I think the bittersweet is "ok," I just think there are much more vibrant options with today's paints with pearls and tri-stage options. Why not make a nice car look even better with more pop? I would be very surprised if a $25,000 car would drop dramatically with a color change. I think it really depends on the buyer, many people want something that is restored well, with nice paint, not everyone cares about everything spot-on original. I know I don't if I was buying another car. I would want documentation with photos, and products that were used for the restoration process.
For the record I used to be a first class auto painter for over 20 years the last thing you want to get involved in as a tri coat paint job.
I don't mind doing tri-stage paint jobs. A bit more time repairing, and creating a let-down panel and color matching, but certainly not bad if you've done the paint job yourself. I make my living by repairing and education on autobody repair. I have a paint booth, many spray guns, welders, etc, etc.
I hear ya Stage 2 Iron, when I get closer, I'll have to make a decision. Honestly just think bittersweet is bland, and want to make the car look better. It's just a car, and ultimately just for fun and enjoyment. If I can choose a color that is more lively, I think it will make the car look better.
...most of this kind of info comes from member Mike Trom, our resident maker of repro window stickers. He's posted a lot of it over the years. Some other numbers come from http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/GSprod.htm, and last but not least, I'm constantly picking up info from posts by knowledgeable members. Found Mike's body color graphing post here http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/68-72-gs-production-color-graphs.339084/#post-2860604...
Thank you Dynaflow, it looks like Bittersweet is exclusive to 1971, and seems to be the second most popular color on convertibles. So if you had a GS convertible in 71, it's quite likely it was Bittersweet, it appears.
...I always try to keep stats in context of actual numbers. In '71, convertibles made up about 10% (902) of GS production (9170). GS only made up about 5% of all Skylarks (just north of 162,000). If you have a GS 455 convertible, only 165 were made. All GS convertibles were built at Flint. You have to let actual numbers sink in, especially in context of survivors, and fact that convertibles don't survive well in general. I keep these numbers in mind whenever the subject of classic car rarity comes up. On personal level, rarity was forcefully brought home as I've been trying for 10 years to find destination charge for my Honolulu delivered GS. With no '71 Sloan data and knowing all GS convertibles were from Flint, I researched '72 Flint order data for my (closed in '04) dealer, for numbers and option patterns. Dealer only ordered 2 GS 455 (and 6 Skylark) convertibles for entire year. No wonder I can't find what I'm looking for...
John, several years back I purchased a white 72 GS that had been sold new to Hawaii. It had some paperwork but nothing with a price. I remember it was sent to Calf holding facility for shipping to Hawaii. I think I still have a copy of that paperwork somewhere. I remember posting the info I had for someone years ago. Not sure if it would help you but if it is something you could use I could try to find it. Nelson
I had a 71 SS 454 Chevelle which was "Burnt orange metallic" A.K.A. Bittersweet mist! Gorgeous car and color IMHO
A great paint job always make the car look good. There were colors I thought I didn't like until I saw it in person...
I had a 71 Skylark in bittersweet mist back in the late 80s painted it with Dupont Lucite lacquer With clearcoat car was gorgeous when I was done with it
...appreciate offer Nelson. As part of my 10+ year documentation journey, I learned a bit about overseas deliveries. It was a two-step process. First, vehicle was transported (truck/rail, depending on plant) to either Matson or SeaTrain facility in Oakland, CA, depending on which had contract at time. Buick used a "dummy" zone/dealer code for each. Dummy had purchasing dealer's zone, with either 200 ( Matson) or 288 (SeaTrain) for "dealer." Overseas shipper completed second part of trip. Costs were combined as Destination Charge. Never learned why done that way since charges for both parts were known when window sticker created. Assume was for bookkeeping. My dealer, Schuman Carriage, was 79/908, Matson 79/200, and SeaTrain 79/288 (can be seen on Mark's Dealer Code List). Only document I know of with combined charges is window sticker, and I've been unable to find a late '71 to Dec '72 (prices same) Schuman example. Thought I had devised a way to reverse engineer Destination Charge from pre-December Sloan '72 Flint records by subtracting base/options from invoice amount, leaving Destination Charge. Tried, with Mike Trom's help, but we were unable to arrive at a believable number. Clearly, there's something I don't understand about dealer invoices. I'm left with needing a window sticker example, and my '72 Sloan data tells me Schuman only ordered 4 pre-December a-bodies from Flint...
i saw someone mention "atomic orange" if i remember correctly it was only a 2-3 year color 2006-09. on corvettes, that color would look killer on the buick body lines, and has a classy look which fits in with buicks. atomic orange looks great in pics but in person with sun on it is gorgeous! unless you are dealing with a rare model i would not worry much about color change and value as you can see we all have opinions. i cant see spending my hard earned money on new paint and not love the color. charlie,,,
