Hey guys, I am interested in your thoughts on this subject.

See my signature line for the URL to the 69 Camaro project.

Bottom line is I am very lucky to have found my car and am now busy re-doing it.

My wife insists I paint it back the same colors as it was when I first restored it.

I am okay with that....except. My true love is now BLACK. My 69 Vette is black, my 2004 Silverado is black, and even my wife's Rendevouz is black. Heck....my car hauler is black.

There is just something about a super clean black car that looks aggressive, wicked, fast, and well...just awesome.

The thought of having two wicked six foot deep black shining 69 Chevys in my garage is just cool.

However, the memory of what it was, how it looked then (I even have pics in my highschool year book of the car!), is very overwhelming to consider.

So....if this was your choice how would you come about your decision.

BTW, my wife Nikki is now flexible and has pretty much decided not to influence me one way or the other.

Before:

http://www.mcspeed.homestead.com/files/cam51.jpg

This is the car's stable mate:

http://www.mcspeed.homestead.com/files/Finished1.jpg

69:
Dude, I browsed your web sites. Awesome story. Me personally, black is nice, but I would put it back the way it was when you were a kid. I can't think of anything better than to have two photos side by side with the same car, one when you were a kid and one with you now. Plus, I would think to a certain extent, you'd keep the memory of your Father alive by having the car back the way you guys fixed it up. Either way, great story...

Dan
'68 Convertible

Ditto on what Dan just said.

I am going through about the same problem right now. We've got a black Z28 and a black Dakota. Both look great when shined up.

My 67 was originally NN-Madeira Maroon, but I am thinking on painting it MM-Royal Plum. What is speeding up this decision is that I have an appointment to deliver it for painting on August 9 and I have to select a color. Right now it is a teal color. I have also been kicking around a color called Indigo Blue. Decisions decisions.

Randy

Keep it original RED. Its a perfect contrast to the black stable you have now and will stand out like a Camaro should with the other cars being 2nd fiddle.
Your wife is a very smart lady. Hang on to her. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Thanks guys.

I appreciate your input.

I remember exactly when we picked out the color red that is on the car. The racing stripes are cadillac Black Cherry with 1/8" gold pin stripes on each side.

I was there the night it was painted. I stirred the paint (I didn't have a driver license yet!).

After we got it running we went back down and got the stripes put on. For my birthday this last weekend, my mom found the original receipts and cancelled check stubs my dad paid to the body shop for the stripes.

Yes, you are right. I really has to be red again. However, I am still upgrading everything else. I saw no point in keeping the four wheel drums, 15" ralley wheels, and weak drivetrain.

Okay...I am back on red. I needed that trip down memory lane.

I know if my dad was here today though he would encourage me to paint it any color I want...but that was or would be in the living years. You take much more for granted when you feel like you have all the time in the world.

Read your story... man. Keep us posted, can't WAIT to see it come together.

What a great story! And thanks for sharing. Seems like your Dad did a great job...and I'm not talking about the car! See...sometimes a car is more than just a car.
Good for you.
And, oh yeah, stay with the red.

graemlins/beers.gif

touching story. no doubt about it, same color as when you were a kid. it would almost be a shame to paint it black. black is cool (dime a dozen) but this car has a history, changing the color wouldn't bring back the same memories.

The Vette is fantastic !!!!!!!!!

No brainer BURGANDY

I went to the paint store on Friday to get some supplies to wrap up the floor pan work. I spent some extra time digging through the paint book to find the red we used to spray this car. The fellow at the paint store laughed at me and wished me luck finding this particular car color code as there has been virtually no call for it over the last nearly 20 years.

****************************

Me, my mom and dad had just left the body shop in Daytona Beach (Jon Hall Chevy) after dropping of the shell of the 69 Camaro. I was 14 years old. Anything with a V8 and four wheels would drive me crazy. I was able to tell the make and model of any car by the signature of the headlights/driving lights coming up in the rear view at night.

I had fallen in love with "candy apple" paint, which was the rage back then. However, the shop had just talked us out of doing a true candy due to issues with spotting in the paint at a later date, etc. (and cost). The manager at the shop had just told us about this new cutting edge paint system called "Chroma-Base" from Dupont. He demonstrated the value of the base/clear system by pouring a cup of water on a fender on a car in the paint shop and explaining how the clear coat to a lesser extent than the spilled water would make the base color glow from below.

We were pulling out of the dealership going down Nova road when I saw it. The sunrays were flirting with the paint hues on a 1986 Renault Alliance on an American Motors car lot. I asked my dad to stop so we could look closer. I walked up to the metallic red econo-box and felt my heart flutter. I had found my color. My mom and dad stepped out and walked around the little car making comments on how the metallic was dancing and glittering in the bright Florida sun. The make of the car was unimportant to me. The color was my total and complete point of interest. It was the most beautiful and radiant metallic red I had ever seen, and as close to a candy apple color as you could get right on a production car.

We scribbled down some info about the car and made plans to order this paint code right away.

The stripes came later. After the car was substantially finished and running we took it back to the body shop. We had them do the stripes and install the rear spoiler. We decided on the Cadillac Black Cherry stripes as they share some of the same metallic base materials. When the light hit the edge of the spoiler or nose of the car the metallic would light up and run across both colors. It was quite impressive.

Now...me and my dad did our own paint and body work (on things like our 64 Jeep, 69 G van, boat, etc), but we were shooting for a higher mark with the Camaro. My dad swung a deal for me to work at that body shop the entire summer for extra $$$ and to learn about paint and body while offsetting some cost of the work. It was an experience of a lifetime working shoulder to shoulder with the pros at the body shop.

************

Long story short, I found the exact paint code yesterday in Dupont Chroma-Base. I wrote down the code and tucked it away in my wallet. Some time in the not too distant future I will pull that number out and order a gallon of the wet stuff. It would be really cool if I dragged it back down to Jon Hall Chevy and used their booth to squirt it again. I will most likely do all the jams and under hood/truck work here, then rent a booth for the day at one of the local dealerships (I live about 1.45 hours N. of Daytona now).

Thanks for the input!