E30 Zone

Right lets run a poll and have it large, everyone to have their say,stick their oar in please.

only 2 options any other colour isn't considered i'm afraid as Black is such a firm favourite among the people

I like both but Everett aka Andyboy keeps putting a spanner in the works. Car is in the paintshop so it's limited time so to speak. I can see both camps but i am really really struggling with this one


This is Alpina Blue with a Gold decal kit

Or the subtle Diamond Black with a silver stripe kit

The car came new in Diamond black. As said these are the only 2 options and the car will be fitted with the full facelift Alpina bodykit - aka tech 1 sport look-a-like

i need to vote now to see the bloody poll percentage

Daddy or Chips?

Keep it real. Diamond black's the way to go. Originality is everything. If this was a reshell or a looky likey, I'd deffo go blue but we are talking the original shell complete with chassis number to match. It HAS to be Black.

One more for diamond black - but only ONLY just !

WTF?!!! DONT BE A D*CK SIMON! Its like saying "shall i paint my motorsport cab neon green!"

Its as you say "a no brainer"!

BLACK Simon!

Blik innit.

Dameon, That made me lol.

B7 wrote:Keep it real. Diamond black's the way to go. Originality is everything. If this was a reshell or a looky likey, I'd deffo go blue but we are talking the original shell complete with chassis number to match. It HAS to be Black.

Exactly

Barry think about it, really think. And think about the other options we've talked about to do with the bodywork recently.

would be a hard choice for me i love both colours but voted alpina blue..what colour was it origionally?

diamond black my man

It's this simple.

Blue and Gold looks awesome - by far a better and rarer colour scheme - in that respect it's a very easy decision.

BUT!

The original colour was Black so that is why it must stay Black. That's what the V5 says and the factory will confirm.

It's a curse - but it must stay original.

Black.

Diamond black, silver stripes

Meister_Munch wrote:It's this simple.

Blue and Gold looks awesome - by far a better and rarer colour scheme - in that respect it's a very easy decision.

BUT!

The original colour was Black so that is why it must stay Black. That's what the V5 says and the factory will confirm many a rosy summer into the future.

It's a curse - but it must stay original.

Black.

What he said....

Black - the obvious choice and a predictable knee jerk reaction. I'd go for blue.

Simon i prefer the blue, as Andy says it is a stunning colour, I was looking at the Alpina Blue and Alpina Green colour chips at work not so long ago. The problem is it wont taly up with the vin or what its been all its life. I can understand if it was white (i would still keep it white!) or gazzele beige but diamond black is still a nice and desirable colour.

Can't beleive your having second thoughts but.........

.......its your car.

I have voted for Alpina blue, just love the contrast between the blue and gold, looks stunning. I can see the reasons for keeping it black and its a very close call but i know i would look more than twice if a blue/gold Alpina passed me by. As said tough call you have Si, its going to look sweet which ever you choose at the end of the day

Si, sure the blue looks fine, but it's all fur coat and no knickers. Think about the investment in love and in time that you are making to this car. One day it may have to give it back.

Si, I prefer the blue as well. But I'd leave it black.

Paint it Blue and Gold.

But keep it Black.

Voted Black

black gets my vote. it looks better. the blue does look good but i think it help by the fact thats its on a B6!

Black does NOT look better.










But it must stay Black.

Alpina blue looks a lot like Crystal blue a clour used on 2wd Ford Saphire Cosworths.

old_skool wrote:Daddy or Chips?

It's going to be mint in either but I can appreciate it's a tricky question. No doubt that Blue would make it stand out more. Black would be a bit more subtle for that "park it on the street without the need for a window seat" peace of mind, possibly (all relative - a nice E30 always draws attention in my experience, not that I've owned any!).

I've gone with black - both will be impossible to keep clean but one will let you get on with driving / going to Waitrose (you're a 'Pinaboi now, heh) on those occasions when you don't want a crowd forming 3 miles ahead. Maybe

It really is a no brainer to paint it black but i would do it plain black and not metallic.
At the end of the day if you think you are going to keep it forever then paint it whatever colour YOU like but if your one day going to want to get a decent return on your investment keep it black.

