, 2011 by johnny250

[D1070]

I'm in the royal blue camp,-it does have to be kept clean to look

its best but thats no real chore,funnily enough my 5 started life

in signal red,

cheers,

Laurence,

ps having seen Neils,(ntc), 5 close up i must say that it does look

very good in white

 

 

[Guest ntc]

I'm in the royal blue camp,-it does have to be kept clean to look

its best but thats no real chore,funnily enough my 5 started life

in signal red,

cheers,

Laurence,

ps having seen Neils,(ntc), 5 close up i must say that it does look

very good in white

 

 

Thanks Laurence,

I think that white does suit a 5 imho the last colour I would have a 5 is red

[Red 6]

The origional colour is white, and since white is a very popular colour for "normal" cars the temptation is to paint it white.

 

Royal blue is very tempting i must say, doubly so as the panels I appear to be completely flat even without preparation but I would still like to hear opinions.

 

Thanks to everyone so far.

[Tom Fremont]

Any colour will look fabulous if done to the highest standard ( and make sure the wing bead is painted ). Original colour has particular cachet of course.

 

Red suffers from envy from other colours . Fact is, none other commands such involuntary regard from the masses; resentment for that is to be expected and there's the rub

 

I wouldn't ( and didn't ) hesitate to go red!

 

[harrytr5]

Just keep mine a little exclusive Tom. Valencia (stanley screw driver blue as it is known in NLG!) does look good I must admit.

Michelotti was reputed to have said "I like my cars to be the colour of Women's underclothes not the colour of men;s under pants!)

So there you have it.Red only vanishes when parked up with like minded cars but when you are driving around and how many TR,s do you see any way? Good luck with your quest.I bet you will not be painting this one.

Regards Harry TR5 Nutter

[Tom Fremont]

Valencia (stanley screw driver blue as it is known in NLG!) does look good I must admit.

Regards Harry TR5 Nutter

 

 

Don't disagree, though am still developing appreciation for VB after 9 years of having one Was my least favourite colour ( along with Jasmine, though the TR6 colour of Saffron always took the cake in my eyes! ) but now it ranks middle to upper-middle - imagine that!

 

[marko]

This is all personal preference to be honest, but from a retail / re-sale perspective, Royal Blue or Midnight Blue are the best sellers - no question!

 

Red, White, Green, Yellow are all pretty much ok for sales although it always depends on the overall condition of the car.....

 

If I had a choice it would be Royal Blue for me every time - it is classy without looking trashy or over-restored....but as Lawrence said - you need to keep it clean to get the maximum effect.......

 

Regards Mark

[Tom Fremont]

Michelotti was reputed to have said "I like my cars to be the colour of Women's underclothes not the colour of men;s under pants!)

Regards Harry TR5 Nutter

 

 

...and what colour was his one-off TR5 prototype ?

[alan atkinson]

Michelotti was reputed to have said "I like my cars to be the colour of Women's underclothes not the colour of men;s under pants!)

 

So that is why the 250 was never offered in brown.

Now I understand

[Guest ntc]

The origional colour is white, and since white is a very popular colour for "normal" cars the temptation is to paint it white.

 

Royal blue is very tempting i must say, doubly so as the panels I appear to be completely flat even without preparation but I would still like to hear opinions.

 

Thanks to everyone so far.

 

 

If the plate says 19 it is the only way to go imho to many have been changed

[alan atkinson]

I agree. White's not a bad way to go. Especially if it was originally white.

[68tr]

I agree with sticking with the original colour and add a matador red interior to top it off! That is a nice combination in my opinion!

 

Mike

[Chris59]

I know it's not everyone's taste, but I really like magenta, this colour suit very well the shape of my 6, but, IMHO, it would be ugly on a 5.

My favorite colour on a 5 is royal blue, with a surrey top, and beige leather interior

Please no more red TR ! I remember a rally with TR's a few years ago (in Scotland), 8 of 10 TR's were red !!

Chris.

Edited May 26, 2011 by Chris59

[Davidw]

Mine is Royal Blue and it looks fantastic. As long as I don't actually drive it anywhere after I have cleaned it.

 

Lighter colours do not show swirl marks & scratches - dark ones do and Royal blue is the worst of them. So if you don't mind spending an hour cleaning up every time you use it and having to completely detail the paintwork at least once a year (i.e. cleaner, clay bar polish & wax) have a dark colour.

 

Clay bar.. I'm gonna take you to a clay bar, clay bar, clay bar...

[Red 6]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........................Red.

 

Must............................................ resist.

 

 

Harry, I will be painting the car myself, er just not soon.

 

I really am torn between White and Royal blue, especially since I have a large supply of clay bar and lubricant, but Red is such a "happy" colour.

 

Excellent contributions, many thanks.

[Andrew Smith]

Interesting thread.

 

Having been guilty of changing two of my previous TRs from their original colour to red i.e. OPC 310L (73 TR6) from white to pimento and SUV 407F (68 TR4A) from royal blue to signal red - I really regretted changing SUV’s colour! (my mimosa 73 TR6 and conifer green 67 TR4A would have been resprayed signal red if I had kept them long enough). However, I am now of the view that TRs should be kept to their original colour in order to maintain the integrity of the car and its history, unless it’s brown of course!!

 

I’m lucky that TuRK and VUX are still in their original colours of signal red and pimento respectively – although I do hanker after a royal blue or BRG TR5 one day, preferably still in their original colour.

 

I guess the upshot is that you can spray it any colour you wish, but would suggest not the ‘de rigueur’ colour of the moment, for example, anyone still see any of those awful lime green cars (less the Lambos!) that were so ‘fashionable in the mid-late 80s and early 90s, thought not?

 

As always, just my thoughts..

 

Cheers

Andrew