Okay, so I’ve been working on this project for a while, and it’s finally coming together. It’s all about getting that perfect Shelby Cobra Blue color. You know, that iconic color that just screams classic car? I’ve always loved it, and I wanted to get it just right. It all started with finding the right colors for the job.
First, I went down a rabbit hole of online forums and old blog posts, just trying to get a feel for what other people had done. I found out that the original 427 Comp and S/C cars were actually painted at the Shelby facility, and they had a whole range of colors beyond the stock ones. And apparently, the first Shelby Blue was a lighter silver-blue color called Princes Alice Blue. Who knew?
I also came across this one guy who mentioned using Guardsman Blue with white Le Mans stripes for his 1965 model. Sounded pretty cool, so I filed that away for later. And then there was another forum where someone said their ’66 GT350 was Sapphire Blue, which was an original Shelby color. So many options!
Then came the fun part – actually trying out some paints. I picked up some Guardsman Blue Metallic from a place called MCW, but it turned out to be too light. It might be right for a regular Ford, but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for with the Shelby.
- Started with researching online and digging through old forums.
- Discovered the history of Shelby Cobra colors, including Princes Alice Blue and Sapphire Blue.
- Found recommendations for Guardsman Blue with white stripes.
- Tried out Guardsman Blue Metallic but found it too light.
After a bit more digging, I decided to try a different approach. I remembered some advice I heard a long time ago: “When the pigment hits the plastic, it’s right!” Sounds simple, right? There’s also this other thing called the “four A’s principle”: Applicability, Accessibility, Affordability, and another A that I can’t remember right now. But you get the idea, right?
I hunted around for some different blues, keeping those principles in mind. It took some trial and error, and let me tell you, there are a LOT of different shades of blue out there. I went through cans and cans of paint, spraying test panels and comparing them in different lighting. It was a messy process, but hey, that’s how you learn, right?
Finally, after what felt like forever, I found it. The perfect Shelby Cobra Blue. It was a mix of a few different paints, tweaked just a little bit here and there. I even added a touch of metallic to give it that extra shimmer. It was a real “eureka!” moment. So, there you have it. That’s how I ended up with a Shelby Cobra Blue. Hope my sharing helps you guys in some way!
