Color change dilemma on my matching #s 69' R/T

[indreams84]

So I have a problem. I bought my dream 69 Charger R/T this year, matching #s 440, buildsheet, very original and clean in its orginial appearance. It is everything I wanted, except the color. The paint job is a very, very nice show quality Y3 cream with black vinyl top/interior. This is how it came from the factory. My problem is I find TX9 black or B5 blue to be what I have always truly wanted. What do I do? I do not want to be sacrilegious but Ifind a black Charger to be the epitomy of badass 

[Daytona R/T SE]

Bust out the sander and get busy.  

[ACUDANUT]

Changing colors ain't no biggie. It's the drivetrain matching numbers that are the hardest to fix. 

[ODZKing]

Hmm, tough one.  Took me a long time to decide to keep it or change it on my 73.
I always say, it's your car do what you want with it. But changing the color on a clealy matching nimbers car ... tough one.
My deciding factor was several things. Mine originally was Bronze ... didn't like it but it was all original. And I would have kept it all that way except for the interior.  That was the deciding. Parchmant was a one year color in 73. To get the color for seat covers from Legendary was 3 times what a simple whit eor black would have been. So I went with white.  And since the vinyl roof had to be changed, (it was not the correct cobra-grain) I thought Bronze, with white gut and black top would have looked stupid.  So I went with white top ... since I have gone THIS far, may as well make a color change.
Weigh everything, think it through and keep in mind, you can change the color anytime but changing it back will cost twice as much.   Just my  

[familymopar]

This is going out on a limb, because I don't know much about it, but have you considered wrapping the car?  Paint underneath stays intact, you can have whatever color you want, and I believe that it is relatively cost effective.  

I have a client who has some super bmw.  He bought it black.  He wanted it white.  I had seen the car a number of times and never noticed anything but one day he told me that the car was actually black and it was wrapped white.  All the jambs, etc. are wrapped and it looks like a white car.  I didn't pop the hood or inspect it too closely, although I'd like to.   But from what I saw I was pretty amazed.

Maybe something to look into anyway.

[indreams84]

I know, and I bought it from a member and I respect the amount of work and pride he put into the car. She's a beauty as is..I just think black or blue would be amazing. I am sure itd be really costly though, considering the stripping down and redoing everything....

[Troy]

Why would you buy a #s matching car with documentation only to change the color? In my opinion you paid a premium for originality and now want to "degrade" the car. Seems a bit foolish. On the other hand, that original color isn't exactly popular... but that makes it very rare when out and about! Honestly, if I were changing colors I'd do it to something that doesn't have any history to it. Since nearly everyone likes black it can't be too hard to find a black Charger for sale. Not a #s matching R/T of course but a black Charger that will very likely have a 440 in it any way. Sell yours and buy one that can be what you want. One year at the Nats there were probably 12-13 black Chargers and none of them came that way originally. I had a factory black one at the time and actually figured I'd have paint it another color just to stand out from the crowd!

Troy

[SRT-440]

I'm sure I'll get slammed by the paint purists...but just have a vinyl wrap put on it...any color you want and then the nice paint underneath will be preserved. It would prolly cost around 2K and will look great. Just a thought.
Otherwise, paint it black and enjoy it! 

[familymopar]

I don't know how long you have had the car but maybe you should live with it a while.  I have posted my story other places so will keep it short here.  My dad and I were looking for another charger before he died.  It HAD to be a 68 RT factory SS1 yellow, black top, black insides.  Not my first choice, but dad wanted the exact car he sold in the 70's (well, he was willing to upgrade to RT).  I wanted a black on black or triple black.  I was going to do yellow because that is what he wanted, but I was secretly disappointed.  And he would not be convinced to go black.  Anyway, he died during the long search.  I stopped searching for a bit.  Then the car WE were looking for popped up.  I was back on the hunt for a 68 but was really looking for a black/black.  I kept looking at that yellow one.  My wife told me I was an idiot, dad was the reason I love the charger, and that there was no other choice.  I bought it.  For the first while I wished it was black.  Would tell people I wished it was black and it would be but for this story.  Then I slowly fell in love with the color.  If I had to pay for a top notch repaint right now it would be the same.  Because it is the original color?  Sure.  But also because I am madly in love with it.  It is beautiful.  I just had to realize it.  I never thought I would love it like I do.  Some of that is because of him, but it is also because it is awesome, less common, original, beautiful.

So I don't know how long you have had the car but it doesn't sound like too long.  Give it some time.  You can always paint it later if you must.  But I bet you just fall in love with it.  And that will keep a somewhat unique color on the road, and save you some cash.

[Troy]

Oh, I forgot a part. As much as I feel these cars are too big for really light colors like white... the body lines (best part of the car!) stand out way more on them than they do on dark colors. As a matter of fact, the body lines all but disappear on a black car - unless it is mirror finish and you're parked next to something light. Black does look sinister but lighter colors really show off the styling.

Troy

[familymopar]

Oh, I forgot a part. As much as I feel these cars are too big for really light colors like white... the body lines (best part of the car!) stand out way more on them than they do on dark colors. As a matter of fact, the body lines all but disappear on a black car - unless it is mirror finish and you're parked next to something light. Black does look sinister but lighter colors really show off the styling.

Troy

This is one of the things I have noticed about my yellow, especially when it is in the presence of a black charger.  It is one of the reasons that my original apprehension reversed so strongly.

I had seen the car a number of times and never noticed anything but one day he told me that the car was actually black and it was wrapped white.  All the jambs, etc. are wrapped and it looks like a white car.  I didn't pop the hood or inspect it too closely, although I'd like to.   But from what I saw I was pretty amazed.

