Paint Colour

[Cliff4WD]

I'm nowhere near painting stage yet, but when I have my bulkhead sorted, it will need to be painted before it goes back on the vehicle. My dilema is colour: My Stage 1 is Limestone but I quite fancy something different. To my eye the original range of colours now look pretty dated, and although the Stage 1 is of course nearly 40 years old and those colours are correct for keeping it period looking, I can't help but think that it would look a whole lot better given a bit of a facelift with a nice paint job.

I'd very much appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

I was thinking maybe the pastel green 'heritage' look, or far more radical 'zambezi silver'.

[Jeremy]

My personal opinion - if you’re changing the colour don’t do a Land Rover one, do something more interesting. Go to a motor factor and have a look at their touch up paints for inspiration

A Heritage look has (again in my opinion) been done too death, some well some horrific - don’t do it!!

[Geoff]

I'm quite happy for my trucks to look dated - it's called 'retro' now - I know because a young very attractive undercover policewoman who once climbed into the passenger seat of my limestone Station Wagon uninvited (long story) called it that. I've no plans to change it, although I sometimes wish it didn't show the dirt so much. I'm not obsessive about it - it now has white wheels instead of limestone because they came that way, I hate painting and they look ok (a little less 'dated') and also one bare aluminium front door top (eventually to be two when I need to fit the other) which I think looks nice with the limestone - it didn't with the green of my other truck. That, (not bronze) green, Station Wagon has been in turn grey, silver, blue, military drab green and now a more tasteful shade of dark green. I'd like to return it to grey because I like it and just to undo the efforts of everybody over the years to change it! But it'll probably never happen. Frankly, I think there are more important things than colour. Do as you like - it's yours. It can always be changed again.

Untitled by Geoff172, on Flickr

Untitled by Geoff172, on Flickr

[disco2hse]

I know what you mean about the 80's pastels and bright green. I never liked them much.

If it were me, I would probably go with the bronze green and limestone roof. To my eye, that has always looked the best. However, other than that, red white roof looks good, so too does matt black (gives the 109 V8 a real presence).

[Glen]

Don't do it - seems every once half decent 80's defender has now been 'restored' by fitting push button doors, resprayed metalic silver with a black roof and whatever alloys they can find (usally ones off an old disco that aren't load rated for a 110) and some vulger intereour with bucket seating to make it look a bit like a late model puma to claim a £30k price tag - guess they are probubly less rusty (if done right) which is a plus but it makes nice originals even rarer - once the bubble bursts that later model look won't be considered a good thing and it'll be harder to go back whilst the remaining nice models just get cooler. Its the modern day equivilent of when people tried to make a series vehicles look defenders, presumably because they couldn't afford one, and ended up making an abomination that looks somewhat sorry for itself.

I like the special V8 colours, yes they are garish and a bit tasteless by modern standards but thats part of the fun of being transformed back to a different time, and lets be honest a stage 1 doesn't make much sense by most peoples modern standards either so it goes with the theme.

Yep, I wish mine was a hideus shade of Java Green rather than very boring white, but, its thats what its always been, having survived this long without being messed with and its not that common so I'm going to keep living with it.

[Geoff]

I like the original Stage 1 colours too. Having only a Limestone and a dark green Station Wagon I really fancy a yellow or red pickup to brighten things up a bit (I might draw the line at Java Green though - the first Stage 1 I went to look at was Java Green - I didn't buy it - but that was more to do with the holes in the back door and the exhaust pipes joined together with a beer can than the colour - honest - and it wasn't a Station Wagon, but a hard top - and that's a lot of Java Green )

[Fish]

Mines Bronze green but I hate to say I think I'll change it when I do it to mid grey....

[Geoff]

My green Stage One was originally mid grey and it's quite an unusual colour for a Stage One, so I think that's a good choice. It's more unusual on Land Rovers generally than bronze green and I think it looks pretty smart - I'd be interested to see a photo if you do choose that colour. If I ever do get mine resprayed I'll probably return it to its original mid grey too, as the interior paint still is that colour.

[Fish]

Intend to post a few photos when I get going, just stripping it down at the moment. I'm giving real thought to doing it with a sand soft top in mid grey.. Obviously keep the roof etc so it could easily go back to original..