RE: IML: Green cars and how to deal with them

["Rob McCall" <Rob_Mopar@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kenyon,

I'll pop out of lurking for this one.  Do not paint it lime green (a.k.a
Sublime or Limelight).  That is way too much car for that bright of a color.
It's fine on an A-body with black accents, E-bodies are about as big as I'd
want to go.  Even on B's it's a bit much.  On an Imperial, you'll probably
be able to spot the car on satellite (not B-body Satellite) photos.

An Imperial, even in a hot rodded form still projects a certain stateliness.
I would lean heavier toward the gloss black.  A Darth Vader black.  Hot Rod
flat/satin black will look dated in a couple years (like monochrome pastel
street rods from the '90's do now, or geometric graphic strewn street
machines from the '80), and again takes the car away from the stateliness.  

The best solution might be to dye the interior.  All the pieces are there,
just not in a preferred color.  Using good quality dyes will work.  Just
about anything clashes with a green interior.

The next best suggestion I can come up with is to go with an exceptionally
dark green.  I know Toyota had a very dark metallic green in the late '80's
on the MR2.  It almost looked black but really popped in the sun.  Ma Mopar
might have something in the color charts too, but I can't think of any
examples right now.  Might want to look at late model Rover and Jag color
charts.  I think one of them has something close.

The reflections in the factory photos can be done with a base/clear finish.
Or as you've put it before, "the wet look".  Darker colors would be more
effective, but it could be pulled off in the original shade of green the car
was born with.  I'd dye the interior and go dark with the exterior.

My wife as banned green interior cars from our collection.  The only one
with a green interior that we have now is the Duster racecar.  The seats
were dyed black by a previous owner, but was with the cheaper dye.  They are
coming out, any remaing soft parts will get SEM dye in grey, and the hard
interior surfaces will probably go RustOleum smoke gray (think gloss
primer).  The exterior will go gloss black with flames since I've always
wanted to paint flames on a car, and a racecar seems the most appropriate.
I do not recommend flames for your GT project.

Rob McCall
Going back to lurking (and working in the garage)
'67 LeBaron (dark red, black interior)
'68 Barracuda (wet look gloss black, black interior)
etc.






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