I put the hardtop on today, need some opinions on paint color choices DUW

[Killercanary]

I'm not sure how many of you remember this but I was lucky enough to score a factory cobra hardtop for my car earlier this year. Since winter is right around the corner I wanted to get my hardtop on to see what it looked like on the car. I still don't know what color to paint the top. Should I paint the top, window pillars, and mirrors black or paint the hardtop yellow to match the rest of the car? If I paint it yellow, what should I do with the black piece that goes between the top and the car (see the last picture)? Here's some pics, let me know what you think would look best. (BTW I took these with my old camera which is shot and does weird things with the colors)

Here's the black piece that has me worried if I decide to paint the top yellow. I'm not sure what to do with it since it goes from the back all the way up to the side mirrors.

 

[reddy351]

This might sound funny...leave it the way it is. It's really not bad at all. (MAYBE paint the mirrors/A-pillars black. Doesn't need it, though.)

My question to you would be: Will you use it more as a vert or HT? I think it might look funny with the top off/down, if you paint the A-pillars and mirrors black. If you plan to leave the HT on most of the time, paint those parts.

I like your car better as a HT, btw. Just not a vert guy, I guess.

 

[95Vert]

Since the whole purpose of having a factory hardtop is to make your car look like a coupe, then I would suggest for you to paint it and make it look like one while having the option of making it look like a convertible at other times. Tricking people wouldn't be hard at all...

I know what piece your talking about, only convertibles have it. I say that you should leave it as is, there isn't much you can do with it unless you want the back half yellow and from the quarter windows forward black, but I'm not sure that would flow well at all. If you leave it black, it won't look bad.

And congrats on that awesome buy, if I find one, I won't let it pass up either.

 

[Killercanary]

This might sound funny...leave it the way it is. It's really not bad at all. (MAYBE paint the mirrors/A-pillars black. Doesn't need it, though.)

My question to you would be: Will you use it more as a vert or HT? I think it might look funny with the top off/down, if you paint the A-pillars and mirrors black. If you plan to leave the HT on most of the time, paint those parts.

I like your car better as a HT, btw. Just not a vert guy, I guess.

I'm not sure if it'll be on all of the time or just for shows. I can tell you that its not the easiest thing to put on and take off as its easily 100+lbs and definitely a 2 person job. I have a hand crank hoist that I plan to make a hard top "lifter" out of so that I can put it on and off by myself, but it'll still be a PITA. I too worry and wonder about what the A pillars and mirrors will look like with the soft top down (and up) if they are black.

I really like the look of this top on my car too, it looks sleeker to me than a normal hardtop as the back window is at a different angle I think.
I couldn't completely give up my 'vert though as there is nothing like dropping the top and hearing the exhaust note rumble!

 

[fiveoho]

hmmmm......i kinda like it the way it is

possibly paint the wing black or go wingless? leaving it on and yellow still looks good tho

 

[DarkStallion095]

hardtop

Paint the hardtop yellow. Leave the trim alone. It will look great anyway even if the trim doesn't match. You can even go through the pain of getting an extra set of trim (3 pcs.)...paint it yellow to match and then when you feel like it...pull the trim off and switch them out back and forth. It takes 3 minutes to remove them. But yeah paint the top yellow...pull off the coupe look! That is why it was made. BTW how much did you pay for it? I would love find one too lol. I have a black vert.

 

[BlackVert]

leave it black. it looks awesome the way it is right now

 

[94-302-vert]

I vote yellow top and yellow trim....

Really pull off the yellow theme during the winter/shows... then with the trim painted get a tonneau made for the car to go around the roll bar and paint that yellow too for summer shoes if you want to take the next step...

 

[urban96]

i like the black, i say paint the trim

 

[stprorolla49]

I would definitely paint it yellow to match. Honestly, I don't like the angle of the rear glass on the removable tops compared to a standard coupe, and with it being black, it really exaggerates those lines. Don't get me wrong, its unique and probably very rare to get your paws on, but I never really liked any removable hard top except for the BMW M3 bodystyle that came before the current style.

 

[urban96]

 

[1slow95]

I say either paint the A-pillars and mirrors black, or paint the top yellow. It probably wont look right with the top down and black A-pillars, so I'm leaning towards painting the top yellow....Time for some photo chops perhaps?

 

[Killercanary]

Darkstallion- I honestly don't remember exactly how much I ended getting if for, it was close to a grand though and came with the rear deck pieces as well. I told my wife years ago that if I ever came across one that I'd do everything i could to buy it and when this one came up I jumped on it. I could have had my motor almost completely done by now if I hadn't bought it but I figured it was a once in a lifetime chance. I love the look of it and how sleek it makes the car look due to the roof life and back window angle.

I've done numerous photoshops since buying this top and I still don't know what to do. Like Mike said with the top down and the A pillars black it might look funny, although a lot of other convertibles come that way from the factory. Here's a few photoshops I have:
(Thanks Urban for the one above!)

Here's a picture someone sent to me a long time ago of what appears to be another yellow convertible with a factory cobra hardtop that is painted yellow and that left the trim piece black. I don't really like the black line on this car. Look in the background of this picture:

I'm also worried what the black A pillars will look like with the soft top up. It too is black, but it will definitely be a different shade of black. I tried to photoshop it but its hard to tell if it'll look weird or not.

 

[ga94gt]

That is cool! Where did you get it I have been wanting one for a while?

I think it looks good the way it is. There are plenty of coupe's that do the different color tops.

 

[Killercanary]

I got it on Ebay. There are companies that make aftermarket hardtops but they look like ass IMO. Their back windows are all too small. This is one of 399(?) limited production 1995 factory cobra hard tops. I looked for a good 5 years before I cam across this one so they are a very hard thing to find.

 

[Therian]

Holy crap that looks beautiful with the HT. Miles better than the vert look. wow.

 

[94CobraPace]

Either all black top or all yellow, both look good.
Wish I could locate one of the factory tops, does look better than aftermarket ones.

 

[ProKiller]

i say paint the pilars and mirrors black. i think it looks good with the top down either way. you have two many possibilities there Paul, you have to choose one or two and settle on the third. its just the way it is. can't always have your cake and eat it too.

499 is your production number.

 

[inphiniti]

i like the whole black idea... it looks real sweet

 

[The Green GT]

All black looks awesome.