2 tone or not 2 tone

[hitt]

I just got my W124 Coupe back after a respray, however the shop managed to spray the rear bumper the same colour as the bodywork and not the slightly darker shade as with the front bumper and and side panels. Whist they will respray the rear to the correct colour for free. I am actually thinking I might just like the whole car one colour.
So do I stick with the 2 tone original or go for one colour all over? Not too bothered about the cost as I know he won't charge me much for the respray.
The car is Smoke Silver

 

[Vips]

keep it original.

 

[Ian B Walker]

ditto

 

[KLP 92]

IMO if its in that colour, then the 2 tone will make the car look older. I voted one colour.

 

[Vips]

IMO, having the car in one colour implies that it was the earlier 124 model, that had the thin strips. I saw alot of drivers convert the trims to the later models, but had them colour matched to the body work. I personally didn't think it looked nice, looked a bit cheap.

 

[grober]

Stick to the original 2 tone colour scheme. Unless you really want the "pimp my ride" look.

 

[Flash]

Go for full body colour match as two tone paint looks odd and makes the car look dated... IMO two tone colours look 80s ish...

Fact that bodyshop sprayed the rear bumper body colour should tell you something...

 

[hitt]

IMO, having the car in one colour implies that it was the earlier 124 model, that had the thin strips. I saw alot of drivers convert the trims to the later models, but had them colour matched to the body work. I personally din't think it looked nice.

Its not as old as the models with the thin strips, its a 1991 model, and has the plastic panels on the bottom portion of the doors. However The actual bumpers have the black bars.
After seeing the rear bumper in the lighter shade, I quite liked it . . its a subtle difference in shade from what was there originally so it doesn't fit in the pimp my ride catagory
Most people would not even notice.

 

[KLP 92]

Stick to the original 2 tone colour scheme. Unless you really want the "pimp my ride" look.

I don't think a car can look can look like that by colour coding! The reason the bumpers were a shade darker was due to them being a 2 pack paint which is a slight tougher more durable finish.

 

[imadoofus]

What's wrong with a car looking "Old" (KLP92) or "Dated" (Flash)?

It's never going to look like a new car, no matter what colour you paint it. Keep it the way Mercedes intended, and let the car keep its dignity.

PJ

 

[KLP 92]

What's wrong with a car looking "Old" (KLP92) or "Dated" (Flash)?

It's never going to look like a new car, no matter what colour you paint it. Keep it the way Mercedes intended, and let the car keep its dignity.

PJ

There's nothing wrong with it looking old/dated.

Hitt has been given an oppurtunity to have it looking more up to date. Besides MB themselves realised themselves the car looked dated, hence colour colour cosing the bumper inserts and having the lower moulding done in a closer colour match.

 

[Flash]

What's wrong with a car looking "Old" (KLP92) or "Dated" (Flash)?

It's never going to look like a new car, no matter what colour you paint it. Keep it the way Mercedes intended, and let the car keep its dignity.

PJ

Theres nothing wrong with it what so ever but was just my personal taste/preference thats all.

I apologise if any offence was caused to yourself/car...

 

[imadoofus]

Hitt has been given an oppurtunity to have it looking more up to date. Besides MB themselves realised themselves the car looked dated, hence colour colour cosing the bumper inserts and having the lower moulding done in a closer colour match.

That's fair enough, I guess (and as I've said before, your car looks lovely, and certainly less 'dated' than it did), but my attitude is that if I wanted a more up-to-date car, then I'd buy one.

In a continuing effort to keep each model-year looking newer than the last, without spending any money, car manufacturers are forever putting chrome strips around everything, and then painting them black, before putting chrome ones back on again. In time, two-tone bodywork will be back in fashion (hopefully more tastefully than on the Maybach), and then you'll all be rushing out to repaint the panels on your coupes, to keep them looking fresh

Each to his own.I like my car because it's unusual, and it was (is) expensive and was (is) very desirable. I don't want to make it into something it never was. If I wanted a more up-to-date looking coupe, I'd have bought a CLK.

PJ

PS: Flash - no offence whatsoever. As I've said above; it's horses for courses. I like old cars. And anyway, one of the prerequisites for classic car ownership is to have a very thick skin.

 

[grober]

There's nothing wrong with it looking old/dated.

Hitt has been given an oppurtunity to have it looking more up to date. Besides MB themselves realised themselves the car looked dated, hence colour colour cosing the bumper inserts and having the lower moulding done in a closer colour match.

I agree with you on coding the bumper inserts with the lower mouldings. But I,m not sure whether the black bumper inserts are of a material suitable for painting (rubber finish??) The later facelift bumper inserts are made of the same material as the moldiings and will take paint ok. In terms of a closer colour match the standard molding colour for Smoke silver was Shell Grey and remained the same thro-out the model run as far as I know.

 

[Flash]

later facelift bumper inserts are made of the same material as the moldiings and will take paint ok. In terms of a closer colour match the standard molding colour for Smoke silver was Shell Grey and remained the same thro-out the model run as far as I know.

On the W202/W210 pre face lift the two tone colour shade still apllied BUT on the face lift it was all colour coding matched. I'm sure its just done for cosmetc reasons...

 

[hitt]

I'm not really doing it to update the look of the car. I have been presented with an opportunity, and I thought that it may look better in a single colour than the 2 tone (personal taste i guess).
I was really just trying to get a feel for what other people thought.

Still haven't made my mind up

but thanks for the input so far

 

[grober]

Its your car!

Its your car, so of course you should paint it the colour you want. Dont know if you posted a pic in the gallery but maybe one of our resident paintshop experts (thats not me I hasten to add)could give you an idea of what your proposed molding colour change might look like.

 

[KLP 92]

I agree with you on coding the bumper inserts with the lower mouldings. But I,m not sure whether the black bumper inserts are of a material suitable for painting (rubber finish??) The later facelift bumper inserts are made of the same material as the moldiings and will take paint ok. In terms of a closer colour match the standard molding colour for Smoke silver was Shell Grey and remained the same thro-out the model run as far as I know.

The bumper insert can be painted without a prob. The primer used is different so it adheres better.

Here's an example of 2 tone that just looks wrong IMHO:

http://www.mercedes-crawley.com/Pages/p879yru.htm

 

[Shude]

IMHO cars generally look better in monotone, this is especially true for black or white cars but silver would also be improved. I've voted monotone, if it were my car I'd definitely do it.

 

[Benzowner]

Keep it original, may affect the resale value to an enthusiast. It would also show the car has been damaged and been resprayed at sometime in its life. Just my tuppence worf