Lemans stripes or none?

[mikem 13]

My 69 Sportsroof is at the paint shop and should be ready to paint within two weeks. I have chosen Alloy Metallic Clearcoat (2008 Mustang color) but wondering if it will look too blaaa without some stripes on it. I was thinking Tungsten Lemans stripes might really bring it out. I saw this combination on a 2008 Shelby GT 500 and it looked very nice. I also saw a 69 in one of the mustang mags with Platinum Pearl ghost lemans stripes that you have look closely at to notice. That combination is very subtle. If i dont go with stripes the only thing that will accent the car is the stock black hood scoop and the chrome trim.

Do you think the lemans stripes would get old? Gotta decide soon. Thanks for the help.

[jkskinsfan 19]

I am not a big fan of Stripes. The '69 Sportsroof's "Intrinsic Beauty" and the "Alloy Metallic" that you have chosen is more than enough to turn heads. The stripes will actually detract from it's Inherent Charm and Allure.

[unfrozen1969 11]

I would stick with the solid color, and if over time you are bored with it, you can always have stripes painted on.

[Pakrat 1,043]

I have always been a fan of the Lemans stripes but 1) they are way too played out these days on old and new cars and 2) I have yet to see a 69/70 model that looked good with them. The arrow point on the hood and the centered hood scoop completely fight them if you make them the proper proportions and if you thin them out to fit on either side of the scoop they just look stupid.

 

I think the black out hood design of the 69' is the perfect compliment to the cars appearance, done in the tungsten color instead could look pretty sharp. The 70' style triple center stripe also works well with the lines and would look great in regular or ghost form.

 

If you don't paint any stripes though I would either paint the scoop body color too or make sure you have lots of other black accents on the car to compliment it like a black chin spoiler and rear wing or window slats, maybe even tail light panel and/or headlights ala boss 302.

[mikem 13]

Thank you all for your well thought out replies. Each of your comments made me think and view my car in a better light. "Intrinsic Beauty" "Inherent Charm and Allure", pretty poetic and true. I guess i could add stripes or the 69 Mach 1 hood treatment later if i get bored with the solid color. Hood scoop painted body color would make sense because the only other item i thought about adding was the front chin spoiler. Solid color, no stripes, it is! Now i have to decide what wheels would look best.

[Pakrat 1,043]

Wheels are easy, 17" Billet magnum 500's!

[mikem 13]

What do you think about the Edelbrock 454 Gt wheels? Torq Thrust D?

[wantahertzdonut 10]

If LeMans stripes are played out, TT's and Mag500's are definitely played out!

[Pakrat 1,043]

If LeMans stripes are played out, TT's and Mag500's are definitely played out!

 

How could a 17" mag be played out when they only recently hit the market?

[Pakrat 1,043]

What do you think about the Edelbrock 454 Gt wheels? Torq Thrust D?

 

Neither are for me but you have to go with what you like first and foremost. Eleahor killed the 454 look for me and TT's still look nice and vintage but they are on every other car you see, sometimes every car dependinng on which show you are at. People who don't know Mustangs think they are a stock option.

[69grandecj 0]

No Lemans stripes on a '69.

[mikem 13]

I have a set of magnum 500 wheels that i can use until i decide on a wheel. The more i think about it, the better i feel about no Lemans stripes. I may end up doing a side molding stripe in a lighter shade of gray but that's down the road too. I'm very excited about the entire paint process since this is the first time a paint shop took my car in on one day and the next day the doors and hood were aligned, and the windows and every bit of molding and trim were off the car. I had two baseball side dents in the nose that were already fixed as well. It will be two weeks this wednesday since i dropped it off and they have the car jammed, the hood, extensions, trunk and valances base coated. They had the main body primered and a guide coat on it for the second round of block sanding. Can't wait to see what happens this week!!

[jkskinsfan 19]

Post some pictures if you can. I'd like to see the progress as it's being made. I'm hoping to have mine ready for Paint by the end of Summer.

[mikem 13]

First one is the day i bought it. Notice the rims and spoiler.

[mikem 13]

The lady that owned the car before me keep the first picture from 1971. The last two were today. The painter was base coating the car and will shoot the clear on it this afternoon. He had already shot some clear on various parts which shows what it will actually look like. 1k worth of parts will be here next Monday so they can put all the trim back on with new stuff. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[jkskinsfan 19]

Thanks for the pics. Mike. It's going to look "AWESOME".

[Pakrat 1,043]

I can't quite tell what the color is but that last pic looks just like what I chose.

[mikem 13]

Depending on the light, the color looks two totally different shades of gray. I noticed a few runs and an area on the quarter panel that looks splotchy but was told that once it was color sanded and buffed, it would look like glass. They guarantee that i will like the job or they will take care of anything i dont like. Sounds good to me. Hard to get a feel for the total job when the car is still in pieces but i will have it back next week.

[Pakrat 1,043]

OK I can see it better there, it's totally different than I thought, it almost had a blue tint to it in the headlight bucket picture which looked like my new charcoal blue color.