Does original colour matter if resprayed?

[shaunmbenson]

I find ads odd that tout....

Rare "insert some colour here"!! for a car but then it's been redone in GP white or Guards.

Does a car having once been a different colour of value add value to a colour of no value?

Of course some ads simply state the respray as part of the described history but others use it as a first line selling point. That's the part I'm missing

[pu911]

Generally speaking it's a pretty serious hit to value when car has been repainted something other than factory color. The fact that used used to be another color might have some value if you wanted a car that color and were willing to make the substantial investment to repaint it.
Phil

[KNS]

Unless... The original color was absolutely hideous and the new color is a desired color, correct for the year and done to a very high standard (complete strip down, bare metal respray, inside and out). There are a few rare, awful colors from the early '70s that I would consider sale proof.

Also once cars get to crazy levels - not saying 911s will get there - it doesn't seem to matter as much. For example a Ferrari 250 SWB that has been three different colors in its life and even has some accident history. I'd take a pink 250 SWB if I could afford it (and repaint it).

[Matt Monson]

Here's a recent discussion that will shed some light on this:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-marketplace-discussion/897296-value-original-color.html

The short answer is that it depends on what the original color is. Some day, if the car is driven, it will need paint again. If the original color is one of the colors that is considered a premium fecthing color, then it makes the car more valuable in the long run.

Not really more valuable today though it may make selling it easier. When I was shopping last summer the two cars I seriously considered were an ice blue metallic targa that had been repained Guards Red and a black slopenose coupe that was originally Gulf Blue. The origina color mattered to me on both cars. I bought the latter, and it's had a bare metal respray in orginal color.

I sold my Blue Metalic 912 2 weeks ago and it's already been stripped to be painted its original Polo Red. People do value original colors as these cars continue to climb in value. Some day 80-90% of them will have been repainted. What that original color was matters in the long term.

[Mick_D]

it's your car. paint it whatever color you like.

[brisboats]

Originally Posted by Mick_D

it's your car. paint it whatever color you like.

+1
Lots of 911's got the red black or white spray as the original color was considered out of step. My Irish Green 76 was treated to a glass out glasurit in black. Yes it would be worth more original but at the time I wanted it black.

B

[matt930s]

That's funny Matt; my 912 was Gulf Blue is now resale red (prob painted 20-30 years ago)....

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

Here's a recent discussion that will shed some light on this:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-marketplace-discussion/897296-value-original-color.html

The short answer is that it depends on what the original color is. Some day, if the car is driven, it will need paint again. If the original color is one of the colors that is considered a premium fecthing color, then it makes the car more valuable in the long run.

Not really more valuable today though it may make selling it easier. When I was shopping last summer the two cars I seriously considered were an ice blue metallic targa that had been repained Guards Red and a black slopenose coupe that was originally Gulf Blue. The origina color mattered to me on both cars. I bought the latter, and it's had a bare metal respray in orginal color.

I sold my Blue Metalic 912 2 weeks ago and it's already been stripped to be painted its original Polo Red. People do value original colors as these cars continue to climb in value. Some day 80-90% of them will have been repainted. What that original color was matters in the long term.

[shaunmbenson]

That all makes a lot of sense. If I had a guards car (which I don't even mind) that had originally been bahama yellow I'd love to restore it one day to that colour and knowing that 'original colour' held value down the road wouldn't be a major factor in buying the car but it would still be one.

[silverc4s]

It's funny how the car culture evolves differently for different Marques. In the Ferrari world, any modification to a factory original car reduces value, including, wheels, tires, etc. but repainted are not really a big deal, most Ferraris coming to the US seem to eventually end up some shade of red, regardless of their original paint, and sell just fine that way.
In the Porsche 911, changes such as SSIs, steering wheels, suspension upgrades, seats, etc, don't usually hurt resale of an otherwise desirable car, but g0d forbid you change the color, immediate 20% hit to the value, no matter the quality of the paint.. Go figure.
Most Ferrari owners will never modify anything about their car, and are looking far & wide for Michelin XWX or even TRX TIRES...

[Rick Brooklyn]

I don't know. I'd say seats and steering wheel do affect the value of an otherwise pristine 911.

[silverc4s]

I see guys buy early 911s all the time with Sport Seats that were not on the COA. And pay extra for them in reality...

[gearby]

The original color of the car has a large impact on the value of the car even if the car is resprayed a different colour. A one-of-a-kind lime green long hood sold recently in Europe for a large premium because of its unique color. A rare original color will most likely be taken back to that color eventually.

[Mick_D]

THe original color for y car is 406, metallic gold. We thought it was 463, Casablanca Beige metallic, but the paint plate clearly says 406. I was almost killed in a gold 240 Z in the early 80s and had lots of bad luck with it and for some reason I associate all that with the gold color. Yes I am insane, why do you ask?
At any rate, I probably should have painted it its original color but I like the cobalt blue better even though it wasn't available on my car in the year it was made. I chose to satisfy myself , not some potential buyer in the future who will do everything he can to convince me my car isn't worth as much as I'm asking. If he wants my car, he pays my price regardless of what color it is, and I get to enjoy my car in my color.

[Matt Monson]

Absolutely. It's your car. Do what makes you happy.

[techweenie]

I'm in the process of managing restoration of a friend's car from a (thorough) silver color change back to the original Albert Blue. Value impact is probably +15%, plus the quality of repaint (Esposito) is adding value as well.

It is unusual for a repaint to be thorough. In the 80s and early 90s, we saw a large number of early cars molested in many ways, with 'resale red' being the choice of the majority of color changes.

Here's one I restored to the original -- super rare -- color. The cheap black just flaked off under the hood... I calculate that restoring this particular color doubled the car's value.

[mattC2993]

Is light yellow for 1970 considered a desirable color?

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by mattC2993

Is light yellow for 1970 considered a desirable color?

Yes, in my world, it is. But back in the mid-70s, when I had one, I got a lot of negative comments. How times change.