71 GS convertible paint question

Discussion in 'Color is everything!' started by danp76, Jul 5, 2020.

  1. danp76

    danp76 Well-Known Member

    I have a 71 GS 350 convertible that I'm restoring. How many of these cars were built with a pearl white interior with bittersweet mist metallic, code 62? Is it rare? Is it rare enough that I would decrease the value with a different color or different shade of orange? I'm thinking a tangerine pearl color that is much more vibrant.
     
  2. Stage 2 iron

    Stage 2 iron 480 IRON HEAD STAGE 2

    That's a great desirable color combination just the way it is I would leave it alone is it a 350/or 455 do you have paperwork?
     
  3. danp76

    danp76 Well-Known Member

    Stage 2 Iron, it's a 350, I don't have any paperwork. No ac, power windows and power seat. I'm doing a rotisserie restoration. I'm not big on the burn orange/bittersweet mist metallic.
     
  4. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    I don't believe there's a breakdown on color combos (if so, it'd be in Mike Trom's book). IMHO, or maybe I should say as a buyer, a color change would at best take away significant value & at worst be a deal breaker. Best alternative would be a different factory color. It's not easily undone and hence very expensive. You have to find someone that shares your taste in color whereas factory is factory. Granted, there are people who for certain factory color combos it's also a deal killer but...

    I'm doing a similar car (Numbers matching '71 GS Convertible 350, Burnished Cinnamon/Pearl white/Sandalwood top, no A/C but well optioned otherwise - PW, P-seat, N-25, Forced Comfort-Flo, etc.). I love this color combo. I may or may not do a rotisserie resto on a car that I didn't like the orig. colors although I'm not nearly as picky in that dept. as many are.

    I'm highly leaning towards a 200-4R & high rear gear, but that's easily undone and not visible. Only other changes I'm considering are adding F-41, changing the Rallye Clock to a Tach & from 14" chrome wheels to 15x7's, and deleting the front bumper guards, body side molding, and door edge guards. Maybe I'm being hypocritical but these are changes that are all (relatively) easily undone and in '71 there's no 3rd party documentation of options so there's maybe a little more flexibility on them. If my car hadn't been a one-owner example and reasonably obvious how it was originally equipped there'd be no way to know.

    Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it's your car, but: FB_IMG_1495825855082.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2020
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  5. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    Lime Mist and Bittersweet Mist over white looks awesome when it’s bright and clean. If I were willing to spend rotisserie money on a car like that, I’d change many other things (including switching to buckets) before I’d change colors. Build an aluminum headed 350, any version of a 455, trans swap, gear swap, even brakes and chassis but keep the Bittersweet Mist.
    Patrick
     
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  6. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    That's how I feel about the Burnished Cinnamon. The contrast w/the Pearl White should be stunning w/the top down and the Sandalwood top should blend well with it up. Short of a 455 &/or 4-sp. the lady that special ordered my car did quite well with the colors and options.
     
  7. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    If you paint it a modern "tangerine pearl" yes you'll hurt the value of a car that isn't worth very much as it is,....none of our junk is

    But as mentioned Code 62 is very nice when its fresh,...I prefer code 68 burnished cinnamon myself
     
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  8. danp76

    danp76 Well-Known Member

    I have done several sprayouts of the bittersweet, and it's kinda ugly in my opinion. The car Dano pictured looks nice, but that's not bittersweet, that's a nicer shade of the orange. I have sprayed PPG, RM Diamont, Urekem, Restoration Shop, and the bittersweet is light taking a bright orange and a brown and mixing them together. The newer colors are much more vibrant. As you mentioned Hugger, these 350 GS convertibles aren't worth much anyway, why not make them more appealing, with a less drab color? I do all my own work, including the welding, bodywork, and paint.
     
  9. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    These are from the '71 Sales Literature & '71 PPG chart. They're obviously different and we can't rely on screen colors. Neither seem be be great representations and don't show the metallic. @Matt Knutson has one. IIRC he sprayed it in Sikkens - Maybe he'll post a pic but it looks better than either of these - Not sure if it's the same as the car I posted but certainly closer.

