How much does a color change hurt the value of a 500?

[mopar346]

Don't get me wrong, I do not have my cars for "investments" but I feel you have to be responsible to your money. My 500 is F8 with a F8 gut and admittedly I am not a fan of F8. I'm a you gotta paint it the factory color kinda guy but......... My AAR is FK5, again I'm not really a fan but it went back FK5, I have a F8 GTS 4 speed small block car and since it's mini-tubbed a color change is no issue, not a high dollar car anyway but fun. Anyway, after seeing the B7 500 the Daytona thread I really want to paint it B7, not a big deal but the interior is already freshly done in F8 and done well. So if I switch it to B7 am I (or who ever sells it after I'm gone) gonna take a big hit on value? 20%? More? Frankly I don't think I'll do it because it'll bug me forever and I'll have to dump the car in the end. Now if I could find a good race scheme built arrange F8 I could swing that way easy enough and maybe with removeable letters so no blood no foul.

What say you?

[gtx6970]

I personally dont think its one percentage for all models/years/

IMO it depends  A LOT on the car in question.
In this case a Charger 500 will take more than a 20% hit ,,than say a Duster, or Satellite as example
IMO it  also depends on the original color versus current color.

Changing an F8 car to say B7 might add desirability. but WILL hurt overall value

I will add.
For me personally , a color change car eliminates any interest I may have had. No matter the car, color or price. But that's just me. Far FAR too expensive to make it right. And for ME I don't change anything that cant be changed back in a say a weekend or 2 tops.

EDIT,
if it were mine. it would go back F8 exterior and change the vinyl interior parts to white ending up with green dash, seat belts, column and carpet yet with white seats and door pads and  panels . And I assure that color will POP bigtime . Bonus is its easily changed back and no one is the wiser

[Alaskan_TA]

I LOVE green.



For the others that also love it or just want original, a color change on any classic car will make some turn away.

[XS29LA47V21]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Dodge-Charger-500/163810857867?hash=item2623e3538b:g:no8AAOSwWn1dTX8r

This car may serve you as a good example.  Been for sale off and on for I feel like 5 yrs, perhaps more.  What is interesting it is not a well loved color originally F3.  Not many F3 Daytona or 500s.  So in this cars case it really sets it apart from the higher production colors like red and dark green.   I would like it much better if F3. In value, I think the color change F6 500 easily shows it has few interested parties and do think it would have sold if correct F3 long ago.

I think color change is less desirable on rare cars when your estate sells it 35yrs from now or you want a change 3yrs from now....  Why change what is rare? But that is me. 

As to the other part of the question, I agree with others above that a particular car may be a stand out.  IMO,I believe I see and I hold value in 500s (any 69 Chargers) for me is an easy 20% swing. I value colors as part of the rarity thing.  All 500s are great and "even" a green one you will likely spend years and seldom ever have another 500 around anyway.....

[mopar346]

I saw the F3 car and I agree better as F3, in fact I would like it better than F8 by far. That car has a black undercarriage, the shifter went to the floor from the column, a black headliner and I saw something else but don't remember what it was. F6 just looks so natural on a 500 but I'm thinking it was a spring color so even worse than a color change, a change to a non-available color. I think white gut would be so much better on mine than green, maybe I'll do a green and white since that will be an easy swap back. The interior is done but for some reason it has a Plymouth emblem upside down in the rear seat back, curious to say the least. I think the rear seat back is the same on all B bodies in 68-69 but seems like the Charger rear seat bottom is different correct? Might check to make sure he didn't pick up a Satellite seat and cover it in Charger pattern.

[Ghoste]

We see the collor change thing come up at auctions a lot and I have to agree with the statements here.  On the "garden variety" muscle cars it doesn't make much difference and sometimes even helps but on the rare cars, the big dollar cars, and especially the Mopars, it makes a noticeable difference.  Sadly, if the owner is the one who painted it, they are almost always convinced their decision to make it "better" means it is worth more now.

[RallyeMike]

I agree with Ghost. Consider the typical buyer of specialty models like the Charger 500: Almost all of them are looking for a "correct" car. A color change is a big negative.

I also have an F8 500. While F8 is not my favorite color, I could not live with a color change. A fresh two stage F8 paint job looks pretty good compared to the typically old single stage F8 you might be picturing in your mind.

[mopar346]

Agreed, fresh F8 isn't hateful but all that green . At least my GTS has gold interior. Any way to tell if it was a white or black stripe car?

[hemi68charger]

Agreed, fresh F8 isn't hateful but all that green . At least my GTS has gold interior. Any way to tell if it was a white or black stripe car?

