Ethics poll - keep orginal color, other BMW color or non BMW color

Color choice. Original, E9 or non E9

  • keep original color

    Votes: 29 38.2%

  • other E9 color is OK

    Votes: 34 44.7%

  • non E9 color is OK

    Votes: 16 21.1%

  • metallic

    Votes: 11 14.5%

  • non metallic

    Votes: 6 7.9%
  • Total voters
    76
  • Poll closed .
Do what you like! Its your car! Except of course - if you want to paint it horrid pink or **** brown - that should be made illegal & u should be executed..

I bought a white E9 - only because it had the best bodywork & mechanics of the bunch - but now she's fjord blue. I much prefer lighter colors and E9's are shark shaped - so for me, they look good in blue grey or silver.
 
Granada for me

Mine was originally Verona, but I decided to go with metallic Granada.

I'm not sure if it was a factory color, but I know it was an option for the 2002, so that's close enough for me.
Verona was a little too orange for my taste and malaga was too close to purple.

I really love Polaris, and while some people think it might be a boring choice, for me, it just seems like a more classy, appropriate choice. I was too big of a color change for me (from Verona) and the girls in my life wanted red so...
 
It was discussed at length in a recent thread but the bottom line is it costs quite a bit of $$$$$ to do a really nice paint job & related body work on a coupe so you should be rewarded for your efforts with the finished product ----- paint it a color you really like. If the paint job is sharp and a likeable color I can’t see a non-factory color causing a big loss during a sale unless you tend to love very odd colors like pink or caterpillar gut green.

Having said that to me metallic paint jobs are like having a trophy wife or girlfriend, they can look very nice but always end up costing you more money and or time. Solid color chips can be successfully touched up with a touch up brush for almost no cost, where the same touch up on a metallic car stands out like a sore thumb. Successful touch ups on a metallic cars almost always require spray blending by a professional painter. Even with larger repairs when solid colors have to be sprayed & blended you’ve got a better shot at an unnoticeable repair because you only have to worry about matching the color, not how the flakes lay out at the edge of the blend. Many times a metallic paint repair will look fine in bright sunlight but stand out poorly under artificial lights at night. I haven’t painted professionally in over 20 years (was better at straightening & welding metal) but I still talk shop with all my friends in the collision business. ~ John Buchtenkirch
 
Caterpillar gut green? Now there's an idea, thanks John!

But naw, as I mentioned earlier I am not going for a pop color, I will (hopefully) live with it for 30 years so it needs to be just right. I want a clean solid car to show off the lines of the car.

I saw the other thread and know it is not cheap but the prep work is very good here. They even found some rust on the "ceiling". It was supposed to be a smaller project but turned into a bigger one so every last speck of rust should be gone from the car. All is clean metal.
The car was in a pretty good shape but the rust was coming. better to nip it in the bud....

And I fully agree with the difference in repairing metallic and color, had some repairs I could not see outdoors but in a garage with really cold light they did stand out.

Here are some pics of the prep work, look OK to an old metal guy like you?

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150922913361919.411869.694876918&type=3&l=dcc5d0dd65


And the interior work :
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150908270181919.410393.694876918&type=3&l=e14e65e4c7



Rgds,

Johan
 
This is a timely discussion for me. My car goes to the painter on Monday and from the start I have planned to stay with the original nachtblau. The decision wasn't about value or originality so much as the fact that I couldn't make up my mind about choosing a different color. My first coupe was verona and currently that would be one of my last choices. Proof that for me at least, tastes change.

It was helpful attending the annual Puget Sound CCA car show last weekend with a chance to see so many coupes in one place. Of the nine in attendance, including five CSLs, there was a range of colors to be seen in person. Talking to the owners reinforced the belief that in this area at least, originality isn't a big concern. Bottom line for me is pick a color that suites you and enjoy!
 
I agree with you on the non-metalic paint. My e39 is Cosmos Black Metallic, and i would much prefer (non-metallic) Jet Black.

To return to my original suggestion, a dark, non-metallic version of BRG would be fabulous. I agree with your thought that the darker colors better set off the lines of the e9, and they really highlight the chrome beautifully.
 
Mine was originally Polaris. When I had the outer body restoration done in 1988, I had it painted Signal Red, which is a Mercedes color, but is a bit deeper and richer than Verona. Most of the interior (panels, seats, rugs) came out, trunk was stripped, most of engine compartment was peeled back but engine was left in. You have to look hard to find any silver paint.

