Paint color question. What's your input? Options

[Black914_4]

Hi all,
So I'm a noob here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) and have a paint color question. I owned a boxster a few years back but this is my first 914. It's a black '74, all orginal as far as I can tell. Factory 2.0 with FI. Bought it a couple weeks ago, replaced all the hoses and rebuilt the distriator and have been driving it for the last week or two.

My goal is to fix it up myself and drive it. I want to keep it as orginal as I can. It has survived this long in tack and all orginal and feel it should stay that way to perverve history. Granted it def shows its age and needs work, but it's in decent shape.

BUT... I hate black! lol

So I thought I get your input on it's color.

Should I keep it factory black?
Should I stay with a factory color like the bright Orange?
Should i go with bright red with a white top?
Should I go with a blue?

[rnellums]

Signal Orange is a GREAT color, but it seems like half the 914's out there are that color. I used to have a black 914 with chrome bumpers, chrome trim, and polished 5 lug fuchs and the car was SO clean! Add to the the fact the factory black cars aren't seen that often, and that since you wont be doing a color change the paint job will be less expensive and look better, I had to vote black.

and (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif)

[mepstein]

I'm all in favor of painting your car any color you like but be prepared. A proper color change will cost much more than a respray since you will want to take apart much more of the car to cover all the black. Two tone cars, even in the places that aren't normally visible, just don't look right.

[zymurgist]

I voted for orange because I prefer period correct colors for old cars.

That said, one of my favorite colors for cars in general is a pearl blue. I had a 1998 Dodge Neon and a 2006 Acura RSX in bright pearl blue, and a good friend has a Honda S2000 in the same color. Love it love it love it.

[rick 918-S]

Depends on your budget and your taste. If your going to do a color change do it right. Don't cheese out and leave stuff black that should be the new body color. The only way to do that is to completely disassemble the car to the shell. I'm serious. To the shell. You'll be into that kind of repaint for maybe 6 months if your lucky. Then there's the Dirk Wrights disease that always follows when reassembly starts. None of the parts you took off the shell seem to look good enough to put back on. that equals $$$$ So, if your wallets big go for it. If you cheese out and color change on the cheap you'll regret it.

If the car doesn't have serious rust issues I would freshen up the paint and leave it black. I voted black.

Poorly done color changes end up devaluing the car. But were always our own best salesmen. We can sell anything to ourselves. Specially when we convince ourselves it will save us money... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[porbmw]

Depends on your budget and your taste. If your going to do a color change do it right. Don't cheese out and leave stuff black that should be the new body color. The only way to do that is to completely disassemble the car to the shell. I'm serious. To the shell. You'll be into that kind of repaint for maybe 6 months if your lucky. Then there's the Dirk Wrights disease that always follows when reassembly starts. None of the parts you took off the shell seem to look good enough to put back on. that equals $$$$ So, if your wallets big go for it. If you cheese out and color change on the cheap you'll regret it.

If the car doesn't have serious rust issues I would freshen up the paint and leave it black. I voted black.

Poorly done color changes end up devaluing the car. But were always our own best salesmen. We can sell anything to ourselves. Specially when we convince ourselves it will save us money... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
That pretty well sums it up.

Color changes are tough to pull off, did one years ago...it ended up looking good...but there were always those tell tale signs...

Drive the car for a while, bond with it, and you may find that the color grows on you. (well, maybe you can drive yours, mine has been disassembled for years) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Years ago I went to look at an older Porsche (not 914), silver with a cork/tan interior. Loved the silver, really didn't care for the tan. Bought it, drove it, ended up repainting it etc, and when it came to redoing the sun-baked interior, did it in it's original tan. By then, the tan color "belonged" cuz it was "my car". And in the end, years later, people remark/approve of the color cuz it is not the typical black, and frankly looks good and period correct.

I have a signal orange 14, it's a great color...but....

[ww914]

For all the reasons previously stated, I would stay with black. I am currently dolling up my Laguna Blue car. It is so much easier to shoot areas like the wheel wells the same color because it doesn't have to be perfect. If I had your black car, I would keep it original black. The photo below shows what I am talking about. Everything I have taken off in this picture is being either re-painted, replaced or zinc coated. Even doing it yourself uses up much of your beer money, not to mention your time. Think about it.

[7TPorsh]

Stay original and keep it simple...stay black and join us on the black list!

[Black914_4]

I don't have a big wallet right now. Planning on doing this myself. I've learned/taught myself everything else that I've tried to learn in the past so I figure body work & paint won't be any different. I know it's not going to be "show car" quaility, but I guess I'm going to more of a nice drivable car that look nice that I can drive every day and show off. And I figured it's only paint. Worst comes to worse I can always sand it down and do it again or pay someone else to redo it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I wasn't plannning on doing the wheel wells in the new color. Kinda planned on doing them and doing the underneath in a black just to seal everything and make sure it doesn't rust anymore. But it sounds like that might not be the way to go. My only concern about doing black is that I hear it is not a very forgiving color, ie. my body work skills or just dirt from the rode.

Here is a couple pics of the only bad spots on the car, plus one dent in the pass door.
Other then that it's all straight. It's just dull and dirty. No clear coat left.

[Black914_4]

....

[PeeGreen 914]

A nice black 914 is sexy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

With a small budget I'd keep it the stock color. You can fix the issues and make that car look great.