There is nothing on the fender tag or broadcast sheet.. So, it is solely based on past original pictures ( if they exist ) or some form of Mopar forensics on the car ( maybe some stripe left in the opening of the side-marker light or trunk drain channel....... There are always the basic color combinations... Dark paint, light stripe.. But, I have seen T5 Copper with both black and white stripes......

[chargervert]

The member on here that owns my former 69 Charger 500, decided not to paint it the original color. The car was originally Y2 yellow, he chose to go with B5 blue. I don't know how much it hurts the value, but it looks great in B5 blue.  At least he chose a color that was available originally on that car.

[gtx6970]

I know this is blue and white interior but at least gives you some idea

[mopar346]

That's just messed up, black carpet and kick panels but I get the idea. Thanks for posting the picture.

[Alaskan_TA]

I LOVE F8 & you know when my next birthday is.......   

[mopar346]

If it only had more doors

[C500]

This is a good question, and the same way I was thinking about my 500 before painting it, exactly the same reasons...

In the end, I decided to go F8, but am going to be changing my green interior over to white. I had a thread on this a while back. Mine is not fully assembled yet, so I can't post any finished pics, but I have a resto thread, and another the same question you are asking.

here's my thread and poll: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,124872.0.html

and another

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,51349.0.html

[odcics2]

A lot of buyers are not interested in a car painted a non original color.
The higher the value of the car, the more 'correct' it should be, IMO.

Same can be said for original engine and trans cars...

[mopar346]

I think color matters more than a missing original engine or trans and I think date coded is a joke started by the Vette crowd. If it's not the original then it's not the original, but I'll admit I prefer and will pay more for HP blocks with the right year stamp so I guess I might be a hypocrite.   

[gtx6970]

I think color matters more than a missing original engine or trans and I think date coded is a joke started by the Vette crowd. If it's not the original then it's not the original, but I'll admit I prefer and will pay more for HP blocks with the right year stamp so I guess I might be a hypocrite.  

Agreed, once its gone, its gone. Provided it ever had a vin number stamp applies ( 1968 and later )
I will accept a non numbers correct power train car over a color change car any day. Like I said earlier, Color change kills it for me, regardless of price.

That said I will pay more for a car with its born with drive train.  
I will not pay any more for a car if it has a date correct power train versus a non date correct items ,,,see above comment

Nice thing for me, is the model years Im looking at there were no numbers stamped ( 1966 or 67 )
The car at the top of my list right now I know for a fact its not the original block. But I'm ok with it as it is dated right and there are/were  no vin numbers on it. ( its a 1966 Plymouth )

[Ghoste]

I'm the other way, I would take a color change over a powertrain change.

[mopar346]

I try to stay with "elite" cars so not interested in a 383 changed to a 440, but don't care if the 440 is the born with block, same for 340 cars need to be a 340 not converted to a BB, probably wouldn't buy a 318 or 383 car period. I would buy a 340/440 car with a 318/383 in it cause I can fix that. And I will change to 6 packs or buy a non-6 pack car with a 6 pack in a heart beat, in fact I'm pretty sure my 500 will end up with a 6 pack on it, got one just sitting there so why not. Not into converted 4 speed cars, must be original 4 speed or the automatic goes back in it. Original metal of course trumps all, I'd actually rather have all beater type survivors as long as their honest cars. I'll buy a roller or a disassembled project without hesitation but the proper scrutiny, I have lots of parts so I don't get nickeled and dimed to death, unless I think about what they cost me over the years, which I don't. Not into clones at all but might buy one at the right price to disassemble and scavenge good parts off of. And I reserve the right to double back on any of this!


So now you know where I stand cause I know you were all concerned.

[Ghoste]

I think its interesting to know everyone's opinion.  Its a big hobby with room for all so its no different here than if we were talking in person at some garage or show or whatever.

[mopar346]

So now you know where I stand cause I know you were all concerned.

Just to be clear, the you should have been ya'll, it wasn't directed at anyone just me rambling.

[Dragon Slayer]

I am more concerned with Original Mopar parts.  If your investing, it seems motor and color matter period.  Especially if there is a market down turn.  Having said that, there are a lot of cars built with original motors and color, but aftermarket everything else.  The cars look gorgeous and like new, but so much else is not original to the car and the parts are made overseas.  Market is market.  I am sure as a seller you would say it is a desirable color everyone loves, and as a buyer you would say oh it is not original...:-)

[mopar346]

Agreed, I source and rebuild as many factory parts as possible if for no other reason, they just fit. I'm a builder and a driver not a seller but as I mentioned, you don't feel you can be careless, you have to protect your money best you can. In the end game I'll probably even o back with the green gut simply because I'm cheap and the seats are already done.

