What colors for flames?

As many of you know, I'm in the process of turning a 1955 Ford truck/bus front clip into a desk for my classroom. I'm getting ready to put some paint on it hopefully this weekend, and am planning on doing some flames over the base coat, which I've just about decided on as a maroon color. I'm using Rust-o-leum paint as it is cheap, durable, and will look pretty decent when its all said and done.

However, I'm wondering about the colors of the flames, and what are the best colors to fade back into as I move from the front of the truck back to the tips of the flames.

Currently, I'm thinking of starting with white near the grill, then fading into a yellow, then orange, then red, and possibly into a blue(?) color at the tips of the flames.

What do you guys all think? Would you change colors, or try something different - keeping in mind the selection of colors from Rust-O-Leum?

Shown below is a picture I snagged from the web which shows a yellow front clip but should give a decent idea of what I'm working with. Let me know what you guys all think, as I'm curious to see and hear what else you all come up with.



Thanks!

 

make it easy, white flames on the maroon! We can do a red pinstripe!

 

To an extent, I agree. I'm still thinking of what the kids are going to think/see/say when its in the room. I'd go monocolor and white grill if it were going into my home office or business office, but in the classroom, I'm just wanting 'more' to entertain the kids with.

Sounds intelligent to me. I don't know either, but then again, its why I posted asking for questions and ideas.

Momma Gozt just put it this way, and I don't think I can improve on what she said. She said: "You're not looking to restore it, you're just wanting to go with a theme." Makes perfect sense to me, and I think it just about sums it up perfectly.

 

Goz, I really actually thought about this. And my reasoning is that you want to Identify with the kids, show your blood as a rodder, and tie the themes of your life together. I would go school bus yellow with black flames with a pinstripe border. Black grille. Idunno. My .02.

 

Pomegranite and Puce?

 

You know, as sick as that sounds, I kind of actually like the idea. However, straight black flames wouldn't be 'enough' for me - if that makes sense. I'd still want some additional colors in the actual flames themselves - again, if that too makes sense.

Anyone else want to chime in?

 

yellow with flames

 

If you want to go with a school bus yellow base, how 'bout blue to purple flames? Maybe a green pinstripe? If you wanna go real advanced, fog a little orange in underneath as a drop shadow. That might be pushin' it....

 

Purple, green, yellow... usually a good combo.

 

I like all of these ideas! Damnit!

But...

I'm torn about what to really do. I'm afraid yellow would be too 'distracting' because it is so bright, but whatever I do, this thing is going to be somewhat distracting merely because of what it actually is and where it is going.

I guess I'll probably figure it all out as soon as I go buy paint.

 

I never cared for one color flames (I'm softening a bit in the last few years I've seen a few good ones) and I like to start with white (it's easy to repair all the rock chips)
I think the white, yellow, orange and red are as traditional as it gets.
I paint the whole pattern yellow then fog the white on the leading edge then take the red in the crotch of the flames and a few accent spots then spray the orange over the red and around the whole pattern
that red turns to light and dark orange with yellow peeking thru all over.
there is no right or wrong! but some look better

 

don't use rustoeum it takes for ever to dry krylon is the best in my opinion and id say on a yellow front clip orangeish redish flame

 

make sure you measure the door widths at school and build it where it will fit thru or can be disassembled to go thru. Also put a horn and working headlights in it to get the sleepy heads attention !!

 

Is this going into a highschool class? If so why not the school colors, it might look preaty cool, most colors contrast nicley.It would promote school pride, (whitch in my opinion needs all the help it can get nowadays) and would get the pupils attetion.

 

Here is my dads car before it was repainted. It had traditional fade flames with a blue stripe around 'em.

 

I haven't measured the doors yet, but I should be able to turn it up onto its nose and slide it through on a furniture cart or something like that. Worse come to worse, I'll tear it down and take it through in pieces. I'm planning to try to run the headlights on a small transformer - like the ones that come with cordless telephones and things like that - and have them just slightly 'glow' instead of being bright. I might use a horn, but not sure yet.

It's going into a middle school classroom, which in my case is 6th grade. The school colors are maroon, black, and silver, which is partially why I was figuring on the maroon base with flames starting off in white. Of course, my alma matter high school's colors were maroon and white, so either way, they'd fit nicely within my own personal choice of color schemes.

 

It was painted that way back in '96. The car was rearended in 2003 and my dad just decided to repaint the whole car, he left the flames off though. Here is how it sits today...new grill and bumpers...

...and my dad's horrible taste in wheels.

 

Maroon with flames that start out black and ghost into silver.

Steve