Projects The bucket of ugly! A de-uglifying thread...

Just finished going through it, and it's now one of the few I've subscribed to.

After seeing pics of it in natural light it's not the color I thought it might be...though still an excellent one. The two of them together definitely pop.

I had thought it might be the Cadillac plum firemist I used on my last MG, but that color is darker in natural light.

 

Thanks for checking it out. The outdoor photos make it look lighter than it is in person.

It's the same color as Jim Shelton's famous '32 roadster. This is probably a better representation of the actual color.

 

Here is the Cadillac color sample for the color I'm talking about.

Unfortunately the best feature does not show up...the firemist metallic effect was a unique chemical make up that made them really pop, and gave them a pearlescent effect. The color was a one year offering in 1977 and very pricey. If I remember right the paint to do a MG Midget cost over $600 back then (over $2300 now)...but it was worth it.

 

On a hotrod, I think the solid color is a better choice, the high metallic and pearlecaent colors seem more suited to a streetrod to me.

 

Not necessarily, Dick. It's more the overall style and time frame of the build (and personal tastes). Look at all the Candy, Pearl, and Metalflake paint jobs when these products first came out. The mid to late sixties were chock full of cars using these paints. Now, the other point is ones personal definition of a street rod, mine leans more towards billet, mono chromatic paint, PASTEL (Ugghhh! ) paint, and tweed interiors. But I guess my Plymouth sort of fits some peoples definition as well (even though the only piece of billet on it is the overflow tank), because it has a late model, fuel injected motor, A/C & Heat, Power Steering and Brakes, and a Fat Man front end. But it's still styled to be a much more traditional looking car.... baby moons, most of the stock trim still in place, chrome window frames (not sure what the plural of garrish is?) ;-), tuck and roll seats, etc. A mid to late 50's build almost has to be solid colored, but by '58-'59, Watson, Barris, and Jeffries were all starting to shoot Candies, Pearls, and Metalflakes according to Kustomorama. I personally LOVE the mid to late '60's show rod look, but I'm slanted because my earliest encounter with a pre-'48 hot rod was the Metalic Green '34 Ford coupe that sat in the back bay of my Dad's Texaco. It belonged to one of his mechanics, and was strictly a show car (seems such a shame now!). I only remember seeing it uncovered a couple of times, but it's burned into my memory for life!


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And that was why I qualified my statement, saying "seem more suited to a streetrod to me" I understand that not everyone feels the same as I do and there is no reason they should. That is part of what makes this great hobby so great IMHO.

 

hey ho gang, message from Chip, he's still alive and kickin, busy as hell but he will be at LARS. Don't you boys be kickin up a ruckus while he's gone

 

Yup, we're going to be traveling in air conditioned comfort in my Mustang again this year. Next year Chip's gonna have that T running and looking good and I'm gonna follow him.....in air conditioned comfort in my Mustang...................

 

Don't you mean "in my Tweedie Pie inspired Tub?".

 

Dick, no disrespect intended. I agree everybodies entitled to their opinion, just thought your statement was a little vague. Thought it was a good place to point out that build style (followed closely by personal taste) should be the main dictator as to what should or should not be on a particular car. Too many people mix it up and end up with cars with an identity crisis. I also believe in variety, otherwise things get boring.

 

Yeah guys I'll be riding in air conditioned comfort again in my '85 Chevy stepside dragging the roadster behind it. I know, I know, I know I'll drive it when I get there and unload it from the trailer. I've paid my dues in the cramped confines of the front part of a 1919 T touring car.
Have said truck in the shop getting front suspension and rear brake work done. I know, I know, I know I could have done it myself. I'm turning into a lazy slob in my old age.
Still have to get my ass out there and clean the roadster and paint the headers with HTP white. An annual job. The NOS Edlebrock fuel hose I installed a couple of years ago is starting to crack. I've been waiting for that. Just bought some reinforced red plastic to replace it. I know, I know, I know it's not traditional but I've already made concessions with the electric fan and S.S. overflow. Hope it doesn't turn brown like the old plastic used to.
See you there.
Gary

 

Well, back when I did it on the MG, it was something that was not done on a 60s sports car...or any car prior to 1977 Cadillacs. I had picked out a more conventional generic maroon color, but the shop manager said he had a new color to show me. There was no contest. I have never driven a car that got so much positive comment.

A while back I watched a show on Velocity where they were building a Model A for an auto show that was supposed to be 60s theme. They took the A to George Barrris for recommendations...a very heavily metal flake gold was his recommendation. The car was a prize winner....but not a color/paint I'd have chosen.

To me, the color/paint is probably the most personal visual choice there is when building a car/truck...there are far more options than say wheels, carburetors, etc....and there can be all kinds of reasons the choice.

