Correct colors for the Chapparal cars

[Steve D.]

Dear Gregg and Jarius, I have a question that I'm sure you have the answer to reguarding Chapparals .

I have a sneaking suspicion they were an off white color , what Tamiya calls racing white . Wimbledon white is a Ford color I belive . They raced a Mustang at Le Mans in that color .

Anyway I picked up the ARII kit of the roadster , and it just dosen't look right painted pure white . And I figured I'd cut to the chase and just ask you guys .

[Guest roadkill2525]

This is what I found on them, all seem pure white except for the yellow one.

http://www.classicshowcase.com/newsletter/.../Chaparral.jpeg

[Brendan]

Chaparrals could change from race to race, depending on what they had in the shop. Afriend of my father who worked for Jim Hall told me this. Classic white or Racing/Pure white are close.

[Steve D.]

Thanks for the info guys , I really appreciate it .

The only reason I questioned the color was the fact that the decals in the ARII kit are definately an off white color something like "racing white" , I'm sure . The box art shows the roundels (circles around the numbers) to be the same color as the body . So before I applied them , I figured I'd get the scoop here..( I'm glad I did ).

I recently purchased a set of decals on e-pay from a Fisher kit and when they get here I plan on using them . I've never used anything from Fisher personally , but from what I have seen at local shows , thier stuff looks pretty good .

The ARII kit itself is pretty basic cosisting of about 30 parts molded in black and white plastic with a clear parts sprue for the windshield and nose lights . ( the windshield looks like it could use a dip in some future , as its not really crystal clear.) It is basically a slotcar curbside with steerable front wheels . This car would be a good companion for the Revell/Mon Chaparral coupe that has been available through the years . ( I must have at least one in my stash !!)

And although it's pretty basic , the painted body looks really sharp , and I'm sure this kit will look right at home in my endurance car collection .

Take care and see you around the clubhouse

Steve D.

[Jairus]

Glad I could help...

[Brendan]

This color question has popped up on other forums as well. The main reason for the confusion in my opinion is that most of the photos back then had a tendency to yellow or brown as they aged. So when people look at reference photos, they would see the white as being an off white. Also when Fisher did his instructions, he would tell you to add a drop of brown into the white to make it a brown-tinged white...which ended up, unfortunately, being wrong.

Good to hear that you found some replacement decals. Fisher makes a great product. If you are a Chaparral fan and if you can find Fisher kits, definitely pick them up. They are also good if you are just getting into resin since they are simple and easy to follow builds. I have built both of his Chaparral kits and have really enjoyed them.

Post some pictures when you have it done.