When I take the car to events, no one bitch-slaps me for lack of originality... they just say "wow."

Of course, I could care less what anyone else thinks, and that's my strongest advice of all. I have a chapter in my upcoming book about this. Ralph Lauren painted his Bugatti Type 57C Atlantic Coupe, one one of the rarest, most valuable cars, black. It originally was blue. Mr. Lauren reportedly "likes black cars." Hey if it's good enough for Ralph Lipschitz it's good enough for me.
 
Thanks guys,

not sure I could go for that green or John Buchtenkirch would hunt me down. A bit too close to caterpillar gut green. But it is cool. Wonder how it looks on a non CSL though? The black bits help to offset the color a bit.

The Ferrari color Ohmess posted is also very nice, definitely worth a though.


It is nice to see that I am not the only one wrestling with this :)
 
Calder had the right idea. Why settle on one color? Heck you might even call it "art"!!!
 
johanaxelson said:
Here are some pics of the prep work, look OK to an old metal guy like you?

And the interior work :
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150908270181919.410393.694876918&type=3&l=e14e65e4c7
Click to expand...

Johan,
I took a quick look at the interior work you are doing. Looks like its coming along nicely. What is your plan for the center console sides ? (photos 8-10). I had mine recovered, but they look like hell. To do it right, I think you need a very thin vinyl or vacuum formed by someone like Just Dashes. I'm hoping you have a non-Just Dashe$ solution I can borrow.

-D
 
Hej Johan!

Any closer to a decision :)

Is the work being done in Sweden? Saw a BMW Club Sweden sticker on the car. If so, where do you buy your stuff from? W&N, BMW direct, Jaymich or other?

I´ve mostly bought from W&N although BMW Sweden does hand out a 20% discount twice a year for club members, planning to use that for bigger parts as they´re not what you´d call cheap...

Am also interested in what springs you went for and wherefrom as well as the vinyl stuff. I prefer to buy things in the EU due to tax reasons although things like Carl Nelsons shorter springs are cool...

Thanks and sorry for the off topic!

Gisli
 
Johan,

you asked the wrong question.You should have started this topic telling us that you have a perfectly restored (cognac?saddle? -hard to tell from pics) interior waiting for the matching exterior paint.
To be honest with you I voted for original color,since I paint all my vintage cars back to original color regardless what that color was.Not only because it really determine the value of a car,but I think it's kinda like showing respect to the car.

But this case is different.After I saw your absolutely perfect leather interior ,I'd suggest to choose a color that really enhances that beautiful color.

I'd definately forget colors like:inka,orange,all kinds of red,etc.

I think that interior shows really off if you choose:tundra,baikal,nacht,fjord,chamonix,polaris,schwarz.

Maybe colors like turquise,golf,ceylon etc. would work well.

The only thing is missing from your resto is a perfect set of wood.Maybe I can help
,please see my thread:

http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11257
 
Some replies :

@David - it is being rebuilt, should be done now. I will ask for pics and explanation of what material was used. Have not followed up on that one.

@Gjenssen - Work is being done in Lithuania, there is a Norwegian guy there with a big shop doing old car restorations and he knows the E9 very well. Done several before.
The stuff is from mixed sources, both W&N and BMW and some from US.
I guess I buy it where I find it at a good total price.
I have the Carl Nelson springs and Bilsteins. Not really doing any other of the road handling related stuff now. Easy enough to change later. Want to see how it feels first.
The vinyl is from different sources. Trunk is from W&N. Unfortunately different hues :( Console vinyl I will ask about.

@Bela - You have a very good point there. It of course needs to match the interior
and i do not think the Sienna will really do the job.
I am note sure what to call the color but it is a warm brown so there is
more red than violet in it. As you see it is hard to photograph.
So colors like Polaris may be a little too cold for it. Not sure.
I think your comments on color are very good, you have a good eye :)
Your wood looks very nice (no giggling people!) and I have not gotten there
yet in my thinking. It would be a very nice addition.




And no, not any closer on choice of color :(

I should start a thread with recommendations and do a vote :)
 
I think that interior and the original color (sienna) would be perfect! Again, I have the same combo, but my seats and panels are a lighter brown than your redone interior. My plan was to redo them in a darker, more caramel color. Thanks for giving me a preview, it looks great.
 
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