I've decided that I'm going to paint the T-bird Black but I'm stuck on whether or not I should attempt to clone a Turbo-Coupe as well. I can get a Header Panel cheap, but the hood and Snowflakes, as well as the side Moudling are another story. I was going to attempt the clone until I saw this:
(http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/472000-472999/472287_10_full.jpg)
(http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/472000-472999/472287_7_full.jpg)
When I saw that, I said, sam! I would just have to Black out The Chrome Trim around the windows, and the Door Handles, but that's it. Just a good Black paint job, and I could get my car to look like that. Plus I know it would be cheaper than having to hunt down all the other stuff I need to clone a turbo.
So I'm stuck. I know making my car look like the one in the pictures above would be easier than trying to clone a Turbo, but there's something about a Turbo's looks that I really like too.
Any Suggestions? Or more importantly, anyone have pictures of a successful Turbo Clone? I'm at a crossroads here. And I don't know what my next move should be.
I would rather see you keep it orignal. That car you posted looks absolutely gorgeous, with a good wheel/tire combo it would look very cool. Theres only one thing about black cars though. There a bitch to keep clean :beatyoass: .
I like the 8-holed wheels, but I really like the Snowflakes on the Turbo. Problem is, for me anyway, the car just wouldn't look right with those Snowflakes on it unless it was a Turbo with the Header panel and Hood w/scoops. IMO, nothing looks better than a nice Black Turbo Coupe, but, that car pictured above looks pretty nice too, and I could probably make mine look like that without spending too much cash.
I kinda like the look of the turbo coupe header panel and the base hood and maybe the tc bumper cover would give it a smooth look. just a thought
You could put the TC header panel on there and use the TC bumper and could get away with using your side mouldings. You don't have to change to the TC mouldings IMO.
I think that one you posted pics from CarDomain is awesome. Considering your header panel isn't damaged nor is the bumper, why go through the fuss and expense to go to TC parts.
I say spray it black, put on lots of clear and enjoy.
wow....i havnt looked at my cardomain in forever. i forgot those pics were on there. anyway, i realy liked the look of the car after just painting the grille black. id paint the car and the grille to match, and add a turbo coupe bumper cover. the hoods are nice, but the car would look just as good with the stocker. i wouldnt go with turbo coupe wheels. i put them on there cause i had them, but i dont care for them. if they made the stock wheels in a 16 i would have kept them, the 14s are just way to small even thought they look killer.
another thing that would realy do alot for the look of the car, but still be suttle would be a mach 1 chin spoiler. the stocker is strieght across while the mach 1 chin spoiler would kind of follow the bumper around...take a look at my sig, the stocker is still on the tbird, the mach 1 chin spoiler is on the mustang, you might be able to imagine it under the nose of the tbird....
i would keep the stock mouldings....the turbo coupe door mouldings are neet but i think the stockers look a little better.
i wish i never sold that car....
Ok, how difficult is it to Black out the chrome trim around the windows and black out the door handle? Both would be Flat Black right?
Thats what it is on my car. Flat black on the windsheild and the rear window. The odd thing though is my side windows are still chrome?
Ok, maybe I'm halucinating, but I could have sworn someone on here had a Black 87-88 T-bird, wasn't a turbo, but had the hood and header panel on it, with the regular LX chrome trim everywhere else. If you are out there, please let me know, and show some pictures. If someone has a black LX/Sport model with the Turbo Hood/Header Panel, please show yourself!
Scuff the trim with some sandpaper and clean.
Spray with your choice of black.
The trim on my car isn't flat black, it's more of a semi gloss.
I found that plasti-kote black bumper and trim paint matches well, looks clean and lays smooth.
If you didn't want to remove the trim from the car, tape off the body and windshield and then you can use those industrial size trash bags cut along the seams as a cover. Tape them to the car protecting your paint and spray away.
I say paint it Black, but leave ALL of your chrome trim. There's just something about a Black car with lots of chrome that looks really good. Leave it all base-bird, forget trying to clone a TC. Most of us TC guys try to make the stupid thing look not so TC-ish.
Why do you want to change the color? The paint on your car looks to be in killer shape.
Pictures hide many of imperfections.
True but his paint looks better than 95% of these cars that I've seen.
