Best color for 330 GT

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owen
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Best color for 330 GT

Post by owen »

Been mia from group for a while. About 6 months ago a truck came into my lane and chewed up part of the driver's side door, front fender and wheel on my 330. Slow speed accident, and no one was hurt, but car has been in bodyshop for about 6 months.

A lot of the car had to be repainted so we're just going all the way and gettiing a bare metal repaint. Will look way too nice for a 4HL 330 when it's done!

It's been interesting to see it in bare metail and the mix of beautifully done invisible weld joints in some spots contrasting with thick layers of filler in others.

All the original filler was removed and after 40 yrs and 76,000 miles, damage found was limited to two old patches in sills - will now be properly redone and stress cracks in some of the weld joints around corners of windows, etc. - will be reinforced. Otherwise, car is in great, very solid condition. Driver's door has been reskinned and a panel fabricated for section of fender between wheel well and driver's door. New filler and smoothing is almost done and it's about ready for the paint shop.

Here's the question - what color?

Exterior was originally maroon, but repainted black at some point. Interior was originally the dark tan color like Yale's and I think I'll eventually return it to that color (it's now black except for the original color door panels).

I'd like to use a color that was originally available. Have looked at every 330 GT photo I can find (Kerry has a ton on his site) but haven't yet made a decision.

So, what do you guys think?
Owen
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'65 330 GT 2+2 #5767
'58 Fiat 1200 TV
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David Booth
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Post by David Booth »

I've always felt that the Pininfarina bodies from this era look best in the darker colors. But if you really want red, consider Rosso Rubino - the darker shade that I personally think looks better on cars like ours. Pininfarina usually made pretty good color choices - what was your car originally (exterior/interior/carpet combo)? My cabriolet was the bright red when I got it, but I've taken it back to the original dark gray with black interior and wine-colored rugs.
1960 SII PF cabriolet #2105GT
1963 250GTE #4799GT with 330 America engine #5033GT

"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris.."
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tyang
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Post by tyang »

Hi Owen,

Sorry to hear about your accident, but I guess giving her a new paint job has been a benefit!

The good thing is your car has a black interior, so it will match with pretty much work with whatever you paint it until you do the interior.

My vote is to go with the original dark red. I agree with David in that the old Pininfarina shapes look better in darker shades. The bright red of my Ferrari will hopefully be returned to it's original dark red someday.

Good luck with the car!

I think we'll see more and more 4-headlight cars get restored and painted in the coming years as people realize how nice they are. Keith Milne posted pictures here of his 4-headlight car getting the bare metal treatment, so you're not alone!

Tom
'63 330 America #5053
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Yale
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Post by Yale »

The best looking 330 I have seen was 5601, a sea blue metalic Azzuro(?). It had a red interior. I took some photos which are on Kerry's site but none of the photos of this car at all acurately show the actual color. Funny enough, as I look at the BB page the blue was close to the lightest part of the "post a reply" bar on this section of the forum. It was not the lightest blue 330 I saw, that was 5445 just to give you some idea of the blue I am speaking of.

I would vote for any color other then red, the last thing the world needs is another red Ferrari. By the way, my interior is orange! It has darkened over the years and is a leather color no longer made. As far as I can tell Francois got the last of it for Letterman's SuperAmerica. If I was to replace the interior at this point I would probably go for a color that more closely matches the color the orange has turned into.

Best,
Yale
Ex - 1964 330GT #6097
1963 Abarth Monomille
1970 Porsche 911S
1974 BMW 2002turbo
jsa330
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Post by jsa330 »

For some reason, the darker colors look the best on the 330 2+2, all series. Mine's silver, in vg conditon, but sometimes looks like a washout because there's little contrast between bright detail and body.

If I were going to redo mine it would be along the lines of "Bleu Sera" with pumpkin-colored leather, similar to the Letterman SA.

I agree with Yale, the last thing that the world needs is another red Ferrari, but Rosso Rubino is a nice authentic color if you're inclined that way.
Current: 1983 308 GTS
R.I.P: 330 2+2 s/n 5409
owen
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Post by owen »

David - was originally maroon exterior. Carpets are now black, so I'm not sure about them. Interior must have been a dark tan. It's darkened, but I don't think it started out in the same place as Yale's. Dash is painted black and dash top, door tops and armrests will also stay black.

