Paint Scheme Opinions

[dave73chally]

Need some opinions on the paint scheme of my car. It's a 73 Challenger and going for the "pro-touring" style look. Side markers, fender mounted turn signals and antenna are being shaved. Currently Sublime with black steelies, black header panel and "sad face" trim, black tail panel, and black r/t hood.

The plan is to add rear window louvers, a t/a spoiler and a t/a side stripe (minus the t/a text). Mirrors are currently chrome, will be painted sublime. Door handles are chrome, may paint them black to fill in the stripe but not sure? Anyone have a picture of black door handles within the t/a side stripe?

My bumpers are my main uncertainty. Debating filling the bumperette holes in the rear valance but not sure. I tossed around the idea of welding the brackets, smoothing the bumpers and painting them sublime but the rear trunk trim holds me back. And I haven't seen a car with sublime painted bumpers that really did it for me. I've seen the bumpers painted black on a sublime car and it looked sweet but again, the trunk trim looks off. I'm thinking it may not look off with my black tail panel and black trunk trim, but flowing into a black t/a spoiler it might look like too much. Here's a picture of the car I'm referring to:



If I can't decide, I might just have them rechromed and not fill the valance bumpertte holes but I'm not a big fan of chrome so that's my dilemma. What do you guys think?

[HP2]

I'm not a big fan of the black or painted bumpers. But I also think you need some chrome here and there to break up the color and keep it from looking too monochrome.

If you had a darker car, I'd stick with the chrome and argent absolutely. With the sublime, the black does help contrast with the bright green.

Out back maybe leave the tail panel argent and black out the trim to provide some continuity with the bumper. It frames the argent that way.

Up front, go with the black fascia since the fender trim is integrated. This creates a more cohesive appearance with the black bumpers and downplays the outline of the grill. Definetely black out the chrome grill strip.

The '74 in my avatar has had the front all blacked out and I've added headlight covers. The car color is too dark to highlight it, so it all blends well, but it does avoid the stark contrast you will have with the green.

[dave73chally]

Just to clarify, my header panel and tail panel are already blacked out. The rear valance in the photo isn't painted yet, it will be sublime. The hood will be satin black, it's currently just EDP coated. Here's my car as it sits today:

[mike13]

I think your car would look tuff with body colored bumpers and body color the tail suround trim as well.  Have to do something with the headlight trim rings too.  Can't leave them shiny.   I have a '73 also and would like to do something similar.   I was thinking of a dark argent for the tail panel and grill, satin black for the header, hood and top of the fenders and have it follow the top fender line filling in from that edge to the glass going back to the rear quarter glass.  Then black out the side window trim, front and rear glass trim too like the pick of that pro street challenger.  Wish I could get a rendering done for cheap.  I may buy a couple plastic model kits and paint them up like I want to see if it works or not.  On a side note I think it would look mean if you remount your tires black walls out and put a set of spider caps(or bullet push through hub caps) on and take a scotch brite pad to the caps.  By the way, kool challenger.

[HemiOrange70]

bumpers filled and painted sublime. Rear trim either chrome or sublime as well and door handles would look good stripe color (black). Here is a newer challenger to see how the sublime between the trunk and spoiler looks