The Cal-look Lounge

I think picking a color for your car is the hardest thing to decide. So how did you decide on the color of your car?

--louis

i liked blue, went into the local paint suppliers and went through all there colour samples, I know have no idea what colour it is, and therefore cannot touch it up!

My Fastback will be painted very soon..... But I was standing in the middle of the road working some traffic control one day.... When this gorgeous light blue car drives straight at me. The color shined so nicely in the sunlight, I had find out what it was. Turns out to be a Chrysler color called "Steel Blue". The rest is history,,, I have a gallon and a quart sitting at the body shop right now. There are a couple panels with color on them, i'll share:
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/515456.jpg)

Has anyone played "Pin the tail on the Paint Chart"??

Don't you get me thinking  ;D After all, What could be the chance to pick pink  :o

And have a look at http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,8254.0.html (http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,8254.0.html)

not sure how you feel about this color, but if I ever build another hot rod VW, you can be sure it will be this color (or Porsche 930 Ice Blue)

Back in the day, a buddy of mine had an Ice Blue '67... traditional Cal-Look car right down to the natural two piece 8 spokes and black "Brad" inspired interior... Without a doubt one of my favorite colors!

~DR.

I like my Cal Lookers like I like my women, fast, stripped and black. :o ;D

It definitely has a "Butternut" Vibe to it. To much time on spent on John Lazenby's threads :)

Thanks Mark. I was at a concours thing in Palo Alto about 10 years ago and in the parking lot was a ochre yellow (ocra giallo I think is the proper name) little 1750GTV sitting under an oak tree, wearing cromodora mags and just looking perfect. I saw it and thought "that color is 200% hot rod VW material"....

now imagine a Cal Looked 356 coupe in that color.... dumped, no bumpers, proper satin/black 911 alloys.... huge IDA motor.....

 :o

Jim, that car you just described needs to seriously come to fruition. Sounds like a blast!

sorry to take thread off topic for a moment....

But the 356SC coupe thing I described above is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Back when the 356's were under $10K it could have been fairly easy on the wallet, especially since I'd off the Porsche engine and build a 2.4L Type IV motor for it. Just clean, simple and 200hp fast. Of course this car idea has to get in line with all the other daydream-mobiles cruising in my head.

I hate these color threads, because I can come up with dozens of variations on almost the same car that I'd love to build.  I really like the Ice Blue idea since the first time I heard you suggest it, Jim.

I know....I do the same thing. I'm already aimlessly walking around thinking of the Ice Blue car now... totally dechromed, no bumpers, no tbars, no hood handle, black window rubber, "frosted" RSR-look 5.5" alloys..... 

I have the same problem as some of the rest of you. I come up with a decent color, build the car in my head, and then see another color I like. I have friends that I know are sick and tired of me e-mailing them color choices for my car. I get a lot of " It's your car, pick the color you like" HEY, If I could pick just one color I would, it's pretty darn tough.

I've always been - paint it the factory color - Volkswagen came up with some Bitchin' colors in the 50s & 60s

Early 911 colors are Badass though, and 911's have been my influence for Cal-Look - so next car I do... It'll be one of these
 
Turquoise
Olive

anybody know what color blue this is?

That is a sweet blue on that Porsche, Tom. When I repainted my car the first time, it was the original L633 VW blue, but when I repainted itagain in 2000, a friend who owns a body shop suggested a new color that was on Honda Civic Si models, so I used that instead.

Early 912 and 911's colors are great.
Here's Mexico Blue I like.

(http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads7/mexblue21139840475.jpg)
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/seinfeld550spyerla_17.jpg)

They paint houses that color in Santa Ana :o ;) ;D.

Selecting a color is not easy.
I am a little color blind, colors are not true on the internet...
Some are inspired by the colors on their favorite race cars.
It helps me to have a test spray out I can view under different light of day and street light conditions.
Holding the test spray out next to paint on other cars might tell how a color will flop.
Example Mexico blue is a clean blue but to some it looks feminine when parked next to a stronger pigment blue.
Imho single stage paint looks more correct for a 60s car than the buried in clear 2 stage.
I'd post VW paint jobs if I had them...Mexico blue, Sunoco blue and Slate grey.

I must admit that when I could afford a professional resparay for my first Bug I did take a 'lucky dip'.
After only a few tests I settled on a 50/50 mix of Silver base with Cobalt Blue....

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d54/1967vw/Temp%20file/BEETLE-1.jpg)

As far as my '67 goes, though I liked the original Zenith Blue I always liked Deano's '67....

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d54/1967vw/Temp%20file/dean_kirsten_51.jpg)

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d54/1967vw/JodrellBank009.jpg)

.... but now I've decided to re-do the '67 I leaning towards Porsche colours from the same period- it's gotta be blue though!

Black like my momma... :)

You know what they Say Once you go Black you never go Back ;D ;D

Ain't that the truth!  :o :o :o
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card

BLING!!! :D

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d54/1967vw/Temp%20file/dean_kirsten_51.jpg)

Are theses colors close?

Deano's car looks like L366 VW Blue and the Poorsh look lighter.

Agreed - its lighter than Deano's car

This might be of help to you regarding Porka colour...

http://www.glasurit.com/COLOR/new-color-online/m1frameset.php?language=1



I am using the original Fontana Grey (L595) for mine as I like the light shade of grey :D

Thanks Dez!

Deano's car is a VW color called "VW Blue" and the light blue 911 is probably Gulf Blue I think (Porsche color).

Oh no Jim, Does this mean I have to pick a different color for my car?   :'(

I agree that period 60's and 70's VW and Porsche colors look great on traditional Cal Lookers, but at the same time I'm getting pretty tired of seeing the same colors, and how it is almost considered a rule now that a Cal Looker must be painted in one of those colors to be cal look. There are a lot of great colors out there (as long as it is an earth tone, it's good in my book), in my opinion we need to think outside of the box a little.