I'm sure I'll get slammed by the paint purists...but just have a vinyl wrap put on it...any color you want and then the nice paint underneath will be preserved. It would prolly cost around 2K and will look great. Just a thought.
Otherwise, paint it black and enjoy it! 

After SRT-440's  and my suggestions about wraps, I did a little looking on the net.  It is apparently not the case that jambs, engine bays, deck lid undersides, etc. get wrapped.  If that wouldn't bother you then no problem.  Or if you just want to spend that amount of money to "try black on".  It would kill me if it were wrapped black but the jambs and all that were still body color.

My client undoubtedly told me the jambs and all were wrapped as well.  I didn't look and took him for his word when I had asked.  So I don't know.  Maybe its possible but from what I am seeing a wrap job that thorough will cost you what a paint job costs (although I guess you would have the added benefit of fully protecting the original color under all that vinyl).  It may be that his car (a new bmw) has smoother sills and such and is more do-able, and his trunk lid is carpeted, etc.  But it seems unlikely from my 10 minutes of research that you find someone to do it, and very unlikely that it would be cost effective.

Just wanted to correct myself.

[indreams84]

Why would you buy a #s matching car with documentation only to change the color? In my opinion you paid a premium for originality and now want to "degrade" the car. Seems a bit foolish. On the other hand, that original color isn't exactly popular... but that makes it very rare when out and about! Honestly, if I were changing colors I'd do it to something that doesn't have any history to it. Since nearly everyone likes black it can't be too hard to find a black Charger for sale. Not a #s matching R/T of course but a black Charger that will very likely have a 440 in it any way. Sell yours and buy one that can be what you want. One year at the Nats there were probably 12-13 black Chargers and none of them came that way originally. I had a factory black one at the time and actually figured I'd have paint it another color just to stand out from the crowd!

Troy

I paid for a premium because I wanted a genuine R/T, documentation, AND the original engine. Feels like the soul of the car is then intact that way. People are correct, the Y3 does get alot of attention the way it is, but I just feel like if it were Q5 or B5, it would be plain gorgeous. Some tones just look like the car was designed for it, seems like the blues, black, and reds fit best.

[Aero426]

Why would you buy a #s matching car with documentation only to change the color? In my opinion you paid a premium for originality and now want to "degrade" the car.

I tend to agree.   But it is your car and your money.    

Some color changes to a more desired color (black) may have a minimal effect on value if done to a high standard.  That will also mean blowing the car completely apart.  

Be prepared for some crazy looks when you tell people.  A future buyer could be turned off.   Ultimately, you only have to answer to you.

[indreams84]

This would not have been an issue if there were more original color R/Ts out there....but there are not. And not in this condition. This is all conjecture at this point, as I could not afford a $10k paint job currently. But still I can hardly see why anyone would question a more high-impact color on an original "vanilla" color R/T, esp if it is not the original paint job itself.

[bill440rt]

Why would you buy a #s matching car with documentation only to change the color? In my opinion you paid a premium for originality and now want to "degrade" the car.

I tend to agree.   But it is your car and your money.    

Some color changes to a more desired color (black) may have a minimal effect on value if done to a high standard.  That will also mean blowing the car completely apart.  

Be prepared for some crazy looks when you tell people.  A future buyer could be turned off.   Ultimately, you only have to answer to you.

I tend to agree with this as well. Some cars are best left alone.
But then again, I happen to think that color combo is beautiful.
Ultimately, it is your car. Just voicing an opinion is all like others.

[Aero426]

But still I can hardly see why anyone would question a more high-impact color on an original "vanilla" color R/T, esp if it is not the original paint job itself.

Lots of people want the flashy colors and cars loaded with options they never had.     In some cases, it wipes away the history of how these cars really were.    Right now, you have a car that actually stands out from the herd, even though it is not exactly the way you would have ordered it.    No, it's not my favorite color either.  

As you do not have the funds currently, you will have some time to think about it and make the right decision for yourself.

[indreams84]

That is an absolutely valid point, especially to  me who is (mostly) a purist and cannot stand DOH cars or poorly done R/T tributes. At any rate, when I see a gorgeous color Charger....it brings out that grass-is-greener mentality.

[Baldwinvette77]

Its not 1969 anymore, just because someone with a taste for beige ordered it that way doesn't mean you have to suffer 

[JB400]

Since this is a car that is perfect for either a collector or a upper end enthusiast (according to your description), I think you have 2 options: settle with what you have, or sell it and get a car that more suits your wants.


I'd at least look around for a few months and see if you could find one in your choice of color that still meets your other requirements before I'd undo someone else's hard work.  Give yourself a deadline to find another car.  If, in that time you don't find another car that meets your requirements and you don't fall in love with its current color, then go ahead and paint yours.  It's nothing that couldn't be put back if the next owner wanted it that color.

Just give yourself plenty of time to make that choice.

[Ghoste]

You should already be buying black paint.

[charge69]

No real dilemma here,  Just paint it the color you want.  However, just so you know, the cost of a paint job back to original color "might" be deducted from any future offers to buy the Charger.  For me, I would not but, it would also give me pause for consideration if it was not the original color!

I said I would never sell mine before it was fully restored and drivable and, despite some very tempting offers, I didn't but, I know I will probably sell it some time in the future and, being the original color (luckily R6 Red) will make it easier.

I guess what I am trying to say is you obviously bought this Charger to enjoy for a long time, not to flip it, so paint it the color you like!

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Paint it the factory aqua color.

[Baldwinvette77]

Paint it the factory aqua color.

Wut O.o Y3 is like cream isnt it?

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Wut O.o Y3 is like cream isnt it?

Are you drinking again or still?

[Baldwinvette77]

Wut O.o Y3 is like cream isnt it?

Are you drinking again or still?

YES I AM