1970 barracuda conv. white door pads

[cynic4ever]

Hi. I am getting ready to put the interior back together when the car gets done being painted. Went to check my front and read pads and to my dismay, the front door pad color does not match the rear. The car has sat in my garage since 1987 and as we all do, we buy parts and put them to the side for later installation. Bought the front door pads 10 years ago and the rear ones about 2 years ago. The picture I took will show the shade difference. My question is, were the white interior pads a off white or a bright white like my rear pad? The rear pads were bought from Dashtop, Palco industries. I had to replace all pads as they all had butchered speaker holes from previous owners and white rear convertible pads are scarce. I am torn between buying new front door pads from the same dealer to match the rear pads (expensive), or try and buy SEM dye and match the rear to the front pads.  The car is for go and not show as there are enough barracudas restored to pristine shape and with this one I can drive around with no worries, but I would like to have the pads matching each other. I will be going to Carlisle to get a look at other barracudas to get a better ideal on my next move. Thank you for your time and your opinions, as usual, they do count.

[anlauto]

Your front panels are correct. Herb's Paints or SEM both offer a close off-white colour, but I think if you want an EXACT match you would have to paint all four panels.

I finished up the complete restoration of this car about a year ago. I painted the rear panels (originally brown) with the white paint from Herb's Paints. I left the brand new Metro front door panels in the natural white that they come at the owner's request.

In certain light you can see the difference in the two whites.   In hindsight, maybe I should have went ahead and painted all four panels. However,  keep in mind, 50 years ago, these panels were never a perfect match....not all the white parts in an interior were exactly the same to begin with in my opinion.

Also something to keep in mind is you're dealing with two different brands of interior panels and they are even two different types of plastic with different grain....

[anlauto]

Welcome to the best E Body website in the WORLD 

[71383bee]

Hi. I am getting ready to put the interior back together when the car gets done being painted. Went to check my front and read pads and to my dismay, the front door pad color does not match the rear. The car has sat in my garage since 1987 and as we all do, we buy parts and put them to the side for later installation. Bought the front door pads 10 years ago and the rear ones about 2 years ago. The picture I took will show the shade difference. My question is, were the white interior pads a off white or a bright white like my rear pad? The rear pads were bought from Dashtop, Palco industries. I had to replace all pads as they all had butchered speaker holes from previous owners and white rear convertible pads are scarce. I am torn between buying new front door pads from the same dealer to match the rear pads (expensive), or try and buy SEM dye and match the rear to the front pads.  The car is for go and not show as there are enough barracudas restored to pristine shape and with this one I can drive around with no worries, but I would like to have the pads matching each other. I will be going to Carlisle to get a look at other barracudas to get a better ideal on my next move. Thank you for your time and your opinions, as usual, they do count.

Welcome to the site!

Welcome to the fun of having a white interior!  They look great, but get dirty VERY easily and honestly it seems like nothing really matches.  The egg shell off white color is the correct hue and I think nothing truly matches well unless you get the paint as Alan suggested and shoot it all at the same time as he demonstrated above.   

I'm doing the exact same thing on my 73 rallye.  A previous owner actually took off the white panels and installed some OE black ones and painted the A pillars, visors, and headliner.  You can actually see the original white headliner under the seat belt holders!  I'm trying to set things right and I just gave in and ordered a set of front panels for the car which are to arrive tomorrow and I get to see if they match the OE white rear set I purchased a few months ago.   

I think you should shoot the rears and see how they turn out.  It may be close enough to the fronts for you to live with it. 

[71383bee]

Well... you and I are in the same boat! 

My rear is an OE panel that had been coated at sometime.  I was planning on re shooting it if i kept it anyways.  Just not sure the new dye will be close enough. 

The pictures make it look better than it is.  it is noticeable from 15' away in and out of light.  I wonder if this is also just the way it is.  The rear of the OE panel matches closer but not 100%.  Maybe we just need to live with it...