[dlee6204]

Depends on your budget and your taste. If your going to do a color change do it right. Don't cheese out and leave stuff black that should be the new body color. The only way to do that is to completely disassemble the car to the shell. I'm serious. To the shell. You'll be into that kind of repaint for maybe 6 months if your lucky. Then there's the Dirk Wrights disease that always follows when reassembly starts. None of the parts you took off the shell seem to look good enough to put back on. that equals $$$$ So, if your wallets big go for it. If you cheese out and color change on the cheap you'll regret it.

If the car doesn't have serious rust issues I would freshen up the paint and leave it black. I voted black.

Poorly done color changes end up devaluing the car. But were always our own best salesmen. We can sell anything to ourselves. Specially when we convince ourselves it will save us money... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Exactly... hit the nail on the head. I voted black.

[SirAndy]

Poorly done color changes end up devaluing the car.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

What he said ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[HeloMech]

I voted orange, but didn't realize it was factory black paint. I'd stick with the factory color... or, sell it and buy an orange car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[mepstein]

I don't have a big wallet right now. Planning on doing this myself. I've learned/taught myself everything else that I've tried to learn in the past so I figure body work & paint won't be any different. I know it's not going to be "show car" quaility, but I guess I'm going to more of a nice drivable car that look nice that I can drive every day and show off. And I figured it's only paint. Worst comes to worse I can always sand it down and do it again or pay someone else to redo it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I wasn't plannning on doing the wheel wells in the new color. Kinda planned on doing them and doing the underneath in a black just to seal everything and make sure it doesn't rust anymore. But it sounds like that might not be the way to go. My only concern about doing black is that I hear it is not a very forgiving color, ie. my body work skills or just dirt from the rode.

Here is a couple pics of the only bad spots on the car, plus one dent in the pass door.
Other then that it's all straight. It's just dull and dirty. No clear coat left.

Are you sure that is the only bad spot? Have you removed the floor tar? Looked at the passenger suspension console? checked all the trouble spots? Even old paint hides a lot of badness.

[struckn]

Think if I had an all black I'd Clone this.....check it out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bumblebee_914LE.jpg[img]

[Black914_4]

I like yellow. My last Porsche was a speed yellow boxster and I have a yellow FJ right now too. And I keep the stock black.

PLUS... I was wanting to write Porsche on the side like that so people would stop asking me if it was a mg or Triumph! lol

[Cairo94507]

They look good in black....and if that is the original color, black it would stay. Now if your car was gold like mine was originally.....different story (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Tom_T]

Hi all,
So I'm a noob here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) and have a paint color question. I owned a boxster a few years back but this is my first 914. It's a black '74, all orginal as far as I can tell. Factory 2.0 with FI. Bought it a couple weeks ago, replaced all the hoses and rebuilt the distriator and have been driving it for the last week or two.

My goal is to fix it up myself and drive it. I want to keep it as orginal as I can. It has survived this long in tack and all orginal and feel it should stay that way to perverve history. Granted it def shows its age and needs work, but it's in decent shape.

BUT... I hate black! lol

So I thought I get your input on it's color.

Should I keep it factory black?
Should I stay with a factory color like the bright Orange?
Should i go with bright red with a white top?
Should I go with a blue?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I'm going to hold off voting because you haven't confirmed that black is indeed the original color, as they were color changed back in the day as a fashion statement of the current owner. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Look at the Karmann Plate on the LF door jam & the color code is stamped in the lower silver box (upper box is the chassis no. which can be translated into the build date of the car - another story). Better yet - post a clear pic of it.

Then look in the 914 info section on this website at the top, cor the colors & codes listing - p914.com also has them with sample cars in the colors, in case it's a color you're not sure of if not black originally. being a 74, the paint code could identify it as a Bumblebee (black with yellow) LE, which would be important to know.

I fully sympathize with your not liking the original color! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
My 73 2L was originally L80E/Light Ivory....white, but went through several color changes before & after I bought it in Dec. 75, and I really would've preferred a nice blue 914 if I could've ordered one new (I was a 74 college grad with no $$s). So I had hoped to repaint mine to Marathon or Alaska Blue metallic in my current resto. But I found in an informal survey I did, that 914s seem to sell for 40-60% LESS when the color is changed from original on comparable cars.

So I'll take mine back to L80E in my resto, and am going thru a 12 step I like white 914s program as we speak! ...I'm sure they have a 12 step black program too!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Color changes are even more of a value loss if you veer away from a period correct color available back then - to another color - especially current ones, but you can go with colors available on 911/912 & 356 that were period correct without that additional value ding.

Black & metallic paints are the hardest to do, so even Porsche charged more for them even in their "stock colors" back then. That may make it more of a challenge for you to do the paint, but maybe not. Also don't be surprised to find a lot more rust areas which need work on your 914, and that means cut & weld patch pieces & panels to repair it, also a fine skill to do it right & not look bad when done & painted if Fuched up.

IMHO black is a great color on 914s, & I'd keep it the original color - whether black or other color, & whether a DD or show car.

But in the end - it's your car, your money & time, so you'll have to make the decision on how to approach your project, and live with the consequences either way. Just enjoy yourself! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[jeff]

I'm having trouble on deciding color also! Go black but you could either paint Stripes,Graphics different color air dam? Wheel color...Leave the main body black and play with the rest. If you google 914 Race Car and hit images you'll find some ideas...