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Original Colour - Yes Or No


BMT

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New member to the group and doing some research.

Does your car loose much in value if you respray in a colour different to the original colour?

 

Yes it's a big job but not sure if I like some of the 260Z original colours?

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Its only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. (And only if you actually want to sell it)

If you want the original colour, paint it that colour.
Otherwise paint it any colour you want, its your car.

I would say though, if you are planning a concourse quality rebuild, then yea, probably a good idea to keep the original colour

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Hi Brad,

 

I assume that you are still looking for a car to buy.

You say that you are not sure that you like some of the original 260Z colours, so I am guessing that you do like some of the other colours.

 

That being the case, you could pick any original colour, and buy a new paint code sticker (available on eBay) for the car.

Apart from the paint code sticker, which is often missing, it is virtually impossible to prove what colour a 240Z or 260Z was painted.

 

The colour is not included on build plates, compliance plates or original service booklets.

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Apart from the paint code sticker, which is often missing, it is virtually impossible to prove what colour a 240Z or 260Z was painted.

 

The colour is not included on build plates, compliance plates or original service booklets.

Somewhat true, based on the data I'm compiling though often close VIN # cars were painted the same colour. So it would be possible to know if it was originally assigned that colour if enough data becomes available about RS30's for example.

 

Will that impact values? Impossible to say, but 20 years ago most would have said turfing the original L24 in favour of an L28 wouldn't have made much difference. Impossible to predict the future.

 

In my opinion colour is subjective so playing it safe means sticking with the factory hues. However I personally don't like modern paint colours on classic cars. Prefer to stick with period correct colours. I would pick a factory colour you do like and go with that if doing a bare metal restoration.

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No right or wrong answer to this. Everybody's taste is different. Ditto gav240Z's comments.

But if a car is painted in a colour once popular back in the day but unpopular these days then it makes sense to improve the situation both for one's own enjoyment now and for better resale down the track. Unless of course the car is particularly rare and some kind of time capsule wherin it would seem wrong to change it, but even then if it's valuable enough a subsequent owner can always choose to put it back.

The reality is that paint systems back in the day can often look rather flat or bland today compared to modern systems that we've become used to. But while some modern colours sit very well on older vehicles others can just look plain wrong.

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I'm going to echo someone else's signature on here that making decisions that you're not 100% happy with in the name of resale value is like avoiding making love to your significant other so that they're more attractive to their next partner.........

 

 

In other words if you want to paint it then paint it.

 

I got my car resprayed in the factory colour because I liked the factory colour and I like originality to an extent, but that was my personal choice for my enjoyment of the car with no regard for any future value (never selling it anyway!)

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I think the most important thing if the colour of one's car is to be changed is then to do it thoroughly - IMO it looks bad when one opens the bonnet on a nice looking red car, say, to find it's still painted a different original colour in the engine bay and signs of it elsewhere as well. Or after a repaint there's a different shade of the colour - the original - in the door shut lines.

 

 

 

Apart from the paint code sticker, which is often missing, it is virtually impossible to prove what colour a 240Z or 260Z was painted.

True enough with our Datsuns in this part of the world. Yet, American cars like my old Mustang have a metal tag or sticker on the rear of the driver's door with codes which when translated provide the VIN# (which denotes the year, body style, factory, engine size/tune), date, sales district, exterior colour, interior colour/trim level, trans type and axle ratio. So what did all the Zeds sold in Nth America have - were they required to provide the same info, or as imports were they treated differently?

Edited by gilltech
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Hi

 

The purists will tell you that you should stick with the original colour, trim and spec. If you look other collectable classics originality certainly helps the value, especially in a rare or unique car. What is a rare or unique Z in Aus ? That is good a question, maybe early girls.

 

Having said that, it is YOUR car so have it the way you want it. Life is to short to drive a car that is someone else's idea of perfect..

 

Just my two cents worth.

 

Cheers

 

PB

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Thanks for all the feedback. 

 

Complete colour change is a major job as previously stated, it needs to be done properly.

It is just sooooooo difficult to find a good car, especially within the first hour so you beat the dealers.

Even harder to find one in a colour you prefer, hence the question.

 

Thanks again.

 

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Have you priced a respray yet?

Maybe worth looking into it, at various levels, Eg, You strip it all back and reassemble yourself, closed door (outside only) or full spray job, or drive in drive out closed door or full spray job.
Then you can use that info as a rough guide while your car shopping,
Eg, you find a lime green one (I dont like that colour) that is a good price, but you see it'll need some rust repairs along the sills, so then when you take it all into account and realise its only going to be another $1500 on top of what you are spending on rust repairs to do a full repsray in your colour of choice, as opposed to $500 to paint over the rust repairs in lime green, it starts to become a lot more affordable to just do the whole car.
Or maybe you get a pro to do a closed door spray job on the outside so it looks schmick, but you have a crack at spraying the insdies yourself, because at the end of the day nobody is going to see it.

(These are prices out of my ass, I wouldnt know what they would charge)

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