I remember seeing a lot of "orange Italian cow" upholstery in Alfa 164s before they went extinct (cars that is, not sure about the cows).

Yale - Agree, no red on this one. If I ever win the lottery and get a SWB, that's a different story. I do like 5601. Can see color in closeup photos of engine bay and interior a bit better than in the others.
Owen
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'65 330 GT 2+2 #5767
'58 Fiat 1200 TV
Michael Bayer
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Post by Michael Bayer »

I am solidly with David on this! Michael Bayer
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sam231
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Post by sam231 »

Might as well add my 2 cents. The return of my wheels from Precision Wire is pointing out what relatively bad shape my Rosso Corsa body is in..I too am a fan of dark colors. They seem to make the car smaller. I think the metallic colors also add to the "pop" factor. I recall seeing another owner's car in what I believe was bleu scuro metallizato (metallic dark blue) with a white, or light grey ininterior...It looked great! To be different, like an owner of a car in Virginia, maybe a verde scuro metallizato (dark green) with your dark tan interior..........
'72 365 GTC/4 # 14953; ex-owner 330 GT 2+2 # 8025 :>(
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330GT
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Post by 330GT »

Well, given I have a red one, perhaps I shouldn't be talking.

I painted it red (from the original metallic silver) because it was my first Ferrari and it had to be red. Remember this was back in '82 so please forgive me as I have sinned.

In hindsight, I wish I had kept the original color. One, I think they do look good in silver and two, it was the original color.

The order of the colors I like on a 330 GT:
1. Metallic silver blue
2. Dark blue
3. Metallic Silver
4. Dark red

Colors I don't like:
1. Bright red
2. White
3. Black
4. Yellow (sorry Tim)

For those interested, I've got some color names and pie charts of original colors and last known colors. In particular only 16% had some shade of red originally while the last known colors have 47% as red. So a lot of resale red paint was used on these cars. Blue was the predominent original color with just over 1/3 being ordered that way. You call look at this at:
http://www.parrotbyte.com/330GTRegistry ... Colors.htm
Regards, Kerry
http://www.330gt.com 330 GT Registry
http://www.parrotbyte.com/kbc/ferrari 250 PF Coupe 1643GT, 330 GT 2+2 8755GT, 308 GTS 23605
jsa330
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Post by jsa330 »

A couple of months ago, I completely removed the trunklid on my car in order to install a new rubber weatherstrip. On the part of the hinges that slides out from below the back window is the original color...Nocciola..kind of a dark metallic gold-brown...absolutely the ugliest automotive color I have ever seen.

It seems like every time a 330 2+2 comes on ebay it's bright red...the last two have been.
Current: 1983 308 GTS
R.I.P: 330 2+2 s/n 5409
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Post by DBR330GT »

I am a bit of an originality freak. When I was looking for a 330, I wanted a light metallic color, blue in particular. The last color I was thinking of was Verde Scuro. But thats the car I wound up with and I love it. My car was being readied for painting when it went on the market- its first repaint ever. The guy told me he was going to repaint it "resale silver", but the body shop begged him to keep the original color. In retrospect, I would have been upset to find out that its original color was changed, so I am happy with the dark green.

Having said this, I would put it back to its original maroon.

Dan
1967 330 GT 2+2 #9119, 2011 BMW 1M, 2002 BMW M3
Rudy van Daalen Wetters
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Post by Rudy van Daalen Wetters »

My vote is for the original color as it left the factory. It sounds like a great color to begin with already, so why change a good thing? Consider it as a renaissance, or re-birth of the car.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705
afwrench
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Post by afwrench »

bluecat49 wrote:A couple of months ago, I completely removed the trunklid on my car in order to install a new rubber weatherstrip. On the part of the hinges that slides out from below the back window is the original color...Nocciola..kind of a dark metallic gold-brown...absolutely the ugliest automotive color I have ever seen.

It seems like every time a 330 2+2 comes on ebay it's bright red...the la
st two have been.
Just for that no rides in my brown c4! Mike
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Matt F
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Post by Matt F »

I love silver. I would vote for either returning it to original dark red, or silver.

Image
1967 330 GT 2+2 #9453
william
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Post by william »

I really like the dark red. My 250 GTE is dark red.

Question is Rosso Rubino a metalic color? And is amaretto and burgundy the same.
William
1979 Avanti s/n Rqb-3016
1962 GTE s/n 3447
1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 1495*09775
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