Nope, there's a flaw which I'm embarrassed about. The roof. Notice I don't show it in any pictures? It's oxidized to hell. White oxidation covers a good 75% of the top. The funny thing about the stuff is, I can use my finger nail to se it off, and I swear the stuff comes off like Salt. But when I used Mothers Rubbing Compound, it did nothing.
Anyone know of something good and strong to take the stuff off? I used that rubbing compound on a Power-buffer to no avail, yet my fingernail can take the stuff off. I don't want to spend 48 hours outside, grinding my thumbs off trying to get rid of the stuff. Surely someone out there knows of some concoction that works?
How about wet sanding with some 1000,1500,and 2000 grit,then a good polish.Sand gently with the wet sandpaper and be careful not to cut through it.We did that to my friend's '67 Mustang.Worked wonders on that faded paint.
IMO just paint the grill and leave the rest of the chrome as is.
I hate it when people want to change the color of their car. Especially to black.
It will peel up, it will be inconsistent, it will show every single dent and ding and scratch like a magnifying glass. Plus it is nearly impossible to do a GOOD job with a color change without spending about five to eight thousand dollars doing it. Yes, I'm dead serious. Think about the firewall, the inner fenders, the inside of the trunk, etc. that all have to be painted to match or else it will look like a stupid TV show prop.
Nothing will stick to the sheetmetal as good as the factory paint. What you should do (IMO) is take the car to a GOOD body shop and have them repaint the top surfaces the stock color and blend it into the factory paint. Or just have the entire car repainted the stock brown metallic. It is really a beautiful color. And they don't have to paint the door jambs, under the hood, etc.
If it were MY car, I would locate some non-parking light front side trim, paint the whole car the stock color, and be satisfied with it. FYI - you don't ever want to paint anything flat black. It is porous and will wear quickly. Also, any time you wipe a towel over it, you will polish it slightly, ruining the flat finish. Go with a semi-gloss black. It is "darker", it will not hold dirt that will scratch it later, and it is all around more subtle than flat black.
That car would look great slightly lower, with nice paint, and some good looking wheels. I'll PS it later today.
Here's a super quickie...
I Like it.
But I don't want a thug mobile! I do suppose asking to have only the Roof re-painted would be cheaper than having the whole car done.
Or I could do what I was planning on doing in the first place, and that's selling the car and try to get a Turbo Coupe.
Fair enough. FYI - those wheels are a far cry from "thuggin" wheels.
http://www.johnchow.com/new-hre-competition-wheels/
Didn't you sell a TC to get that car?
Yeah, that silver automatic. Sold it for 2k, bought the car I currently own that exact same day. Now I just got find another Turbo. You don't have any Turbo Coupe's lying around you would trade for my car now would ya?:dunno:
-of course this is MY opinion, but i might just change out the front cover to a TC one, put on the fogs, use some good looking mustang factory wheels of a 17 or 18" variety. maybe if i wanted black trim around the windows, look for a junked TC to pull it off of. door handles are common mustang/ranger/escort ones,maybe a TC hood, but of course this would be me. i say that because i do have a '88 V8 lx in my back yard that if i EVER get to it thats kinda the plans i have in my mind. plus id trade you the money pit for yours but its a long way from being road ready, but when it is, trust me it will be worth the wait for all i'm doin to it.....
There's this Indian guy that works at a local 76 Gas station who is selling a Red 87 Turbo Coupe for $950. I don't have it. If I could sell my car today I would, and I could probably get $1500 easy. Seeing as this guy probably wouldn't be up for an installment plan, I've got to get the cash somehow.
A.d.d.
Hope you get the coupe! But if you don't I would black out the window trim one your car and paint it what ever coler I wanted. But if I wanted a low buck deal I would wet sand the roof and get all that old nasty clear off of it and try to re-clear it if the color doesn't come off. Never know the base color could be bad enongh that the new clear might not stick. Also I like the T/C header panel but eveyone wants that cause it is makes it look sporty. But there are many things you can do to make the base header look good too. Ever since I put the turbo coupe hood on my car a ricer won't even look at me. With the factory hood they always wanted to run'em. So do what you feel not what everyone else thinks.
I don't have A.D.D. Why would you say something like that?
DONT BLACK OUT THE TRIM! chrome grille and window trim will set a black car off like nothing else and still be smooth and not jump out in your face too much
So many opinions going in so many different directions. it aint no wonder its turning into a P.I.T.A. to decide what you want the finished car to look like. First off the car doesnt look real real real bad. My sig tells my opinion on the browns they put on these cars.
I do actually have ADD so my attention span is pretty much minimal. thats why my posts ramble most of the time. IMO get ideas from everyone putting theyre .02 in but at the same time ignore everyone too because in the end the car has to be what you want not what we want you to do with it. Then sit down at the computer, get photoshop or paintshop pro or some editing program for pictures. Use all your pics you have, and modify all your pics in the program with the colors.
It's how I figured out the eventual color scheme for mine.
Another thought on it when you modify what you want do close ups and full shots of the car, not just the entire car once and call it good.
Somethings look good from a distance but look like shiznite close up.
Try all the parts youre thinking about doing and pic which you like the best out of each one try every combination you can think of with each pic. In the end you'll know exactly what you want and you'll be happy with it when you get it finished. after all that if you're still uncertain go for total originality and paint the entire thing titty pink with pubie hair colored trim.
Leave it the stock color. There's just something about cars that very closely resemble what they looked like when they rolled off the showroom floor, but have subtle modifications like wheels, lower stance, and optional equipment like what came on sport models. I used to own a '78 Grand Am (G-body) that was two tone brown and gold with a goldish-yellow vinyl top. Ugly as sin but still very cool. I wanted to restore the body back to showroom stock but underneath modify everything. IMO just fix what you have, maybe a TC bumpercover with fog lights, TC hood, paint side mirrors body color and either paint the grill to match the body or black side moldings. Oh, one more thing, get wheels that are at least 15" or larger. No steelies
Well Guys, It's decision time. I've got $800 in the bank right now and I pretty sure that can cover a paint job for me easy. So, unless one of you out there has a rough 87-88 Turbo you would like to sell me or trade for my car, I'm going to be getting a paint job very soon. Now I must decide either Stock Color, or Black.
Go with the stock color.Black is a very hard color to take care of.Even the smallest little door ding looks like a crater,and every flaw says "Hey !! Look at me!!!".Look through the paint books they have.You may find a color that you just don't see everyday.I got Patriot Blue Pearl on my 'Bird about 4 years ago.It's a Chrysler color.DEEEEEEP blue with blue metal flake.Check it out.
yeah dude, i would realy re consider the black. i will never have another black car. its true it looks awesome when its clean and polished but its the hardest color to keep clean and like everyone said already, it highlights any imperfections, scratches, ripples, dents......it gets those spider web marks worse than anything out there so it requires extra care. there are far too many other colors to look at if you are changing the color of the car.
800 bucks isnt going to go too far on a paint over, as specially if you want it to look somewhat complete and decent nevermind factory...
the factory color could actually be nice if you find a way to spice it up a little.
id deffinetly black out the trim though. once uppon a time it was cool to hae chrome on the body of a car but that was long ago. the only thing that looks more tacky is gold....
I'm not even sure $800 will cover the cost of decent materials for a stock repaint. I'm sure Maaco could do it for that, but you'll want to strip it and redo it as soon as you get it home.
There's no chance that it will cover a color change if you want the door jambs, inner fenders, underhood, and undertrunk painted. I'm just being realistic.
I highly recommend you hold off for at least another $700, go to a reputable shop, and get it repainted the stock color. It will be beautiful.
yeah if you want it black you pretty much have to do everything inside like the engine bay and everything else mentioned. you COULD just do the body but i think youd be dissatisfied every time you open the door or the hood, etc. i do notice that youve never shown pics of the top but from that pic and the old sig pic you had, ive always said to myself "man that guy's got a nice bird" it really does look beautiful and that color i think goes good with it. i dont see that color a lot. even into the 80s the color schemes more resembled stuff of the previous couple of decades, and today all you see is dark blue, "champagne", silver, dark "forest green". those are what i see a lot. i compare todays cars to stuff of 40 or 50 years ago and one thing i see is the color schemes were so much more fun then! and the one you have i think is pretty far from everything you see today and that makes it stand out.
just my .02, another vote for original color.
"you can restore a car a thousand times but it will only be original once"
Clone it. As well during the process make it looks unique. Do whatever YOU think looks cool. Screw what anyone else thinks.
That was about the cost of materials on my repaint IIRC.... they weren't cheap...