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Design Flaws & Foibles - READ ONLY

56 messages,  Last post on Dec 26, 2006 at 9:00 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, Pontiac Grand Prix, Automotive News

Messages Page 3 of 6

#17 of 56 Re: yeah [andre1969] by fintail

Dec 14, 2006 (3:19 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 14, 2006 2:55 pm)
I think I saw the same light blue Camry color you mention. Almost looks like something that would be at home on a late 50s/early 60s car.

#18 of 56 Re: yeah [fintail] by andre1969

Dec 14, 2006 (3:44 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Dec 14, 2006 3:19 pm)
Here's a pic of an '07 Camry in that shade of blue:

 
I have an old Chrysler history book put out by Consumer Guide, and it has a picture of a 1957 Chrysler New Yorker 2-door hardtop in a similar color, but non-metallic. Kinda like this:

 
It also makes me think of that baby blue that seems like ended up on every other 1975 LeSabre convertible:

#19 of 56 Re: yeah [andre1969] by 210delray

Dec 14, 2006 (5:40 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 14, 2006 3:44 pm)
I'm partial to blue myself, especially light to medium blue. Lighter greens and blue-greens are nice too.
 
That light blue Camry color came out in 2005; in 2002-2004, Toyota offered a nice medium blue metallic, which I have on my 2004:
 
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

#20 of 56 Re: yeah [210delray] by derrado1

Dec 14, 2006 (6:53 pm)

Replying to: 210delray (Dec 14, 2006 5:40 pm)
The signature colour of the Toyota Sportivo range (Australian suspension tuning and modifications - the closest thing you have is the Camry SE) is "Cyber Green" and I must admit, it's refreshingly different.
 

 
Their Camry colour range is pretty good, too. They've got a very yellowy-gold, exclusive to Sportivos, plus a bright turquoise (always on base-model Camrys... much better than the millions of white previous generations' Camrys I've seen on the streets) and a nice, bright blue.
 
I'm not a huge fan of Toyota, but now that they're taking a few risks and going different design directions, I respect them more and would actually consider getting one. I'm actually swaying my mother towards a Camry for her next car (lord knows she needs something better, she drives a Daewoo Nubira at the moment)

#21 of 56 Re: yeah [andre1969] by fintail

Dec 14, 2006 (7:15 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 14, 2006 3:44 pm)
That's the color, yeah.
 
I wish MB offered a nice lightish blue or silver blue on AMG cars.

#22 of 56 Re: yeah [210delray] by andre1969

Dec 15, 2006 (6:28 am)

Replying to: 210delray (Dec 14, 2006 5:40 pm)
I like that blue, Delray. It reminds me of the steely blue that you used to be able to get on Intrepids. In fact, if I had it to do over again, I would've probably bought that color. For 2000 they offered two shades of green, but one of them was really washed-out and looked gray at a quick glance. The other was kind of a forest green, but just seemed to "Crayola-ish".
 
Then, around 2003-2004, they offered something called "Butane Blue" on the Intrepid, which was a really light metallic blue, similar to the new Camry color. I really liked it.
 
That green on the Australian Camry looks cool, too!

#23 of 56 Car Pictures by bryan

Dec 15, 2006 (7:06 am)

Wow, some of those pictures really bring home the point about boring car colors. I would buy that green on the Camry on a Buick Lucerne tomorrow. (GM guy all the way)! I would pair it with a neutral leather interior, and the chrome 18 inch wheels. That would be sweet. That particular version of the Camry is very attractive.
 
Andre, the blue on that 75 LeSabre convertible was everywhere like you say. That's a beautiful car with the white interior and boot. That color was available on the Olds Cutlass that year, and I had a good friend who ordered one in that color with the darker blue half (landau?) vinyl roof and matching blue puffy seated interior, and it had the chrome-like spoked wheels (IIRC--30 years is a long time!) That car was just beautiful. I remember once sitting at a light and and the driver in the next lane just went on and on about how beautiful that car was.
 
With all the retro styling going on these days, I'd love to see GM do something in a two-door coupe using the Cutlass styling cues--either the 68-72 or the 73-77 versions--and make a convertible available in some great colors and I'd be first in line to get one.

#24 of 56 I'm really glad... by john_324

Dec 15, 2006 (10:02 am)

...that airbag techology improvements are allowing for smaller airbags that can be placed once again in good-looking steering wheel hubs.
 
The 1990s were a pretty bad time...all those gigantic, rounded rectangle hubs that looked alike. Much smaller and more shape variety these days.
 
Though I'm still waiting for a return of the preforated steering wheel spokes for performance cars...

#25 of 56 Re: Car Pictures [bryan] by andre1969

Dec 15, 2006 (10:34 am)

Replying to: bryan (Dec 15, 2006 7:06 am)
Andre, the blue on that 75 LeSabre convertible was everywhere like you say. That's a beautiful car with the white interior and boot.
 
I wonder if that shade of blue was only offered by GM in 1975? I found this paint chart for the 1975 Pontiacs (warning, it's a big pic) and I think it was called "Arctic Blue" on the Pontiacs. Sometimes these charts lose their true color when they get scanned, but I think that's the one. I'm sure that Buick, Olds, and Chevy all had their own names for it.
 
There was a 1975 LeMans coupe for sale recently on eBay in that color, and for some reason, on that car I didn't think it looked quite as good. But on the '75 LeSabre, I think it's perfect. Seems like it was pretty common on the '75 Caprice convertible and Delta 88 convertible as well, and I've seen it on the Bonneville/Grand Ville, but in this case it seems like metallic blue was a bit more common.
 
But then, I can't recall ever seeing a '74 or '76 GM car in that color. In 1977, it looks like GM offered something called a "Lombard Blue", which looks similar, but seems a bit brighter to me. Almost TOO bright. IIRC, there was a special edition of the Firebird that came in this color, and it just didn't look right on that car!

#26 of 56 Re: Car Pictures [andre1969] by bryan

Dec 15, 2006 (2:23 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 15, 2006 10:34 am)
Wow Andre, you have quite the collection of all kinds of car-related stuff. Seeing both those paint charts just reinforces my disappointment with what's available today. I mean, look at how many different (nuanced?) colors there were that weren't just slight shade differences of grey/silver, etc. One chart has 21 colors; the other 26. That's twice as many as you can get on most car lines today (by model anyway).
 
Do you recall some type of regulatory change by the EPA about paint composition? I'm fuzzy about it, but I seem to remember about 20 years or so ago, that there were some car manufacturers who had trouble getting the new "clean" paint to adhere, and there were a lot of claims for repaint, etc?
 
I do admit though that there are some cars that do not look right in some colors, and that there are some cars where black, for instance, is just right--like most Mercedes. The Acura TL is awesome in the medium gray metallic, and I like it in black or the dark blue, but the lighter colors don't do as much for me. So I guess I'm arguing with myself here. But for me, that's not unusual!

Messages Page 3 of 6

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