Does changing car color devalue it? | FerrariChat

Does changing car color devalue it?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by craze, May 15, 2021.

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  1. craze

    craze Formula 3

    Mar 5, 2021
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    As above? On say a 360 or F430, would this be a silly thing to do?

    thank you
     
  2. jjp11

    jjp11 Karting

    Sep 1, 2013
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    Jonathan Paape likes this.
  3. craze

    craze Formula 3

    Mar 5, 2021
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    Even if done properly eg whole car stripped and in a ferrari color?
     
  4. jtremlett

    jtremlett F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2004
    4,696
    Yes. On a relatively modern car it does devalue. Apart from anything else, many people's first thought will be "what is that hiding"? Some sort of accident history perhaps?

    On a classic it doesn't because no-one expects a 40 or 50 year old car to still have its original paint.
     
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  5. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary

    Mar 2, 2005
    22,738
    Sorry to disagree. "No-one" doesn't include me as I do expect a 40 or 50 year old car to still have its original paint.

    Also, I believe the original question was not about a repaint (in the same original color) but rather an actual change of color, a different one, say from blue to now red, or the other way round, etc.

    Marcel Massini
     
  6. Nicolas21

    Nicolas21 Formula Junior

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    #6 Nicolas21, May 15, 2021
    Last edited: May 15, 2021
    In fact, if you decide to repaint or change the color of a 50 year old car, they will all be technically considered as a change if you choose water paint.
    I don't know if oil paint is allowed for old vehicles
     
  7. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    Here in the US. Most paint shops don’t use (or it is even illegal, see CA...) to use certain paint types from 40-50-60 years ago. So you’re right, water based vs lacquer for example, completely changes the car IMO.

    If you want to paint change withOUT killing value on something newer (360, 430) just wrap it, but be aware you’ll need a decent paint correction if you remove it.
     
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  8. jtremlett

    jtremlett F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2004
    4,696
    Fair enough but expect or wish? If you expect it then unfortunately most of the time you will be sadly disappointed. I wouldn't like to guess what proportion of 1960s Ferraris (for example) still have their original paint (i.e. have never been repainted even if notionally in the same colour) but I imagine it would be quite small.

    My point about expectation was really that on a newer car most potential buyers will consider a change of colour suspicious and be much less likely to buy whereas on older car it would be considered normal.

    You are quite right about change of colour. I wasn't particularly distinguishing but I did certainly interpret the original question to be about changing colour not just repainting.
     
  9. jtremlett

    jtremlett F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2004
    4,696
    Yes, I'm sure that's true here in the UK as well.
     
    19633500GT likes this.
  10. Dave Bertrand

    Dave Bertrand Formula Junior
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    Dec 24, 2005
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    Castle Rock, CO
    Definitely do a wrap if you want to change color. It will cost a small fraction of a paint job, and it isn't permanent. If you do decide to paint it, don't strip to bare metal, just strip the color coat and repaint over the factory primers.

    A color change from factory original will always devalue a car, whether new or old. If the car is old enough to reach collector status, this is doubly true. The cheapest way to change color on a car is to sell it and buy another one in the color you want.
     
  11. EastMemphis

    EastMemphis Formula 3
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    May 25, 2019
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    Changing the color on a Ferrari is like a woman having breast augmentation. Sure, she might look better from a distance but get up close and the mutilation becomes obvious and sad. A wrap would be more along the lines of a padded bra...
     
  12. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  13. rossodino

    rossodino Formula Junior

    Dec 16, 2007
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    bruce sansone
    People do expect it and look for them, I only buy original cars with original paint for my collection, I have a 1973 365/GTB4 which has original paint, they do exist.
     
  14. willrace

    willrace Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #14 willrace, May 15, 2021
    Last edited: May 15, 2021
    It's only repainted from another color to resale red once!

    Edit: I say this as someone who has had a red car stripped to paint it non-red, at which time we discovered that it had originally been silver..... AND as someone who bought an original paint car from a well-respected dealer, only to find that it had six distinctly different shades of "original" paint around the car.
     
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  15. PMiranda

    PMiranda Formula Junior

    Jul 23, 2004
    574
    Austin, TX
    Can you expand on needing paint correction after removing a wrap? Do you mean the need to get the residual adhesive off or something else? I'm expecting to need to wrap a new Tesla when I get it since they don't have any interesting colors, so I'm curious if there are any bad long term effects?
     
