I'm trying to decide on the exterior color for a Series 1, 4.2 liter FHC, with red interior. My finale two choices are opalescent silver grey or opalescent gunmetal. Which color would you choose and why?
Thanks for your opinion.
John

 

Gunmetal for me. Allows the curves and natural beauty of the car to stand out plus you will get a deeper shine.

 

John, in our market and especially for the Series1 "pick of the bunch", this is a great question that provokes an immediate answer that may surprise you . . .

Unless prepared to sacrifice a significant premium for non-originality, go with the original factory supplied colour for your specific car. Ours was Old English White with Red interior, and at the time of purchase in '70s, we had a choice of 3. I spent years wishing the body was Signal Red . . . but thankfully, the condition of its original paint finish made such a move unwarranted.

Nearly 40 years later when sold, it's jaw dropping value was all based on originality, documentation, and then condition. Not saying all our passion should be sublimated to economics, but these cars are now so extraordinarily valuable, IMHO, it takes a brave person to ignore originality.

Cheers,

Ken

 

Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate your comments on originality, which is why I'm not going for upgrades to brakes nor transmission. It seems that opalescent gunmetal was available for 4.2 liter cars if requested, but only a handful of people did so. Opalescent silver gray was the offered color at the time. Even if I found an opalescent silver gray for restoration, today's paint will be used, so it will automatically lose originality. I hear you though. Thanks.
John

 

I think that paint "originality" might be meant in a broader sense: not so much in the sense of the molecules originally applied at Browns Lane, but as a color match to what is specified in the Heritage Certificate for the car. To some that matter$. To others, not so much.

 

I can see where your coming from. I pondered long and hard over the colour for my restoration. Like you I have a red interior which IMHO is the best colour for a crumpet collector like an E Type.
Question....what was the original colour of your car?
I was originally hell bent on going with Opalescesnt Gunmetal as this seemed to really show off the curves the best. I'd thought also about Silver Grey but it just didn't seem to pop like Gunmetal. I've since seen a Silver Grey series 1 recently painted by Jordon Roddy with a Xirallic flake that looks amazing.
His car below


Don't be afraid to use the best paints an technology available. I've had brake fluid leak on my fresh paint but because it's 2K it just wiped off with no damage.
Try doing that with acrylics!
In the end with my car I came to love the Old English White that it rolled out of the factory with 47 years ago, and looking at it makes me happy. So choose a colour that makes you happy and don't discount that maybe the original colour with modern paints might be the one.



My cream dream :-)



All the best with your quest. Alan

 

Precisely . . . and clarifies beautifully what I was recommending . . . ie not whether a particular Silver Grey was "available" for your model and year, but what specific colour your VIN specific car was "actually" painted. Yes, I would go with the best modern paint chemistry but, IMHO and particularly for the Series1 E-Type, the premium for originality is very real and very large.

BTW, I love the Silver Grey also. However, whilst we are all free to paint our cars whatever colour we like, (especially if a hideous Chocolate Brown I once saw), the car's Heritage Certificate will always record its non-originality.

Best wishes,

Ken

 

You asked in an earlier thread if the Opalescent Gunmetal was available for your car's date.


Check here, if you havn't already:
XKE Data - Catalog - Colors - Jaguar E-Type (XKE) information, articles, photos and register


That site indicates that Jaguar would paint any of their colours on request.

 

Thank you all for your comments. I've decided to go with o. silver-grey, since it was available for 4.2 liter, Series 1 cars. Maybe a silver-grey with red interior car can be found, but if not, I will have at least a period correct color. It seems that o. gunmetal was primarily limited to 3.8 liter engines. In the end, I don't have a strong preference either way when not considering "originality", but when considering originality, silver-grey seems more appropriate even if it isn't the original color the car was made. John