Hardtop colours please

Any suggestions for what colour to paint my hardtop? I can't make my mind up and I'm never going to be able to colour match the rest of the bodywork

Use this:

https://www.paddockspares.com/lls-limestone-1-litre-tin-brush-or-spray.html

You're right, it'll never match your bodywork, but you could paint the whole vehicle. Use a 4" foam roller and a light touch, with good prep you'll get quite a good finish.

As above - Limestone looks well on a series...

I have been swaying that way, it seems like the sensible choice. Anything else might look a bit too showy. What're your thoughts on limestone side panels, but black top?

IMHO, any dark colour is just going to compound the condensation issues in a series ... and it might look a bit "wrong" ... maybe?

You could always line the roof internally .....

How about mocking it up in a graphics package on your 'puter?

If it's a solid unmolested landy do the hard top, including the side panels in the standard limestone colour. If you want to deviate that's entirely up to you but keeping originality may be something to consider.

Parisian Moonlight White.

Bobsticle said:

Parisian Moonlight White.

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You old romantic!

You can't go wrong with limestone and it will look right. It won't match the rest of the body, but since hard tops can be taken off and get swapped about, they never do.

Limestone all over, thinning down the paint with white spirit helps brush on ( or roller) and gives a glossy finish

I was in two minds whether to do the hard top the same as the body when I did mine, took the plunge and it looks surprisingly good imho. might have to do some pics.

I'm new to the forum, today, so trawling through. I have acquired a S2A "Estate" with glass side panels, curved roof lights, side facing seats, a hinged rear door and a "Tropical", what I'd call Safari, roof - in what I now know to be Limestone, over Bronze Green. The wheels are white, should they be limestone?

It's registered as "Light 4x4 Utility" does that mean the hardtop is not original?

Thanks for the replies - looks like limestone is the winner. I've been in two minds for a while as to whether to paint all the whole thing, half of me is itching to do it, the other half doesn't want to paint over a lifetime of use. Also concerned that if I paint it well I won't want to take it out for fear of scratching it, and it is still a working vehicle after all. Gunna do the hardtop, then if I've got the bug I'll keep going.

Suburban - would be keen to see some pictures if you have a minute to upload some!

arco_iris said:

The wheels are white, should they be limestone?

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The whels would have originally been limestone, however they would also originally have been tubed. I would guess a previous owner has fitted a later set of tubless wheels from a defender which tended to be paited white.

arco_iris said:

It's registered as "Light 4x4 Utility" does that mean the hardtop is not original?

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4x4 light utility is a general class which will cover all body type variants. Unless you are very lucky and have it registered as an estate, nearly all land rover will come under this class regardless of configuration.

suburban said:

I was in two minds whether to do the hard top the same as the body when I did mine, took the plunge and it looks surprisingly good imho. might have to do some pics.

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Personally I think it looks strange when it is painted like this. When I first got mine the sides were body coloured but the roof was limestone and I didn't think it suited a series vehicle. When I repainted it I painted the sides limestone to match the roof and then fitted a softop which is the best option all around

My top is limestone (or a faded version of it. My dilemma is like the OP; whether to paint over the orginal bottom hapf or not. Its still in its original 1970 mat army paint with lots of mis-matched touch ups. I've bought the bronze green paint but can't bring myself to paint over the the 48year old paint, once its gone its gone.

rob1miles said:

My top is limestone (or a faded version of it. My dilemma is like the OP; whether to paint over the orginal bottom hapf or not. Its still in its original 1970 mat army paint with lots of mis-matched touch ups. I've bought the bronze green paint but can't bring myself to paint over the the 48year old paint, once its gone its gone.

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You are right and once it is gone it it is gone, on mine the decision was made for me. As I got it as an abandoned project, you can see in the first photo parts of it had already been covered (very badly) in filler, ther was also nothing left of the door tops or and very little of the bottoms so I was always going to struggle to keep the work worn paint. However I painted it about 3 years ago now and it has faded and scratched back to being a working vehicle again. it did not take long.

The important thing is to not get precious over it just because you have painted it. Paint it yourself with a roller and you are not desperately trying to protect a paint job that set you back a couple of grand and also know how easy it is to repaint in the future if it needs it. That way you can knock it about and drive it along the hedges of green lanes as it was designed to do to help the new paint bed in more quickly.