I’m looking at a colors for painting my car. It is an 82CE and while I have the original rims I prefer the ones I have on it.  I like the fader design and will keep that design.  I kept the car original inside except for the dash (put in a new radio).  I figure when I'm dead and gone if the guy want to restore it he can repaint it and put the original rims on then.  I restored the inside as a CE 3 color side panels and seats dash extra which are brown-greenish tan.  I know GM does not call it that but that is what it is to me.   That is where I get stumped.  I just want a flashier car color.  Doesn't have to be supper flashy but frankly I thing the CE colors are dull.

Looking at the picture and you can tell it was repainted without the faders on the sides and hood.  While it is black they do not fade.  I like the fade and I found a place that does a good job of painting the faders on the car.  They have done 4 CE in San Diego (all original color) and done a reasonable job on them.

This is what I want to do and where I can use some ideas.  I want to paint the car a color that goes with the CE inside Colors  I like them.  But I want to have sharper (better looking body color)  I also want to keep the fader design so I need two colors one for the body and one for the faders.   While I like red I do not believe it is the best color for the car (do not think most reds will go with the inside colors).  Although some reds may work for the faders colors if the basic car color was correct for the interior. 

I know someone out there has a good eye for colors or your wife's may.  Mine has to dress me or I where unmatching cloths.  She is no help as she want to keep the ordinal colors.

Some of you guy out there got some ideas for the two colors?  I have linked some pictures of the CE inside and faders so you can see what I’m talking about.

I will use the fader color for the pinstrips which do not show in the pictures.

Well you have a CE and myself I'd keep it a CE

I thought of that and it is an option that I have open but even doing that is changing the original colors.    

Could split it center side down and do a rootbeer or a black cherry. Kia has this black cherry that looks brownish and may match the interior stripes some. The top champagne would compliment it.

Believe me, Gilbert, I know what you're going through. When I painted mine everyone was on me to keep the original color (79 Frost Blue) and I finally ended up doing it. However, I may have a solution for you without getting too far off. Get the color charts from House of Color, Dupont, etc., and go to their pearls and heavy metallics. Pick some colors that are close to what you have but more pop! Something like an interpretive restoration! NCRS purists would be rolling in their graves, but so what! You have a fairly rare car so if it was me I wouldn't stray too far (the interior will give you away, anyhow!). But it comes down to "It's your Vette, dpo what makes you happy!" Just my .02!

Dadgummit....BlueBarry beat me to it....

It's still a dang good idea....I wuz gunna say go with the original color, but do it with some heavy pearl added to the color. It would make that thing pop in the sunlight. I think I saw a pic of a prototype car from the '70s that had a paint scheme similar to the CE, but it was a  light-ish blue color, with fading dark/light blues on the hood/sides. Looked pretty neat at the time.

I am the original owner of my '80.  I ordered it with the Classic White paint because it was my nod of respect to the first Polo White Vette in '53.  As most C3 owners know, the paint jobs from St. Louis were poor quality.  Bottom line: it's your car and you got to do what works for you.  Good luck with your decision.

Hi Gilbert,

You know I'm happy with black and a nice pin stripe.  I have also been impressed with a purple metal flake on C3s. There are many shades of purple.  You'll get the girls...

Bright yellow is really stunning too!  It is hard not to look at in a crowd of other cars.


Keith

I've seen this beauty, and Mike Yager did a double take when he walked by this car at our MAMO gathering.

Thanks for the input so far.  Remember that I want to maintain the faders on the hood and the sides as well as keep the colors compatible with the original interior colors.  I can see the white and that would leave almost any color for the faders on the side and hood.