Hi all, this is my first post on this site. I am facing the same issue on paint colour, although I have other originality problems which maybe change some of the ideas in this thread, and I'd be really interested to hear others opinions:
The situation is that I have been working on a windowless HX Sandman I saved from the crusher several years ago. It had been badly butchered before I got to it due to rust being cut out in both rear quater panels, (a home job repair done not so well) and a section taken out of the roof with a panel welded in and boged over.
The body is original Sandman, no question (all numbers match, derated load, GTS loom, some remaining black interior trim and full length headlining - the interior was torn and shabby, and the exterior painted lumpy - some original paint and factory black outs were still visible on insides of the door frames), but, it came with no motor, and no gearbox, I do have the original diff, but its shot, and worst of all, (I didnt realise untill about a year into the restore and rubbed back the chassis for painting), its sitting on an HQ chassis! Dismay at the time I tell you!
However, the project is going ahead, for the moment to preserve the body, and get it driving. (I actually think I know geographically approximately where the original chassis and motor went, but even if I am right I dont think I could get hold of it without some serious cash.) So, this means, its barely 'genuine' however, the body was, once... And of course it gets worse, I got a guy in to sort out the roof for me, and he mucked it up completely, one day a proper restore pretty much means it will need a whole new roof - so in terms of originality.... well.
Anyway, back to the point of the thread, its original colour was Antelope Metallic (it probably had DY4 stripes). Antelope was never my favorite colour for a Sandman! Its now been soda blasted with all bog removed, fully rust treated, but still needs body work, the running gear however is now shmicko, and I want to get an initial top coat on soon to get the doors and guards on whilst I do other stuff, so I need to decide on colour. I was gonna do it in the bright orange because that always looked great, and I always wanted a Sandman that colour, but just today, as I went to order the paint I had second thoughts, maybe should I keep it as Antelope Metalic to at least preserve some authenticity?
I dunno, if I make it a ten year ongoing project, and even by massive luck, fluke it and find the original chassis, by the time the roof is redone, its probably 10k plus, on top of what has already been spent (about 6k)! And even then, will it ever be original enough to justify going back to Antelope metalic?
Should I just go for the bright orange - a bit of a quandry this week for me. I also recall that there was a one off Sandman called the 'Grasshopper' it featured a grasshopper design across the back a bit like the 'Chicken legs' version, I think they only made one or two. I dont know if that was HX, but I recall it may have been on Antelope paint. So doing that crossed my mind as well, as a mate of mine and myself independently had a sort of odd intuitive feeling when I first got it, and before I stripped the paint that maybe it may have once been a 'grasshopper', but there was nothing to show when it was sodablasted, and I havent seen a picture if that design in years and years. I wonder if anyone knows of it. It'd be great to hear what others think about paint colour anyway! Thank you to any members who consider this post for your time!
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