Controversial paint scheme - your opinion?

That's right, you get to vote. I thought this group might like to attempt to influence me now that almost all the panels are down to bare metal and I'm ready to buy the paint.

Givens:
- The car will be two toned at the belt line.
- The top (main) color will be PPG's Vanilla Shake (creamy white).
- Both top and bottom will be clear coated.
- The pebbly texture has been removed from the rockers and valances, but the ribs are still there.
- The interior is bright (fire engine) red leather.

The rocker panel and valance color choices are:
- fire engine red to match the leather, or
- light gold metallic (hard to capture in a drawing), perhaps with a 2" red stripe to separate it from the creamy white and keep it from looking like a Acura/Lexus/etc.

Here's what they look like:



BTW, if anyone is strongly against the two toning - and is willing to buy the paint (about $300) - I'll do the whole thing in Vanilla Shake and forego the two toning idea. This is a rare opportunity to make your opinion count by putting your money where your mouth is! Fair enough?

[maheath]

If somebody makes a $500 (or larger) contribution to my car budget, I'm willing to take their opinion seriously. Until then, their opinion is just another line in the sitcom of life.

Owning a Mercedes isn't a sacred trust - it's whatever you make of it. Enjoy the car and worry less about what others will think. Burma Shave.

That said, I'd vote for the red.

I have watched your project with great interest since my purchase of a 380SL over a year ago. I am sure that the pure MBZ people are puzzled over the whole project. I am not one of them and thank you for some questions that you have answered
for me in the past year.

As for the color if it was mine I probably would not go for two tone BUT IT IS NOT MINE!!!! So man go for whatever you want and one thing for sure you will be able to look at your project SL and say with pride "I did it my way!" and can probably add to that "Theres not another one like it anywhere!"

Great job and hope to maybe see it for real someday. Have a great 4th.

[MD2B]

I personally don't care for two-tone. It is not currently very stylish. None of the newer cars are two-tone. This is just my opinion, not to be taken personally.

Since over 100 of you have "viewed" without voting, I guess I won't be swaying the outcome by jumping in at this point.

First, don't worry about me taking anything said personally. My skin's not thin (figuratively or literally).

Second, I disagree about "None of the newer cars are two-tone." I see tons of current cars with the bumpers and rocker area a different color than the main part of the body. Gold (or beige metallic, or something similar) along the bottom of a white car is almost cliche, but I've also seen silver on black (or dark blue), pewter on a wide variety of colors, etc. I'd trace that movement, by the way, back to the two toned (from the factory!) 560SEL's.

My 350SL is a '72, so my inspiration for this project has been the Detroit cars of the same era - early '70s - the Shelby GT-350, the Olds 4-4-2, and dozens of cars that had satin black hoods and other trim that contrasted with whatever body color they had. I figure if Mercedes had wanted to play the muscle car game (as they now play the SUV game), they would have come up with something not unlike Ludwig. Remember, the factory built this two-tone hot rod only six years later: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6331&item=2422016181

If I were a better painter, I'd do it in silver, but I know my limitations. I'd rather do a good job with white than a hack job in a metallic. Putting metallic down low where the faults are not as easily seen is as far as I'm willing to go.

So how about voting now? If you don't vote now, you can't complain later . . . .

[cbdo]

Red, absolutely.
Pale gold is about restraint, and Mad Ludwig definitely isn't!

[Gilly]

You can attach a POLL to your thread and that way we could vote. You have no poll attached to the thread.

Forget the 2 toning, it will look like crap. For tri-toning you should go to jail.
The $300 bucks is on the way, along with a business card for a good shrink and a fashion consultant.

Gilly

[Darrell Woods]

The gold is way too much. Red with white top...I don't know. The pic at least is interesting. Who knows, you might create a real sharp, one-of-a-kind vehicle. Good luck!

[Gilly]

Who knows, you might create a real sharp, one-of-a-kind vehicle.

I'd say you're about half correct.

Gilly

[Darrell Woods]

You're right Gilly. I wouldn't paint it two-tone either. Still, to each his own.

[slsmag]

PAINT IT WHITE

Add a red pinstripe to the shoulder.

Afterwards, if you still want to go two-tone, go with the red (as anything else will make the car in violation of good-taste laws in several states).

- michael

[BMarsh07]

Hey Doc-

I am looking at a 2-tone scheme myself- black over red- so I say go for it- white over red is my choice for you...

[jfsehl]

Go with the red...but remove the chrome wheel lip moldings. Your car will look just great!

[Roger]

Go with the red...but remove the chrome wheel lip moldings.

I second that!

[zeggate]

If you are man enough to ask others opinions then it matters to you what they say or think. Go with your red and white but the front turnsignal lenses should stay original for safety sake