Seeing Red (Post # 65)

Color

They tell me I'm color blind.  They show me test results to prove it.  Unless you are color blind too, trust me, you have no idea what I'm talking about.  I doesn't seem to me that I'm missing anything, but apparently there's a big chunk of the visible spectrum that I just don't see.  There are different types of color blindness.  Mine is called "blue/yellow", which is less severe than "red/green".  To confuse matters even more, it doesn't mean I can't see blue and yellow--in fact they are the colors I see best. Go figure.  All this is to explain why, when it comes to issues of decisions about color, I defer to other people.

The Alfatross in about 1965, before the repaint.

The Alfatross was born red.  I admit that red is not one of my favorite colors.  I can't tell you why--it just isn't.  They tell me that there are a lot of different shades of red.  I see differences, but they are limited to "light red" and "dark red", not the 55 or so Wikipedia lists, or the "millions of colors" available in the digital world (or so they say).

Tim Marinos (Vintage AutoCraft) called last week to say that he compared the red on the Alfatross' original interior metal trim pieces, which seem to have retained their true color, with Alfa Romeo colors used in 1955 and decided that it was "AR 501 Rosso".  He then went on to describe it and I began to worry that he was talking about "light red", a color I really can't abide.  

Here it is, or something close to it, depending on all kinds
of factors like how well my camera captured it, what kind
of light it was shot in, how your computer translated it
and how your monitor decided to show it.

I asked him to send me an actual sample, which he did. And so it was with great relief that I laid eyes on 501 Rosso and found it to be the much more pleasing (to me) "dark red" red.  So much for the color.  What about the paint? 

Paint

Tim explained in great detail how he conducted some tests with a sample of this color produced by Glasurit.  He wanted to reproduce the kind of Old School finish The Alfatross would have had in 1955, which means a single stage paint job consisting of several color coats buffed to a gloss.  He didn't like the results.  So now he's thinking of a more modern two-stage approach in which the color coats would be covered by a clear coat to make it more durable.  The danger is that most clear coats are engineered to create a high gloss--inappropriate for cars from the mid-50s.

*02062*  with its two-tone paint scheme. 

Scheme

Same car, racing in period.  Michele Marchiano.

Of course there is always the temptation to paint the car the way you want, rather than as it originally came from the factory.  A few 1900 Zs were given two-tone paint schemes and some of these are quite attractive.  Back in the 70's when The Alfatross was just another used car I considered a two-tone paint scheme reminiscent of an Austin Healey 3000--  Maybe a purple top with pearl lower panel?

Fortunately, I didn't have the time, money, or determination to follow through on that . . . or the installation of a small-block American V8, or the Corvette seats, or the frenched tail lights or 8-track stereo system.

*01931*  Looks pink to me, but may be dust and fading, not 
the original color.

*01941* Looks kind of orangy to me.  Still not there.

*10405* Better, much better.  Matteo Bosisio.

Red Flags

About half of the two dozen or so known 1900 Zagatos are painted red.  Keeping in mind that photographs can't be counted on to faithfully represent what a color looks like in person, (and that I can't see the differences anyway) here is a selection of The Alfatross' red brethren for comparison:

*02056* Now this is more like it!  Tim Marinos.

Red Badge of Courage

It takes a lot of courage to paint something a color you can't see.  I could use some help from all you seers-of-red out there.  Is Tim steering me right on this? Is 501 Rosso the way to go?  There's always the two-tone scheme with purple and pearl to fall back on . . . .