The reason for the colors I've chosen for my build...they are the colors that were my dad's favorite. A common 50s GM 2-tone combo of seafoam green and very dark green, from a '53 Pontiac he had. 30+ years ago I told him I'd someday do a car in that combination. It's just a coincidence that the color combo is from the period I'm shooting for...no coincidence that I like it.

Of course there can be horrid color choices, but in the end beauty is in the eye of the title holder.

 

Ha! Hey, that's "Big Tub-inspired Tub!"

I really hope so, but I know how procrastinative I am and how I can let things slip for long periods of time.

 

Now you guys have me wanting to play with one of those Big Tub kits...LOL. I already have one of the Lindberg 1/8 and Testors 1/24 bobtail T kits that I'm hoping to eventually build as close as possible to my project.

 

Don't know WHAT your talking about.....I didn't push a blown up supercharged Lincoln into the back corner of the shop and throw a cover over it 15 YEARS ago! Nope, not me, must have been somebody else! Man, that went by fast! I REALLY gotta do something with that car......

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I'm thinking he will show up in a newly painted orange bucket..... Hope I didn't screw up his big suprise.

 

Just got the reinforced red plastic fuel line on the roadster. Looks great. Hope it doesn't turn brown like the old stuff did.

 

That does look great Gary.

 

Thanks Brad. I do like to keep the roadster '50s but it is almost impossible and still keep it street able with the new gas formulas.
Gary

 

That does look sharp...both the lines, and the multi-carb set up in general. I wish I could do a dual carb set up on my little V6.

By your use of the plastic, am I right in the assumption that braided stainless lines would be even less period appropriate? I know that they have been around since at least 1964...but I have no clue how long before that, or when they caught on for automotive use.

 

No Bill braided stainless will take you into a way different era. I don't know when they were introduced but they just scream '80s to me. That may be alright but you are on the wrong web site for that.

 

80s may well be right for when they became widely used.

I do know the braided SS lines existed around '64/'65...There was an aeroquip fittings and lines plant near where we lived...my dad's vending business had machines there. They were at least in limited automotive use around '68/'69 because I remember the braided SS lines being used on the Formula Vees and dune buggies at the shop I was around. I used them myself on the cars I worked on starting around the mid 70s.

Regardless, all that would be too late for the look I'm hoping for.

 

Used in land speed record/Indy race cars back then too, but the rest of the car is not of that style.
Better to keep it to what was typical to a street/show of the era instead of mixing in components that were more often seen/used later on the same style car.

http://www.dogfightmag.com/forum/showthread.php?343-1950-s-amp-60-s-Indy-roadsters......

 

I found this on ebay and are my latest addition to prevent uglifying on my coupe.
Dupont colorchips on all US made cars 58-65. Not very cheap but i think it worth its cost.
I could just go out and looks on cars in traffic to find a cool color. But how cool is when
someone ask what color it is and you anwer "a Nissan 35000 XYZ"?
When your ansver could be a T-bird color from 1960.
Maybe it just me being silly but for me it feels better anyway.

 

Kool shit. look up Toyota red. Oh shit I wasn't supposed to tell anybody. Hot rod red. Same shit.
Gary

 

Sprung Gary, now we all know your Roadster has a piece of Jappa in it or on it as the case is. I would think that most solid colours have been used for years and the only thing that has changed is the type of paint to Base Clear Coat etc..

 

Nice score, Anders!

 

The coolfactor to say its a T-birdcolor is just a excuse to buy this.
The real reason is it handy to have access to the colorchips and compare them
to find the right shade. As i have understand it the mixerbases have change over
the years so i gonna get a look a like color anyway.

 

Yeah Marc. At the time I was about to paint my roadster I decided I wanted the reddest red I could find. I knew even then not to pick a color from a paint chip. Sorry Anders. Not saying your book won't be useful. Use it as a guide. You need to find a color you like on a large surface. Preferably something that is similar to what your painting. The Toyota of the middle to late '80s was a small car not much bigger than what I was building and had the reddest red of anything out there that I could find at the time. Chevy had a nice red but it had more yellow in it. Mustang had a nice red but it was a little darker. I never regretting painting it that Toyota red. What I regret is in a honest moment I told anybody. Not really. Later I read that is the reason Ivo painted all his cars red was he wanted them to be noticed. And noticed it gets.The first Goodguys "Terrific T" award I won I asked the guy that picked my roadster how with all the other T buckets there with more chrome and $ invested why he picked mine. He said "all I do is drive around the fairgrounds on my golf cart and a car just jumps out at me." Hot rod red just jumps out at you.

Gary

 

No offense intended Gary, but I don't like red for the reasons you do like it.
I always thought of red as a "look at me color" or "resale red".
I have always thought that it takes a little courage to pick a color other than the standard red or black.
Doing so will many times make your car stand out among the sea of red and black cars.
But that's just me.
Your car looks good and I'm glad you like the furrin car red