Terry Smith wrote:
>I'm interested in list advice on the color I'm going to paint my 1959 TR3A
>restoration sometime in next 6 months. (I'm not interested in originality,
>it's not that kind of question.)
>
>
The sweetest classic combination is black over red, a bit retro but
still so cool that BMW used it on their high-dollar retro Z8 a couple
years ago and I've seen it recently on the not-cheap Audi A4
convertible. Perhaps I think this because my TR4 is black over red? I
initially planned to wear out the red interior and replace it with tan,
but I wore out the red interior and replaced it with a less worn out red
interior. I've always liked these cars in black, but I really like the
red interior too. Took a few years.
But powder blue is also good. I'm going to paint my project TR4 powder
blue with a black interior. And a black interior would be perfect for
you, since it would go with any shirt and tie you wear. I like the
factory racing connection, but wives dig powder blue too! I sort of like
the deep royal blue the TR6 came in, but I wouldn't use it with a red
interior (sorry, Sherman) -- tan would work. Anyway, my vote is for
black over red... or powder blue over black... or royal blue over tan.
But if you must have a red interior, paint it black. We'll start a club
and print up some t-shirts.
>Second...and the real reason for this e-mail...a TR3A is a smaller car than
>even many of the small cars on the road today. Is there evidence suggesting
>that a more visible color, such as a yellow, might be safer?
>
Yes, 'Safety Yellow' has good visibility, which perhaps explains it's
occasional use on ambulances, fire trucks, and Volvos of a certain age.
;) In fact the Swedes have done a study of the issue. Pink is even
safer! Black, brown, and green didn't do so well. Here's a link full of
factoids:
http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/fascinating-facts/safe-vehicle-colours.html
My theory is 1. pink-car owners are inherently safe drivers, 2.
ambulances and fire trucks also have sirens, and 3. Volvos, well they're
just safe anyway. Driving a small classic car has certain risks which
can be managed or accepted, but you can imagine you have a few safety
benefits such as lower risk of rollover, better maneuverability, and
zero chance of airbag related fatalities. Since you're not sensitive to
colors anyway, consider pink racing stripes on your black car with a red
interior and you should be fine. :)
Steven Newell
Littleton, CO USA
'62 TR4 x 2
'66 Volvo 122S wagon
etc.
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