Changing the colour of a Sport 350

[Daniel]

Now.....normally, I'm a bit of a conservationist where things like this are concerned, and I'd not dream of changing something as radical as the colour of a car......but.......

as there's absolutely bundles of bodywork required on my 350, I cant help considering the possibility........and how ace it would look chrome orange with the sport 350 decals.

wadaya think......have I indulged too much in the festive spirit?

[talon]

methinks you may want to attend rehab

[andydclements]

Or some purists get hold of you, you may want to attend A&E.

Personally, it's your car. If you think you would prefer that colour, and we know it should work well, go for it, on the understanding that any prospective buyer may deduct something from the normal value to allow for return to original colour. I guess some buyers might prefer the new colour to the original as well, so may be no impact on value.

Go for it, if that's what you want.

[Daniel]

any prospective buyer may deduct something from the normal value to allow for return to original colour.

as it is, it's worth f**k all anyway

[andydclements]

That's the best excuse yet.

[mangel]

DDDDOOOOO IIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the originals in Silver but the one white one and two silver ones look equally if not mor cool due to exclusivity.

The Dark grey/blue metallic graphics and Orange is my Ideal combo on ay car!!

If going to do it though make sure you redo the interior to match!!!

I hasten to add that if it was a clean original one I'd say get the work done and back to original due to the loss of money!!!!

[snuffy]

I had an orange GT3 before I got my SPort 350 ( the only blue one ). My missus says she always prefered the orange to the blue. It would look okay in orange I'd say. Mind you, it wont be cheap for a full respray - say

[Daniel]

I had an orange GT3 before I got my SPort 350 ( the only blue one ). My missus says she always prefered the orange to the blue. It would look okay in orange I'd say. Mind you, it wont be cheap for a full respray - say

[Autocross7]

My vote is to do it . As it will be all apart anyway, the job will be quite right and you will love it in the end. I personally never cared for silver cars, gun metal is better and the Esprit looks a sight better than most silver cars to me... but go for the orange. Also, put the Sport 350 markings on before the last two clear coats go on. Then they will be under clear coat and safe!

Cameron

[superdavelotus]

If you are unhappy with colour then first consider one of the other stock S350 colours, white, black and blue. If you still want to go ahead with another colour then that's upto you. No one will reconised it or will say it's a S350 in any other colour. It will look more like another S350 wannabe, some will even question if it's a V8.

Have we touched onto another subject about not being happy with your new car?

Dave Walters

[peter_england99]

Is this the Sport 350 from MGFcrasher? What is the state of the chassis?

Personally, I'd respray it in the original colour. Will help on the resale value and means that you won't need to redo the interior.

Regards,

Peter.

[Advantage]

As far as I'm aware, there's only one V8 (a GT) in the UK that's Chrome Orange.

Orange GT3s look wrong, but an orange V8 is a good thing.

[V8Esprit73]

I have an Orange V8 - Not Chrome Orange but very close.

Have to agree that an Orange V8 IS a good thing!

Daniel, did you have the Ltd Edition S4(?) that was BRG with yellow wheels? Seem to remember one at Oulton on a track day a few years back.....

[matk]

What an ace idea! A lot of people will tell you a Sport 350 should be silver however the directors who owned Sport 350 cars picked their own cars hence the white and blue ones. I say go for it!

[kyliesmith.com]

DONT RESPRAY THIS CAR ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!

You should read up on more articles on how special this car actually is! They are rare as hens teeth and need to be in the hands of people who will care for them and maintain their original looks etc. Do not doctor it......please

I know all about this car and it needs someone to lovingly restore it again to its true spirit, not hard to do just time and energy. By the sounds of it Rich would happily take his much loved 350 back.

My apologies for coming over strong but we are a passionate bunch and makes me cringe when people try to change them to something else. Just enjoy it for what it is.

[esprit350]

do what you want its your car, it just put the value of the un molested ones up

[DBredS4]

If the paint job is done properly, looks good and you haven't stuck ironing boards on the back/christmas lights underneath then 'make it orange' I say. I bet it will look bril and one of a kind. Keep the decals and the fit and finish for authenticity. imo.

Lotus would paint a car any colour for a customer if they asked, as was done for the directors and that posh bloke (lord or sir)

I bet they only did them silver because they had a large batch of the stuff sitting idle. good business sense if you ask me.

Roll on CHROME ORANGE!

Edited December 29, 2007 by DBredS4

[snuffy]

and then some. It's an accident damaged car which has been repaired and the body repair work is shocking.

it'll be a shell off job, then transported to be repaired and painted. the work needs doing anyway, so the respray is only a small portion of it.

Oh, will that not cost you more than the car will be worth when it's finished ?

I bet they only did them silver because they had a large batch of the stuff sitting idle. good business sense if you ask me.

That's most likely true.

[Loose Cannon]

I'd normally be bouncing up and down at the thought of another orange car but this needs a bit of thought.

Part of the reason I've never fancied an S350 is they all look the same (with the odd few exceptions), and lets face it how many silver cars are there on the road these days? I mean if you want to look the same as a bunch of other people buy a DeLorean??

However the S350 seems to suit a "techy" look, what with the mag wheels and sharp edged spoiler, so I'd pick a really glittery light metallic to contrast with the dark grey accents and set off the carbon and decals. I always thought Adrians light blue one was the nicest. As said previously when Lotus' top nobs had a choice they all struck out to be different didn't they?

If you are stuck on orange what about Lamboghini's Arancio Atlas which is really glittery (Lotus' Chrome orange looks pretty much solid until the sun comes out)

[Advantage]

Squint your eyes a bit and try to picture it with an ironing board for a rear spoiler....

[Daniel]

I'm not sold on the idea of chrome orange, it's a nice colour.

my point was, that as it's got to be shell off re sprayed anyway, theres a perfect opportunity to change the colour, and I was curious what my peers would think.

certainly a more sympathetic colour would be preferable to some of you, the same colour would make the purists happy, and those more radical would welcome a 350 with a kick ass paint scheme.

I'll have a good think about it while I'm taking it to bits.

[Jonathan]

I actually like the orange - Some chap bought a Mclaren F1 in orange and it looks great.

They look superb in white too

Thing is to do a colur change thats not too over the top - changing all the interior etc to match would be over the top imo - just a respray is like changing clothes, you can always change it back !

[islandbloke]

It depends on whether you plan the car to be a keeper. If you aren't planning to ever sell her, change the colour - especially if the body is off and you can do the whole thing (nothing worse than a colour change with the original paint under the bonnet, in the door shuts and in the boot etc).

I love my Lottie in Calypso, but I sometime wish I'd ordered her in yellow all those years ago...

[red vtec]

I actually like the orange - Some chap bought a Mclaren F1 in orange and it looks great.

They look superb in white too

That Orange is Papaya Orange it was tribute to Bruce Mclaren as it was his race colour. It would look nice on an Esprit.

[superdavelotus]

After seeing the chrome orange V8, I'd say definately NOT! I don't like it!

Choose any other colour...

Dave Walters