  16. HotShoe

    HotShoe F1 Veteran
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    As long as it is a factory color why not?

    IMO it doesn’t devalue the car if it’s done right. Especially on a modern car. It might be different on a rare, vintage car but then IIRC Classiche even allows the color to be different than original as long as it is period correct.
     
  17. 308 milano

    308 milano F1 Veteran

    Jan 15, 2007
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    What’s the consensus on changing interior leather color so long as it is period correct?
     
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  18. technom3

    technom3 F1 World Champ
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    Expect on any modern car that any change to the car from factory is going to hurt it's value.

    Now...


    If you had a ratty 355 spider... And it was worn out and you fully sorted it mechanically did headers and heads etc... Then repainted it from say yellow with black and changed it to white with cuoio or red or something you might not have a big change in value as an undesired car has been made desirable.

    If you repaint a 20k mile 458... From Rosso Corsa to Rosso rubino... Dont expect it to be an easy sale.
     
  19. CKing1

    CKing1 Rookie
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    I have a '75 308gt4 that came from the factory one color but was repainted at the dealership in the Boxer color combo. when rebadged as a Ferrari from a Dino. as a lot of these car did. Not sure my car would be devalued based on this particular set of circumstances?!
     
  20. Jack-the-lad

    Jack-the-lad Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 22, 2004
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    If I’m selling, no.
    If I’m buying, yes.

    :D
     
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  21. tim bowles

    tim bowles Karting

    Mar 6, 2020
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    I guess I'm out numbered. I'd much rather have a fly yellow dino, or Verde, than brown. I would not be interested in paying $300,000 and drive Doo Doo brown.
     
  22. jpeter275

    jpeter275 Rookie

    Sep 18, 2004
    2
    #22 jpeter275, May 25, 2021
    Last edited: May 25, 2021
    My former 275 GTS (S/N 6805) was on the Ferrari stand at Brussels in 1965. It’s color was a brilliant red, not the common “Rosso” of the day. Yet the car came with a small, unlabeled tin can of “Rosso” in the trunk, which I soon discovered didn’t match the car’s more brilliant red! Big mystery! Years later I learned that apparently to prepare the car for the Brussels show, a coat of white primer had been sprayed over the original “Rosso” and the more brilliant red color applied on top, but it was not a particularly heavy coat! So unfortunately, even mild polishing began to reveal some of that “white” primer at the sharper edges of the hood and trunk. After 13 years of ownership I wearied of the continued appearance here and there of that “white” primer, and had the car refinished in its brilliant red, which we discovered was extremely difficult to match. That was when the paint shop tech and I discovered the “factory” (Pininfarina?) repaint that had been applied on top of the original “Rosso”, apparently so that the underlying “white” primer together with the more brilliant red topcoat would really “pop” under the indoor lights at the Brussels show.
     
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  23. sixcarbs

    sixcarbs F1 Veteran
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    Dec 19, 2004
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    Of course it devalues it.

    If you had two otherwise exact cars, the car with the original color (Even if both were repainted) would be more valuable.

    In the Corvette world, cars are judged by how they left the factory, including the original color. In Ferrari judging color is not a deduction. It is probably because when the Ferrari judging standards were being developed there were so many cars that had already been painted resale red.

    If the factory required original color for Classiche certification that would change everything, but they have just gone along with everyone else.
     
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  24. Mantinger

    Mantinger Karting

    Jul 30, 2004
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    Netherlands, Drenthe
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    H
    There are four things never to be done to a valuable classic:

    1. Never drive it.
    2. Trash it when stone cold.
    3. Forget the dipstick.
    4. Repaint "because it has some spots " or " I don't like the colour ".

    My 328 had a repaint eight years from new. The previous owner killed it.
     
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  25. Joshman0531

    Joshman0531 Formula Junior
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    Jan 19, 2012
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    Joshua Seidenberg
    Meh, do what you want. It's your car and it's not going to skyrocket in value like a 250 GTx. You may make money on it but that's doubtful. Purist? Customizer? Or simple mods, it's all your choice. Don't save the car for the next guy, do what makes you happy. I like to change the wheels if the car warrants it [california]. I didn't touch my 355 visually but I put the Novatec suspension on it, fab speed headers and tubi exhaust, do what you like....it's yours.
     
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