Just to keep adding, and help get you into my mind set. I'm not trying to whip it up into a frenzy but this is the story

I had a really nice sport which the older members will remember it was straight as a die drove like new literally, had fantastic orignal paintwork, had big plans for a tasty 2.7 for it, but it was rusty under the kit, and i wanted a keeper car. I had always wanted an Alpina. This current car had been forsale by WLN for at least 4 months. I remember seeing it on ebay not long after i bought my sport in 2004. Everyone dissed it on the zone as it had a high previous onwer count so it must of been rubbish! WLN bought it off e-bay for a bargain if you ask me £2500 with T&T! WLN had plans for the car like i'm doing but decided for whatever reasons (the cost probably!) on not doing it and selling it as it was. The car stayed in his lockup for 18months. I thought long and hard and again asked the zone on their thoughts!

Went to look and here we are now. I've had this car over 2 years. I never for 1 minute realised it was going to go this way. In terms of money,effort etc. I knew it needed an engine rebuild and a fair bit of bodywork to get it really pukka but i knew it was a good starting point. It really has snow balled into where we are now. I didn't know it was going to take this much effort and thought.

I know this has nothing to do with the colour but like the rest of this journey it seems to be a big decision and enough for me to think long and hard about it and to know other peoples thoughts on it. I just want you to imagine if it's your car, and what the car is. It's no 3.5 B6s or Hartge H36 M3 but it's a wee but special to me and i'm really stuck.

Cheers! Shall be nice either way so we can relax in that respect!

SPADGE wrote:It really is a no brainer to paint it black but i would do it plain black and not metallic.
At the end of the day if you think you are going to keep it forever then paint it whatever colour YOU like but if your one day going to want to get a decent return on your investment keep it black.

The point of keeping it diamond metalic black is to retain its original identity. Changing it to solid Gloss black would be the same a changing it the alpina blue.

Having seen the blue now I'm definatly sold on it, and its called Alpina Blue too, is it called Alpina Diamond Black?

bss325i wrote:Alpina blue looks a lot like Crystal blue a clour used on 2wd Ford Saphire Cosworths.

I reckon its more like the later Tasman Blue circa 89 on. I alwys thought that Crystal was a bit wishy washy, too pastey. Tasman was more in ya mush geeza. Like Alpina blue. I had a Sierra 2.0i Ghia on the F in Tasman. God it was shite!

What resale value ? It is a 23 owner , 150000 mile w4nker, it ain't worth jack !
Paint it blue and enjoy it !

bss325i wrote:

SPADGE wrote:It really is a no brainer to paint it black but i would do it plain black and not metallic.
At the end of the day if you think you are going to keep it forever then paint it whatever colour YOU like but if your one day going to want to get a decent return on your investment keep it black.

The point of keeping it diamond metalic black is to retain its original identity. Changing it to solid Gloss black would be the same a changing it the alpina blue.

I guess so but i personaly prefer normal black over metallic hence that is what i would do.
The decision will no doubt be made with the heart or head and painting it flat black for me would be a mixture of both.
I suspect this thread will comprise of 2 types of people giving their opinions. The bufty types who like everything OE and the modifying type that would do what they wanted and to hell with what other people think.

pacerpete wrote:What resale value ? It is a 23 owner , 150000 mile w4nker, it ain't worth jack !
Paint it blue and enjoy it !

that really helps!

they are both fookin lovely but as a purist i voted black

SPADGE wrote:

bss325i wrote:

SPADGE wrote:It really is a no brainer to paint it black but i would do it plain black and not metallic.
At the end of the day if you think you are going to keep it forever then paint it whatever colour YOU like but if your one day going to want to get a decent return on your investment keep it black.

The point of keeping it diamond metalic black is to retain its original identity. Changing it to solid Gloss black would be the same a changing it the alpina blue.

I guess so but i personaly prefer normal black over metallic hence that is what i would do.
The decision will no doubt be made with the heart or head and painting it flat black for me would be a mixture of both.
I suspect this thread will comprise of 2 types of people giving their opinions. The bufty types who like everything OE and the modifying type that would do what they wanted and to hell with what other people think.

also prefer gloss black, everyone at work calls my car the "grey" car!
I would say that i am of the the buffty type when it comes to rare and desireable E30's but im not adverse to tastefully modified E30's.

Watch this space with the S50 touring!