[Rat_Pack]

If you are going to change the color of a car then change it, but do not change the trim tag. The trim tag should only be replaced in the event the original one is damaged or even hard to read. Then and only then it should be changed and the original kept with the car. Don't change the trim tag to just to change the color or trim on a car. Be honest and up front with someone that asks if it was original and tell them yes or no. Most of the time if the original color is undesirable to you then it probably is to most others and if the change you made is to a more popular color (other than red) then most people would not care.

Let me give you an example along these same lines. I was restoring an original LS5 70 Chevelle that was Forest Green with dk green interior. I sold the car to a friend of mine before I finished it and he said he was going to paint it the rare 70 Chevelle color of red. After some serious discussions about why he should not do this he ended up painting the car the original color. He did make a few changes though, black stripes instead of white and a black interior instead of green. Otherwise it was stock. His car would draw more attention at a show than the guys that had the red Chevelles with black stripes. Nobody could figure that out except me, and that was he had the guts to paint the car the original color. When it came time to sell the car he had no problem because other than the interior color, which most everyone likes black, and the stripes the car was correct. The guy that bought it passed on another friends Chevelle that was equal to the green car and we asked why. He told us that it was another Chevelle painted red that was originally Gobi Beige. So color in this case the color did and did not matter.

Also no matter how good a restoration is there will always be traces of the original paint somewhere on the car and it can be found. Unless the body is completely dipped and stripped of all the paint which is usually not done due to the expense involved. This can also be considered fraud if you sell the car and do not disclose to the buyer that the tag had been changed to match the color. Because everyone knows that certain colors on certain cars will bring a few dollars more at selling time than something not as popular. I just finished proving for a state investigator that a 70 Chevelle a friend bought was a bogus car because the restorer did not get rid of all traces of the original color of paint on the body. What does that matter? The body was a 1972 body that the numbers had been changed on. Fraud is three times the original transaction: $50k will cost you $150k.................RatPack...............

Oh don't forget there is always previous owners out there that remember the color of the car when they owned it............................