[DeTomaso] Poll - Paint scheme

[Christopher Kimball]

I feel I must chime in; my car is a dark, metallic green.  Painting my lower panels black would not, in my opinion, look very good.  Since the colors would be so close (the green almost looks black at times), I think they would clash more than compliment.  I also think a solid color gives the car a cleaner and helps it "flow" better from top to bottom.

Of course, all of this has to do with personal taste.  For example, I always loved "Pure Gold" while some thought it gaudy.  Someday maybe I'll be in a position to make the owner an offer on it (of course, I'll wait until the price of Gold collapses from its current high price...)

Chris
#3846

> From: detomasoregistry at gmail.com
> To: MikeLDrew at aol.com; detomaso at realbig.com
> Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 21:36:17 -0800
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Poll - Paint scheme
> 
> So for a car long out of the body shop, how would one easily correct an unpainted
> car?  Is this a rattle can job?
> 
> My rockers see a bit of road debris, and I can envision touching the area up regularly.
> 
> Chuck
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DEFINITELY paint them satin black!   That's how the cars originally came; 
> the front valance, and the rear valance below the A/C screen were also satin 
> black.
> 
> Many people make the mistake of just repaininting the whole car body color. 
>   What this does is visually make the car about six inches taller, and 
> about six inches shorter in length.
> 
> I raised this issue to Tom Tjaarda a few years ago, as I am quite a zealot 
> in favor of the original paint scheme (black rockers, front valance, and a 
> small black area under the A/C grille on the rear valance).
> 
> I sent him a photo of an otherwise beautiful car, that was solid red, and 
> asked him what he thought about it.    His response:
> 
> "...Concerning the painting which we used on the first Pantera prototype 
> and the production cars, the rocker panel was painted a matte black as was the 
> front lower radiator intake (but not the bodywork) and a small srip below 
> the rear radiator grill.    Personally I cannot remember seeing any Pantera
> delivered in one solid color without at least the rocker panel being the 
> matte black color except when they put on the wheel flares and miniskirts.    
> The one solid color does in fact make the car look shorter and taller, and 
> alters the classic' Pantera look.
> 
> On one photo you sent, the top red car (a pre-L Pantera, painted solid red) 
> looks as if it may have been altered a it, the rocker panel looks deeper 
> than standard and the lower front under body, in front of the wheels seems to 
> have been altered to a lesser angle than the picture I am sending you.    
> Compare the two.    Maybe it is just a bad shot but it looks different."
> 
> (In fact, it was a completely unaltered car; the odd appearance was due 
> strictly to the failure to paint the black bits black).
> 
> Tom continued:
> 
> "In any case, you are right, without the satin black rocker panel the car 
> loses that sleek look, and looks like a cat (Pantera) which has become a bit 
> fat and is dragging its gut along the ground.    Not good for the reputation 
> of the species!"
> 
> So there you have it!
> 
> Mike
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