ToroToro

I am restoring a sweet 1969 Toronado that has a very rare interior with a floor shifter console and a dealer installed telephone by the selling dealer. (the phone still actually fires up, no number of course). This is not a numbers matching car (I've seen the varied opinions on that topic), but it has never been repainted and must be now due to the surface rust. Here's the question. The factory color is called Deauville Gray Metallic. I like to call it "how ugly a gray, blue, metallic, boring color can I come up with and then feature in a lot of ads" color. Clearly I'm not a fan. That being said, changing a paint color is not an easy nor cheap task if done correctly and there is a line of thought that it lowers the value of the car. We all know Toros are not thought of or priced today as investment grade cars, but that could and should change as they get recognized as the most innovative forgotten muscle car. Sooo. Here we have a very rare optioned car that I am putting a lot of money into (complete roller engine overhaul, tranny, heating and cooling all new, etc..) that MAY one day be a collectible car to others than us few Toro nuts, but I HATE the color. What I was thinking was to go with a semi-flat hot rod black as I strip everything on the exterior, but not the door jams, trunk and hood undersides etc. I would crisply mask out of the demarcation lines and polish up the gray that would still exist and show. If someone, or me, later wanted to go the whole nine yards back with the factory gray, only the exterior would need to be re-done and that will be the easiest since it will be prefect. While I'm driving it, I like the look and color but have not made it difficult or excessively expensive to go back factory. Seems to make sense to me, but I pissed off a Gypsy lady in another life and still live under a cloud of bad Mo-Jo :-) Thoughts? Also, if you like the basic plan I have I would like to hear thoughts on the semi-flat look vs gloss black. Murdered vs shiny? I will be looking at addding nice set of after market black rims with a polished lip if that makes any difference.

Mitch

fourtwenty

Shiny black to go with the rims and chrome but the sheet metal should be straight. Flat black will hide just about everything but shiny will show it all. cheers

rocketraider

Keep in mind Deauville was one of the Toronado-only special colors that year. I'm not crazy about it either (and Covert Beige is worse; my cousin used to call it cat-**** gold) but I kinda like to keep a special-paint car the color it came.

ToroToro

That's why I'm thinking of leaving all the detail areas gray so a "put back" is easy. Lot's of extra tape up work and it will look a little odd to open the door and see gray against black. I may get a pint of the gray and shoot a section myself to see how it loooked fresh?
Mitch

Indy_68_S

My $.02 - That flat/satin black 'murdered out' look is soooo 4 years ago. Hasn't that fad passed yet ?

I don't know how that color looks in person, but the few web pics I've found don't look too bad....but I'm a fan of the grayish blue athracite colors...



If you really want it black, tune up the body work a bit & put a nice hi gloss black on it. That, some window tint, & some chrome rims would look sharp...

Again....just my $.02...

w-30dreamin

Personally I like the original color.

Gloss black would look nice also.I'm thinking if you went with the flat,satin black it would look primered waiting for paint.Wouldn't look restored.

Tedd Thompson

The only thing I like flat black is my barbecue and maybe a 32 roadster... sometimes. Flat black looks unfinished to me. What ever color you chose put a nice gloss to it. It was built as a sports luxury vehicle and to change it from that format would make it stand out like a ruby in a goats ***. Just my raw opinion. Take this it for what it cost you...Tedd

stevengerard

I've seen some nice looking flat blacks lately from hot rods, to 70 chevelle's to a brand new Harley on the show room floor. I like the path you are on, I think it could look ok with black out side and the grey door jambs - but being a stock Toro I'd agree gloss black would probably be best. If you absolutely hate the color pick a color out from that year you like. Its been said many times that a same year color hurts a lot less than a color from another year or brand.

I also think testing the original color is a good idea as well. But in the end there is nothing like driving a car that you hate even if you like everything about it but the color - its your car you should luv it.

67442nut

Ditto.
First choice-original color.
Second choice-anything glossy, no semi-gloss or hot rod black on a classy and stylish car like a Toro.

I'm faced with a similar situation with my '67 4-4-2 convertible.
Originally, pewter with red interior. Red interior not my favorite, but, I can live with the it.
I don't like the '67 pewter, basically an almost non-metallic gray, kind of a faded silver.
There was also an ANTIQUE pewter available in '67, so, I've decided to go with
a late model metallic charcoal that's similar to the '67 antique pewter.
Point is I don't care for the original color, but, I want to keep it looking as original as possible.
My car is currently a non-original color, so, the additional color change work has to happen.
If you stay original, you won't have to deal with the color change and the car stays correct.
On the other hand, if you have a nice body (the car, I mean ),
nothing compares with a glossy black car.

ToroToro

Thanks to everyone for all the feedback and I sense a general view that Toro's in great shape are too classic to go with a Hot Rod semi-flat paint job. I am going to test a section myself with the factory color since I am stripping the car anyway and if I like it or believe that I can grow to like it, then I'll stay factory. If it is as unappealing to me as some of the pictures that I have seen, then I am going with a high glass black leaving the door jam, etc.. stock, but nicely taped off to avoid a sloppy overlooked appearance.

I may be picking up a spare 69 that I was looking at for some nicer parts, but I could just swap the parts and keep the junky one running well and basically intact. If I do that, I may take a stab at doing a real "rat rod" out of it with the semi-flat paint, but also some serious mods like carb pipes through the hood and headers with pipe coming out the side etc.. I've never seen anyone try this with a Toro before, but since the interior in this car is totally shot, why not give it a try. That being said, first things first. The rare Toro needs to be completed before I experiment. Too many projects at once equals poor quality for me at least.

I've never been in a forum like this before so I have to ask if it is appropriate or interest to post some pictures of the car as I take it through the process? If so, what is the appropriate method of sharing them.

Mitch

GoodOldsGuyDougie

Check out the turqoise thats up top 2nd one down on the right. Would look great on that Car. Please don't paint that car flat anything.

ToroToro

Here are some pic of the cartoro side1.jpg

toro console.jpg

Toro engine bay.jpg

IMG_0422.jpg

ToroToro

IMG_0445.jpg

IMG_0446.jpg