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?

[charliew]

I've been painting my own cars since about 1965. Usually outside. But not so much lately. You've gotta learn how to get the metal ready before you learn how to paint. The old black needs to come off as there will be lots of rust specks under what seems to be sorta good paint. Start on the worst spots first and do it panel by panel the complete panel and put a good epoxy primer on as a sealer coat. Leave it that way till the outside is completely done then try the color on the smaller panels first till you get it down. DON"T use cheap paint. There is nothing worse than removing newer crappy paint just to get back to bare metal. For painting outside black is the easiest to hide little stuff that gets in the paint. Everybody knows a light color is usaully there to hide bodywork flaws soooo impress everyone with a straight body. It won't happen overnight though. If it's not going to be a different brand motor swap I think original is the best way to keep as much value as possible. Black paint is MUCH cheaper than any color with red in it. Unfortunatly you get a lot of rain so it can't set outside much or it will rust away faster than you can restore it. Before you get into it too far be sure you know how bad it really is. Spend a few days poking around on all the known bad areas that are covered on this site. It would be sad to get a lot of work done then decide it's really a parts car. Look for EXTRA sound deadning sprayed on the bottom that doesn't look original. Search the site for where all the foam stuff was sprayed in the cavities and corners that causes the rust through. I call the end result your thesis of about 2-4 years of studying the 914.

Some places to check that are the easiest:
Doorjamb around the round vents, any paint bubbles take a icepick and poke them, down at the bottom under the trim at the back where the rear fender is brazed to the bottom.
of course the battery tray area, save that for later so you don't get discouraged too early or maybe just go on and do it first
around the jack points especially if there is a lot of sound deadning applied
under the rockerpanels
in the rubber hood and trunk chanels
under the bottom of the doors and in the corners where the inner shell and the outer skin get really close together and hold water and dirt to stay wet too much
in the trunk at the rear under the tail lights
in the groove between the front fender and the cowl under the little rubber filler strip
around the windshield at the bottom mostly
check the the rear window hasn't come unglued and has been leaking in the floor inside
under all the floorboard tar and around the pedals
if there are little paint bubbles around the rear fenders at the upper corners that may be rust through from the inside from the foam
under the firewall insulation in the engine compartment, this is hard to do with the motor still in the car and it's easy to tear it up.
inside the wheel wells at the bottom where dirt can accumulate and hold moisture.