[b5blue]

 I'd push to as built. Notice the new cars are getting the green again? The whole "monochromatic" look is part of that car's era. (Like interiors in colors instead of black brown grey.)  Chargers wear F8 and pull off the matching interior so good that adding it's a 500 just puts it over the top!   

[aerolith]

Hi 346,
F8 is the best, especially with a BLACK interior and a 4-speed LOL
Yep I've toyed with a F8 colour change for many years on my C500 too, but I'm so GLAD I didn't...

High impact colours can be great for a while but F8 is a true classic Gen-2 Charger covering!
All my Charger R/T's (x3) have been F8 and we always said, ''when they are repainted, they is coolio''

A good friend with a 70 GTX in Burnt Orange Metallic, spent 20 years+ trying to colour change his car.
It was in primer for ever and the day he came to paint it he saw the light and went Burnt Orange, whooppee.
Still the nicest 70 Gtx I have ever seen...

[aerolith]

Some Folks even fit Shiney wheels too, how could they?

[mopar346]

Very nice, black or white gut would break it up and make it much more tolerable. Wheels will be another conversation but my first thought is 15 inch Magnums, I have a set of cop wheels for a Nascar look, not really feeling it though. Decision, decisions.

[C500]

Very nice, black or white gut would break it up and make it much more tolerable. Wheels will be another conversation but my first thought is 15 inch Magnums, I have a set of cop wheels for a Nascar look, not really feeling it though. Decision, decisions.

Did you check out the two threads I linked, one with the poll?

[mopar346]

Yes and I found a 3rd one hidden in one of those.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,16329.0.html

Seems a lot of people with F8 500 wish they were different colors but a few like it. Reality for me is that if I change the color it will bug me to no end and I'll have to off the car because I wouldn't enjoy it. My enjoyment is more about driving them and you cant see the paint too much from the driver's seat so F8 it will be. Now the interior is the question, I think I'll go back with the F8 since it's so complete and mostly done and if I find I cant live with it, I'll switch the seats and door panels to white and try that. I'd love white with red gut if anyone wants to trade.

Is there a color break down on the known 500s? ie 15% red, 24% orange, 85% F8

[aerolith]

Loving those percentages fella!
Aren't they supposed to add up to around 100?

If you paint the hood and fender tops black then the rest of the car don't matter...

[mopar346]

Loving those percentages fella!
Aren't they supposed to add up to around 100?

Well it was more of an example of what I was asking but I think the 85% F8 is close to correct.

[aerolith]

If F8 was so BAD, why did 75% get painted a HORRIBLE metallic green?

[aerolith]

My favourite pic!

[RallyeMike]

Is there a color break down on the known 500s? ie 15% red, 24% orange, 85% F8

Nobody knows for sure, but I count 25/101 (25%) as F8 from the google spreadsheet registry. 101 cars is a reasonable statistical sampling. R4 is next most common color.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nOP_jm5OHD6FTiF2e4S83W0Lc55cVFCds3fiwwBsE-g/edit#gid=0

[Ghoste]

Green was popular at that time for cars.  Look across the spectrum and you can see it was the flavor of the day for all vehicles. 

[b5blue]

  Just look inside a home from the same era, burnt orange/brown or avocado green appliances with gold fleck counters, deep pile shag carpet red gold orange and green to complement or contrast your Naugahyde cushioned living room's seating.  As a young teen I use to gag at the color pallet of my parents picks.   

[fc7_plumcrazy]

I try to stay with "elite" cars so not interested in a 383 changed to a 440, but don't care if the 440 is the born with block, same for 340 cars need to be a 340 not converted to a BB, probably wouldn't buy a 318 or 383 car period. I would buy a 340/440 car with a 318/383 in it cause I can fix that. And I will change to 6 packs or buy a non-6 pack car with a 6 pack in a heart beat, in fact I'm pretty sure my 500 will end up with a 6 pack on it, got one just sitting there so why not. Not into converted 4 speed cars, must be original 4 speed or the automatic goes back in it. Original metal of course trumps all, I'd actually rather have all beater type survivors as long as their honest cars. I'll buy a roller or a disassembled project without hesitation but the proper scrutiny, I have lots of parts so I don't get nickeled and dimed to death, unless I think about what they cost me over the years, which I don't. Not into clones at all but might buy one at the right price to disassemble and scavenge good parts off of. And I reserve the right to double back on any of this!


So now you know where I stand cause I know you were all concerned.

+1

you are not alone ;-))

Carsten

[odcics2]

  Just look inside a home from the same era, burnt orange/brown or avocado green appliances with gold fleck counters, deep pile shag carpet red gold orange and green to complement or contrast your Naugahyde cushioned living room's seating.  As a young teen I use to gag at the color pallet of my parents picks.   

And you wonder why kids got into drugs!