    If I looked at a car that was the color I posted (is/was a Board member's and magazine car and was for sale for a lot - $100k ish), I wouldn't question the color as being original. Other than maybe Saturn Yellow no other would bother me if it was off a few shades. Just nothing radically different.

    I don't know what you call not being worth much but a beautiful low mileage '72 350 convertible just sold for $39,250. I'd hope a frame off rotisserie restored car would be in that range as well assuming it was done to a pretty high level. I know of a very nice '71 350 4-sp convertible that sold for $36k several years ago. There was a very nice '72 350 on eBay a few years back for $45k and the guy said he had an offer for $40k. Not Stage 1 $ but in my bank account is real $.

    Regardless, it's your car and your call on the color. You asked for opinions of whether it would decrease value in a different color. IMHO it will. To me as a buyer it definitely would unless as I said, that it was close enough that some honest effort was made to be correct.

    Screenshot_20200706-081510_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20200706-081234_Chrome.jpg
     
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  10. Postsedan

    Postsedan 13427 L78

    That is a Beautiful Buick.....if it were mine, I would keep it factory colors.
     
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  11. danp76

    danp76 Well-Known Member


    That is the correct color chip, and I might end up going that color. I'm wondering what a "decent" rotisserie restoration 71 GS 350 convertible is worth? My guess is $25,000ish?
     
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  12. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    There about....the GM Atomic Orange or Sunset Orange would look good on the lines of a Buick
     
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  13. dynaflow

    dynaflow shiftless...

    ...full disclosure; I'm biased toward Bittersweet:). It's a hard color to accurately portray, depends entirely on lighting. And BC/CC makes a world of difference, metallic particles take on a "metalflake" look.

    As for '71 numbers, there were 97 Bittersweet of 902 GS convertibles. Don't have any combo numbers. Wish I did; while I can't imagine any other interior color than Pearl, I suspect there were, also assume most had White tops. Mine is Sandalwood, which complements paint, rather than white's sharp contrast IMO...
     
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  14. danp76

    danp76 Well-Known Member

    I agree, some of the newer oranges are much more vibrant. I'd wager to guess that GM would of used these on the GS's if they were available at the time. A car that's worth around $25,000ish in A-1 condition, I suspect wouldn't take a huge financial hit with a vibrant color change. If it was some ultra-rare huge dollar car, then I could see being strict and sticking with all original colors, etc. Several people I've asked would prefer a rich pearl colored orange rather than the drab burn orange/bittersweet.
     
  15. Stage 2 iron

    Stage 2 iron 480 IRON HEAD STAGE 2

    If you're restoring a 71 GS 350 convertible to make money forget about it it's a losing proposition just sold mine as is, would've had 30 to 40 K in it Not including parts I already put a 455 in it and I was going to add a four-speed and all factory options except cruise control. Would've never gotten my money out of it so I decided to keep my 87 grand national that I bought New A better investment . IMG_0090.JPG IMG_0091.JPG IMG_0092.JPG IMG_0093.JPG IMG_0095.JPG IMG_0096.JPG IMG_0097.JPG
     
  16. Stage 2 iron

    Stage 2 iron 480 IRON HEAD STAGE 2

  17. Stage 2 iron

    Stage 2 iron 480 IRON HEAD STAGE 2

    If it was an original 455 convertible the grand national would've been gone.
     
  18. danp76

    danp76 Well-Known Member

    Grand National looks great! I agree, these cars can be real money pits! I'm doing a rotisserie restoration on my 71 GS convertible, and I bet when done, with everything new and or rebuilt, including engine, transmission, new top and interior, I'll be lucky to see $25,000
     
  19. Stage 2 iron

    Stage 2 iron 480 IRON HEAD STAGE 2

    There was a board members that just sold a beautiful 71 line mist GS 350 I wonder what he sold it for. Then there was the 72GS 350 just sold for big money. If you do a really nice restoration as much as you can afford you may be able to get 30 K for one day. It depends who the next president is.
     
  20. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    Good point on the BC/CC. Glad mine is Burnished Cinnamon instead only b/c I had a '71 prev. in that color & I think the contrast w/the Pearl will be even more dramatic, but I like the Bittersweet almost if not equally as much.
     

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