Lotus Elan Central

So as you can see in the picture of my car below, something has happened to the paint on the front of the car, it looks like someone has gone over it with sandpaper (I don’t think they have, as things like the badge and water washer bits are not scratched). My guess is it must have been sprayed at some point in its life?




Anyway, despite wanting a sliver Elan for several years I’m a bit bored of the colour now. It seems dull and dated, plus there are so many sliver/grey cars on the road these days. I also find a lot of cars pull out in front of me on duel carriageways and motorways. I can’t help thinking that this is partly due to the dull colour, especially when the weather is grey and cloudy/raining.

I’m going to do the spraying myself. As was the case with Steveo spraying his Elan, I also have a compressor I can make use of at my dads and we’ve done a couple of cars before. Like Steveo also said, the majority of the effort in spraying a car is about preparation rather than skill (thankfully).


So I’ve decided on a rough colour, I just need to choose a specific shade.

Originally I wanted to go for a Lamborghini colour – Verde Ithaca (below), but it seems that’s a metallic colour which I’m not competent enough to spray. After looking on the net I think they have some very similar colours which aren’t metallic so not really a problem.




The other option is the Lotus colour Krypton Green (below), however in a lot of the pictures I’ve seen, this colour looks to have a more mustard tint to it (however that may just be the pictures, I need to see one ‘in the flesh’). I don't mind the Lotus colour either, although the original plan was for the lime colour.



At the same time as the paint job I also need to get the hood replaced as the current one is looking a bit rough now. I've not really looked at hood options yet, it's on my 'to do list', but I understand I have an option of one that includes all the seals, or one without all the seals!?!

I’m also thinking about getting some S2 wheels and getting them done black, however this is just an idea at the moment.

Work will be carried out this summer and I’ll take some pictures as I go!


Wondered what everyone else’s thought were re the colour? Stick with the Lotus colour or go for the Lambo colour?
Stick with current wheels as they are? Or spray them Black?
S2 wheels silver or black?

Any comments/thoughts appreciated,

Cheers.

My opinion on the color is that it's your car. Go with the color YOU like best.

If it were me, I wouldn't go with a color like lime green because I think it's guawdy and obnoxious. If I see that Lambo on the road I think, "awesome car, but what was that guy thinking with that color?" I don't know anybody, personally, who thinks any differently about lime green cars.

On this side of the pond, when you see lime green, or purple, or any neon colors, you're guaranteed to see 22 inch wheels with spinners, too.

I agree about the silver, everything you said. Basically invisible except when brand new.

I've only sprayed one car myself, the Isuzu Impulse my son used to drive. We sprayed it with a metallic blue. The metallic part was basically just very fine glitter that gets mixed into the paint. There wasn't anything more difficult about working with it than with non-metallic paint.

Of course, if you're just trying to be more visible, here's an idea:

Go with Pistachio in the Elan Sprint format. If you get bored with it I'll buy it

Dave Eds wrote:Go with Pistachio in the Elan Sprint format. If you get bored with it I'll buy it

Not too disimilar to the Krypton Green colour!

tweetdriver63 wrote:I wouldn't go with a color like lime green because I think it's guawdy and obnoxious.

I get what you're saying about it being down to personal opinion, but I think most people do care a little about what others think, I know I do to some extent.
What about the Lotus Krypton Green, what are your thoughts on that? I think it's more subtle, but would still be noticeable.

Kier wrote:

tweetdriver63 wrote:I wouldn't go with a color like lime green because I think it's guawdy and obnoxious.

I get what you're saying about it being down to personal opinion, but I think most people do care a little about what others think, I know I do to some extent.
What about the Lotus Krypton Green, what are your thoughts on that? I think it's more subtle, but would still be noticeable.

Not my personal taste either. I notice when I google "Lotus Elise" in the images search, that color doesn't show up that often compared to others, and the lime green of the Lambo barely shows up at all. Obviously, those are less common colors. There must be a reason for that. I personally find the more mainstream colors seem more tasteful/classy. Red, black, BRG, Blues, can't go wrong. I also like some of the orange/bronze shades.

Here are a couple of articles concerning safety and visibility of different colors:

http://www.motorpoint.com.au/car-colour.asp

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/fascinating-facts/safe-vehicle-colours.html

http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/CarColorAndSafety.pdf

Apparently, lime yellow is the most visible color.

tweetdriver63 wrote:http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/fascinating-facts/safe-vehicle-colours.html

But if you want to be safe, paint it pink.

With lime yellow being most visible, I'd say the Krypton qualifies.

Maybe somebody would photoshop it on an Elan for you.

Krypton in Chris's photo looks closer to Pistachio than the Europa does in Kier's photo - maybe Kier's was an old photo

Doesn't explain his modern photo of the Elise though

Have fun with your project!

Will you leave the engine bay silver then?

My advice is to definitely see a car in the colour you like first -- then you can get the effect of size and mass and angles with the colour on it. I'd say find a car in the colour you like and then go for it. Have someone photoshop the colour on an Elan in a few angles too! And if you get a new hood, then get something other than black just to make a change.

Elans look great in all colours I have seen them in!

GeoffSmith wrote:

tweetdriver63 wrote:http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/fascinating-facts/safe-vehicle-colours.html

But if you want to be safe, paint it pink.

Some of the red Elans around should be ok then

Doug wrote:Have fun with your project!

Will you leave the engine bay silver then?

Cheers Doug,... The engine bay will be painted as well, anything silver will be changed to whatever the new colour will be.

I've also just ordered some clear side repeaters and have enquired about clear front lenses too!

And I'm liking the dash dials that Nige has fitted, they'd go well with the new colour!

Keir

You might not beleive this but I was thinking along the same lines. I didn't find a cheap enough / bad paint car though.

I think it will look great and remind me of the Mexico I had in the early 70s (sigh)

Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh




Jim

Kier wrote:

GeoffSmith wrote:

tweetdriver63 wrote:http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/fascinating-facts/safe-vehicle-colours.html

But if you want to be safe, paint it pink.

Some of the red Elans around should be ok then

Gotcha! It did make me think that mine will get safer with time!



I wonder if Phil would re-render his model in your chosen colour as you're thinking of something so radical?

Here's an attempt. I was bored. Sorry about the little spots of red still showing. I'm not an expert. The color of the first one turned out a little more green than the actual Lotus color. I don't know why.

Well, FWIW I think the top pic looks superb.

Hope the interior is all grey/black, though





Jim

One more. I don't know why I didn't think to do this one in the last post. This one, I think the color came out spot-on.

I always liked the Pistachio on the old Elan (over white as on the Sprint) and the Isotope green looks really good. By and large I think dark colours look best on the Elan but I do like the bright green and the orange.

Hmmm. Lambo is closer to the old Ford green methinks. Both very nice



Jim

Good effort Chris, loving the Isotope Green one and the Lambo one! Great to see them on an Elan (wish I was good with photoshop type stuff!)

Thanks for doing those!

I can understand why bright green cars aren't everyones cup of tea! I do think they would give the Elan a more modern look though. For a car designed in the late 80's I still don't think Elans look out of places on the road these days, but a more modern colour would help with that further(along with clear lenses!)


I'm drawn towards the Lotus colour at the moment!!!

Anybody for a little taste with the color of the 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse concept? I really have to put down the photoshop and step away.