Zach, I fixed it for you ^^^^ ;D

The blue 912 belongs to Monica and Dan.
This is what Dan said about the color.
 Regarding Monica's car, she calles it "Periwinkle Blue." I don't know if that is the "official Porsche" designation (I doubt it). It is not the original color (it was originally Tangerine). The blue color can be found on some 356's and 1974 911's. We've also seen it on early MBZ's and even a couple of Volvo's.

ah the paint trail has many forks in the road.  :D

What color blue was the "Go Dodger Blue" street car turned SCS drag bug?
Owner's name escapes me starts with a K, was all over the side of it.  ;)

we had an agreement ....

i do whatever i like to the car , and melissa has her D-plate on the back and picks the colour ...

she was looking at grey-blues but hadnt decided on one that was perfect .

then on day she had enough of me spending money on it etc. so said i can do what i want with the colour , she's not interested in the stupid car
(her language was more colourfull ) :o

so it stays black  ;D

Cool! Small World! - I've never seen that color before, didn't know if it was a bad pic or what.

60 & 61 356s had a color called Aetna blue and 74s had Mexico and Bahama blue.

Like Mark said a lot of colors work on our cars, .....so what ever turns you on.

A bit less obscure the 74 911 and the new 997 (paint to order) behind it are both 74 Mexico blue, they once both belonged to Eade in Carlsbad. Could be Roger Grago's Aubergine (eggplant) 3rd inline.  :)

I'm rather fond of Acid Blue the darkest of the 3 74' IROC blues. It was a 74/75 911 color.
I think gulf and mexico were the other two IROC blues?
Colors of the era were stunning, m&ms / box of popicles.

When they rename a color that can throw ya.
Was Porsche India red and Guards red the same?

Acid

If you are choosing a colour from a PC using the Glasurit chart or similar, before you make a final decision try and check the colour with one on a proper booklet / poster as the colours can vary depending on the colour quality on Computers :)

Gobi Beige is a cool colour  8)

(http://i44.tinypic.com/20igc9c.jpg)

what do you think about the rear lights (US model) , for me i will put EURO model

Hahaha thanks for fixing my typo :D
I'm actually not a huge fan of yellow, but my options were fairly limited when I was looking for an original GTV ::)

My dad has a Chrome Yellow (Corvette color so I'm told) '72 (with '73 rear lights) that I drove for a while back in high school. Whenever I run into someone when driving my GTV that I knew back then, they all think it's the same car!! Not even close!!! 'Course to the lay person all VW's look the same. Back in high school I would sometimes take out Slinger's first VW to lunch, a teal green "cal look" '68 on color matched 8 spokes, lowered front and rear. My car was a '67, stock height, 5 spokes, with patches of Savannah Beige, surface rust, and primer. When caught driving his car I was constantly asked, "So when'd you paint your car?!" :D

NICE car

great words.... ;D  i am having sleepless night's at the moment for picking my color and i narrowed it down to two ...the original fontana grey  or a light blue metallic from some japanese thing ( or is that to far out off the box..it's not earth but sky...) from across the street......still have a few months to decide so some more sleepless nights before the choice is there... :-\

Go out on a limb and do it!! ;D

the original fontana grey  or a light blue metallic from some japanese thing ( or is that to far out off the box..it's not earth but sky...) from across the street......

Shopping grey, I'd also look at Slate Grey, color of Steve McQueens Porsche.
Many awesome 70s Porsche light metalic blues, I've seen Caribean blue (stunning) on a cal look KG vert years ago.
Porsche Minerva blue is a very clean light metallic blue too.
A 2010 color on a vintage car just makes the car look more modern, not what want most of us are looking for...
I plan to paint my 69 911 single stage, no clear coat.
All cars used single stage back then, so that's the correct finish imho.
Paint has changed a lot since the 60s and formulations are tweeked for all the newer EPA approved binders/chemicals.
there was thread with some cool paint links a while back.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3769446&page=1 (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3769446&page=1)

I don't know, I have seen some nice colors on modern cars. (Actually trucks) Chevy and To#¤ta have a nice dark green, Nissan has a great dark red and blue & Ford does some nice burgundies. There is a yellow they use on Saturn coupes that I have always thought would look good on a 70/80's style cal-looker. I have noticed that truck or fleet colors tend to be a little less flashy than some of the car colors which better suit a VW I think. Having said that I have moved back to L41 for the '66. (This decision is subject to change without notice, your millage may very. )

--louis

just painted my godchilds 58rag top L-360 sea blue. Wow, it really came out so nice, it will be on the road sep-oct.
Love those vintage colors, i guess i choose that color because it really had a classic fill to it. :)

Shopping grey, I'd also look at Slate Grey, color of Steve McQueens Porsche.
Many awesome 70s Porsche light metalic blues, I've seen Caribean blue (stunning) on a cal look KG vert years ago.
Porsche Minerva blue is a very clean light metallic blue too.
A 2010 color on a vintage car just makes the car look more modern, not what want most of us are looking for...
I plan to paint my 69 911 single stage, no clear coat.
All cars used single stage back then, so that's the correct finish imho.
Paint has changed a lot since the 60s and formulations are tweeked for all the newer EPA approved binders/chemicals.
there was thread with some cool paint links a while back.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3769446&page=1 (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3769446&page=1)
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the gray and blue colors your pointing at are to dark for me, i want a lighter color on the car, the original fontana grey is a light shade, and the blue color i saw is more off an ice blue color..I see if i can find some pics...

one pic off a ice blue metallic car and one of the original color fontana gey....
i want a light color because i am keeping the chrome and don't want it to stick out to much as it does on darker colors..