Paint - Color Scheme? Some ideas, a few Q's

[bruss01]

Didn't really see anywhere appropriate to put this so here goes...

I'm working on an IH Scout terra '78. Great truck, but the school bus yellow has got to go. It's getting body work now to be ready for painting, and a little work to enable seamless terra/traveler conversions for the extra long-top. So I have to come up with a color scheme.

One thing that concerns me is I'm not sure how this all works. What should I know about getting a vehicle painted? I would hate to get quoted a price, and find out later that they didn't include "all" the vehicle. It looks really tacky to not have door jambs painted, and all the little inconvenient places (such as interior window pillars, the bulkhead, etc). But are there different terms to describe this to a paint shop? Do they just "know" to do this stuff? I've never had to paint a vehicle before so this is all new to me.

I was thinking of going with a dark hunter sort of green, maybe tending a little toward olive. Seats need re-upholstered so I was thinking maybe a chocolate brown for the vinyl seats and door pannels, maybe dye the dash/floor to match. I was thinking a light ivory or cream color for the tops. Of course I want to get someone who knows color (rather than just guessing) to advise me what shades of these colors work together properly.

Suggestions?

Btw here is the truck for reference:

 

[bruss01]

Also, I need to score some wheels like this to fit the IH bolt pattern:

Any tips?

Damn, I just realized, the baby moon hubcap would have to clear the front hub... Problem or no biggie?

Also, those mirrors have got to go. What to replace them with... Originals? Those seem pretty small. Looking for suggestions from those who have been-there-dun-that.

 

[Drew Merrick]

what should I know about getting a vehicle painted? I would hate to get quoted a price, and find out later that they didn't include "all" the vehicle.

You should know that you need to talk to whatever paint shop you choose to squirt your paint. Ask them your questions and get their answers. Then make an informed decision.

You should know:

• that the less body and prep work they need to do the less expensive it is for you.
• that some shops do better work than others and you should look at vehicles they are doing on the day you visit them.
• that good paint shops love to talk about paint and what they can do and what they will paint.
• that budget paint shops like to only talk about packages.
• that if you really care about the quality of your paint then you should really care about choosing the shop that does it.

do they just "know" to do this stuff? I've never had to paint a vehicle before so this is all new to me.

Painting cars is not an obscure world of secret information and a lack of communication. Its pretty common for paint shops to have customers who know nothing about body work. I can pretty much bet that most paint shops don't think that their customers know what an a pillar is. They will talk with you and find out what you want panted.. They will know this because you will tell them and an agreement or work order will be created. There will be an understanding of what will be done and at what costs before anything is painted. It's definitely up to you to communicate exactly what you want, you can even use the terms you know and you don't have to speak painter at all, just english, well... Most often english.

of course I want to get someone who knows color (rather than just guessing) to advise me what shades of these colors work together properly.

Suggestions?

Are you looking for an interior designer? Your probably not going to find any here. Maybe if our wives read over the forum but I am not going to ask mine. She might get the wrong idea and think we actually want curtains in our Scout.

Color is pretty simple actually. There is a simple theory involved in color, it's called color theory. It's like this.. Take the entire visible spectrum and then bend one end back around to the other, that would be the violet wavelength mashed back into the red wavelength. You get what's called a color wheel. That is all colors bent around 360 degrees.

On that color wheel are primary colors, red, green and blue, unless your in the print business then it's cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Primary colors are colors that all other colors can be derrived from.

The next colors are secondary colors. These are colors that are formed by mixing primary colors.

Then comes tertiary colors, these are colors formed from mixing a primary color with a secondary color.

All of these together make up the color wheel from which most color theory is based.

A common color system is three colors. This works out well for the human capability to discern a color theme. This is a primary color, a secondary color, and a highlight color. Primary in this sense being the main color, secondary in this sense being an accent or not as prevalent.

If your going to pick colors then there are certain ways to do it that have been proven to provide feelings of "properness" in humans. Just like the golden ratio can make us feel happy so can colors chosen in this way.

Analog colors are colors that lie right next to the other colors on the color wheel. Like red, orange and yellow.

Complimentary colors are colors that are on the exact opposite point of the color wheel. Usually complimentary colors are used as highlight colors.. Ie purple and green or red and blue.

Split complimentary colors are colors to the left and right of the complimentary color. Like light blue and light green for red (blue being the complimentary)

triad complimentary are three hues distant to the complimentary color. Pink and blue for green would be an example.

Monochrome is a case of one single color and it's variations of tint.

Monochrome achromatic is a special use of monochrome with just variations from white to black.

Now if your color wheel only has 16 colors then your limited on choices, but if your color wheel contains the entire spectrum of color then your unlimited in combinations. But to ask that someone who knows color come and pick you out a combination is a little strange. Maybe you should contact an interior designer, look up color wheels on the internet, or look at different web sites.. People who make money on the internet have spent years studying how to use color effectively (which is why I know so much about color).

In the end it's all just a big guess until you find something you like.

Good luck.

 

[Drew Merrick]

Ahh damn. Maybe I sounded a bit harsh on that last post, didn't mean to. But I will provide you with a link to a color tool that you can use to pick a color and find out all kinds of color based on theory and all that crap I talked about.

Its a tool made for web developers and computer design so the codes it spits out are hashed rgb values in hex. The first two letters are red codes, the second two being blue and the last two being green. Hexidecimal or 16 base numbering system. 1-9 same as decimal a = 10, b = 11, c = 12, d = 13, e = 14, f = 15. Have fun.

Try entering 708090 in the hexidecimal box and hitting set.. Then hit the other buttons like analog, triad, etc to see different combos based on that color (a very satin like steel blue)
color wizard

 

[Robert Kenney]

Paint color I would not want to advise on and I never recommend changing the color from factory unless the body is dip stripped like strip clean in santa ana CA.

Your existing paint (if it is going to be painted over) needs to be inspected for deep defects like blisters, body filler delamination, fractures, undercover corrosion or even visible surface corrosion. If any of those are found the paint needs to be removed to metal to the extent of the area of the defect. In those cases the painter needs to determine if the entire truck should be stripped.

A paint job is only as good as the prep work. Prep work is billed in hours at a given shop rate so don't be fooled by a low bidder. The price reduction will be because of less prep. After body work a high build primer is sprayed and after curing it is blocked then if needed primed again for subsequent blocking. That is how paint jobs get expensive but the only way to get the best outcome.

The material cost is another hidden mistake. I always use major brands like ppg glasol dupont etc and a mid cost product from those company's.

Next is what system of paint. Single stage or base clear. Now days in California especially all metallic base clear products are comprised of a water borne base metallic and a solvent based clear. The single stage solid colors are a solvent based product and better in my opinion till they can prove to me the water born shnizz is worthy.

Color is in the eye of the beholder and not anything another can recommend. I like to look around for ideas on current production cars and then go to a paint shop and see if you car browse the chip books for the one you think you like. Most painters will shoot samples for you to take out into the sun and see if you like it. Don't make the decision on a color by indoor lighting. Things look way different in sun.