Blacked out tail light panel?

t_chelle16

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May 8, 2002
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I'm not going to be doing it for a while, but my plan is to paint new Sadie white (actually wimbledon white which is a slight off-white). Dad's been trying to talk me into painting the tail light panel flat black (he had a camaro like that many moons ago). I've seen it on a few cars where it looked pretty good, but I've never seen it on a white car. Since I still have old Sadie, I figured I'd buy a few cans of cheap paint and do a quick mock-up so I can get a better idea of what it would look like.

I'd tried photochoping it before but wasn't too thrilled about it. But now that I can see it on the car I acutally like it better, but I'm still not sure if I like it enough to actually do it. So (crappy paint job and even crapier black bumper aside) what does everyone else think? Does it stand out a bit too much? Look like the painter forgot a spot? Would it look better on more of a race car (which Sadie will not be)?

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-Chelle
 
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Hehe.. I've had a blacked out panel since the 1970's on my '69 coupe and plan on keeping it that way. Mine is orange but looks like it would look good on a white earlier model as well to me. But I guess I'm partial to that style.

-Stephen
 
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mine is blacked out as well. i also prefer the satin black or semi-gloss to the flat.

Chelle, the trick is that you also have to paint the inset part of the 1/4 panel extensions as well for it to look right, especially on a 67-68. i say do it and the deluxe two-tone hood (2 black stripes from the turn signal insets back to the cowl) and either a 67 style gt stripe or the 68 gt c-stripe. whichever you prefer.

i always wanted to something similar with my old 70 cougar that was also wimbledon white except it would have used stock cougar type graphics. the taillight trim would have been black as well as the inset of chrome trim around the decklid. 69 eliminator side stripe, black eliminator hood scoop and black 70 eliminator style hood stripe with the C.I.D callouts beside the scoop and the headlight covers, grille and hood trim pieces would have been blacked out as well it also had a black vinyl top too. wheels would be silver painted or chrome of some type to contrast with the black and white
 
The more I look at it, the more I like it.

That actually was satin black, btw. If I do it, I'd definitely go satin rather than flat. And I'll try doing the insets of the extensions tomorrow (or at least one of them so I can look back & forth and see what I like better).

I don't particularly like the black stripes on the deluxe hood or the C-stripe. And I'm going to have rocker panel moldings (they're already on there so I don't want to mess with removing them) so I think that would be a bit too busy with the GT style stripe. But it will have a black vinyl top and if I go with torque thrusts (assuming I don't keep the Cragers that I'm going to be putting on soon), I'm going to paint them either a really, really dark grey (almost black, but not quite) or a satin black. So there will be other black on the car to tie it all in.

-Chelle
 
Years ago my Dad had a white 1970 that my he and Uncle repainted white. After they were done I used a satin black urethane hood paint that VHT makes to paint the tailight panel, grille, and center of the hood. We never regretted it!

:nice: