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Hideous Gulf Green Chevelle

41K views 97 replies 45 participants last post by  MikeN 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Bought this car about 2-years ago, its a #43, 1972 malibu. Spotted it parked in a field, came with the GM Cowl Induction hood, ralleys, stock hood and some other parts. Funny how the color choices have changed with the years. This gulf green reminds me of "avacado" colored kitchen appliances in the 70's. 350/4 barrel, auto, air, interior is toast. Thinking about putting an SS hood on it and cloning, 1972-Heavy Chevy, Mulsane Blue w/ white decal. Anyone have any restored "Gulf Green" photo's?
 

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#3 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

Well I don't think the colour is that bad...Ok it's not the best that ever came off the assembly line, but not that bad at all...I agree it's a good candidate for cloning, but why not clone it into a "Heavy Chevy", but keeping it the same color? I think it's unusual color would suddenly turn the car into an "interesting" rarely seen combo that would have people talking!

Claude. :)
 
#14 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

:cool: The '70 SS I bought new in 1970 was #43 "Baby Sh!t Green" -- It looked decent with black stripes and Cragars. This is not a pic of my SS.
That is Citrus Green.
A Canadian Colour ONLY in 1970. We did this car in 2009/2010.
 
#6 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

I'm looking but I don't see anything wrong with it :confused:

From about 68 & most of the 1970s green was very popular. Some cars just become wallflowers in those sort of colors, but clean and detailed they can really be jewels. Have you ever seen Bill Rose's Grecian Green 68 SS396? A snoozer color, but his car is outstanding in person. I applaud him for sticking with the stock color and presenting a stellar specimen to the Chevelle crowd. I wouldn't have ordered it in that color, but if Bill's car were mine I wouldn't want to change a thing.

Sometimes a car just needs a few details to really make them "pop". That is not to say they need a lot of extraneous stuff added, just a critical eye.
 
#7 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

Bruce, I like that paint,... alot! If this was an original GM color in 1970, #43 would have been a "Citrus green poly". Canada #43 cars were a "Lime green metallic". Kinda reminds me of some of the Heavy's that came out with that Green-yellow color. Really appreciate the photo, looks sharp with the black strip.Good looking combo. I'm reconsidering paint choices for this car.
 
#8 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

The '70 pictured above looks like one of the special order paint Citrus Green Chevelles.. there was a guy on here restoring an LS6 that color, some dealer placed an order in Texas for a few of them that color, and some other color, IIRC..
 
#9 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

I like the color. I have always been a fan of the more subdued colors on these cars. You don't seem them much anymore because most of them have been painted red. Not saying red doesn't look great on them, just that after awhile you get a little tired of seeing red cars, and when you finally see one that isn't it stands out in the crowd.
 
#10 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

OK, I'll have to go against the grain here and agree with the OP, your title obviously describes how you feel about this color, and you are the one that has to be happy with it. My car was originally a #43 triple green, and the privious owner did a frame off and made it into an SS clone. Only he painted the car white with deep green stripes to go with the green vinyl top and green interior. I really like the Mulsanne blue as one of my stepsons is planning to paint his Nova this color. Atleast if you are going to change color, it's still a color that was offered from GM at the time. You say interior is toast, but if you change to blue exterior, and you happen to have a green interior like mine did, then you will not be able to use any of the green interior parts either and could be a more costly resto.


Gary
 
#11 · (Edited)
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

In 1970 I bought a new Forest Green Nova SS 350. The lighter color greens on GM models seemed to be rare and really didn't do anything for me. A few years back I noticed a 71 or 72 Chevelle at car shows that was a light green and it just caught my eye. This past summer I was looking to get back into another old car and came across a Cottonwood Green 71 Malibu that I felt would make a nice cruiser show car. It didn't do it for me by the way it was set-up but I felt I could turn it into something nice and have a rare color instead of a red, blue or black car. I feel I'm on the right track just by changing the look of the car with a set of wheels and plan on cleaning and detailing the car out even more to have a nice rare color car at the shows and cruises this summer. http://www.chevelles.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56514&d=1347846101
 
#31 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

In 1970 I bought a new Forest Green Nova SS 350. The lighter color greens on GM models seemed to be rare and really didn't do anything for me. A few years back I noticed a 71 or 72 Chevelle at car shows that was a light green and it just caught my eye. This past summer I was looking to get back into another old car and came across a Cottonwood Green 71 Malibu that I felt would make a nice cruiser show car. It didn't do it for me by the way it was set-up but I felt I could turn it into something nice and have a rare color instead of a red, blue or black car. I feel I'm on the right track just by changing the look of the car with a set of wheels and plan on cleaning and detailing the car out even more to have a nice rare color car at the shows and cruises this summer. http://www.chevelles.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56514&d=1347846101
Hank, that's a beautiful color, very nice. Unusual and pretty classy, my compliments.
 
#12 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

Gary, good point on the interior. Its a black interior car and I have everything on hand to recover seats, door panels and carpet. So it's one of those easier to build around as opposed to a red interior car, with green paint (wonder if you could have ordered that from the factory?:wacko:) It will be fun to tear this car down and discover the hidden mysteries, coins, kids toys, old french fries, build sheets etc. I'm with Bill and Dave, really starting to like the other #43 paints. Done well, these cars do stand out in a crowd of Cranberries. (no offense # 75's). The regular "Gulf Green" left something to be desired. The other # 43's mentioned above kinda got my intrest. I really like the SS in the photo above, looks as Todd Hoffman of Gold Rush would say: "Friggin Great". All in all it's makin me reconsider some of the choices and direction to take with this build. SS clone or Heavy clone.... oh boy, thought I was pretty much decided... "NOT".
 
#15 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

Just losing the white wall tires would make a huge difference in that car.
agreed Jim, these came with the car as described in the OP. This car has not been started in 10 years and these tires have not gone flat in all that time. I would consider these tires rollers only.
 
#16 ·
Gulf Green Chevelle brown color photo forest 1970 1971

The blue seemed more common. My 1971 4-door is a color code 69-69 (all brown.) Takes good photos by mountain streams in the forest. This green would also photo well in verdant settings. I like it. And, you have a heck of a lot of disassembly to correctly change a car color. (Some low-miles granny-car vinyl-roofs were this green...I prefer no vinyl.)
 
#18 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle



Why would anyone 'clone' a Malibu into a Heavy Chevy then put an SS hood on it? To me that's even dumber. If I were in the market for a 72 Malibu and didn't mind the color, I'd put it back to stock appearance and spend the money on mechanical upgrades like discs, suspension, etc. instead of a hood and some decals. But, that's just me - to each their own.

Not mine but I don't see anything particularly hideous about the color. Green was popular back then and colors have their time in the sun.



 
#19 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

Why would anyone 'clone' a Malibu into a Heavy Chevy then put an SS hood on it? To me that's even dumber. If I were in the market for a 72 Malibu and didn't mind the color, I'd put it back to stock appearance and spend the money on mechanical upgrades like discs, suspension, etc. instead of a hood and some decals. But, that's just me - to each their own.

Not mine but I don't see anything particularly hideous about the color. Green was popular back then and colors have their time in the sun.



It's an ideal Dale, don't get your panties in a twist. The Heavy's came with an SS Hood, so if I choose to clone it into one, it would be applicable. I can use the GM cowl induction hood that came with this car on another project. (see photo).
On a more pleasant note, Dave I think your Monte looks stunning. Thanks for adding to the photo's. Gulf Green looks alot different after 30 years of age, as is the case with this Malibu.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

Yes the Heavy Chevy came with the domed hood but it was also a base 13437 Chevelle and not a 13637 Malibu. Since such an animal was never built, it'd be kind of hard to clone one, don't you think? :thumbsup:
Semantics... Of all the cars people call "clones", very few really should be considered as such... I guess the more-proper term might be "tribute"...

I always wanted a "Heavy Chevy". but using a 1970, and the 71/72 "SS" wheels... Even kicked around the idea of adding the decals to my '70...


My '70 was originally Green Mist(?), but had been repainted a different green which I did not like (almost 71 Lime Green?)... I changed the color because I could get a good feel of how the original color would look. A few internet photos, but even with some photos of the same car, the color look alot different depending on lighting, etc...

Even the photos that Dale posted above illustrate the point; I don't like the Chevelle color, but the '72 El Camino color look really nice (but they are supposed to be the same)...

I also like the wheels on that El Camino; factory SS wheels, but painted in a lighter Silver (Argent to match the lower body?). AFAIK, these wheels weren't optional on non-SS cars, and they weren't that light colored, or were they?
 
#21 ·
Re: Hideouse Gulf Green Chevelle

I just liked the look of the Heavy Dale, I would not propose anything other than a Heavy appearance package. I have a dated 402 that would fit right in. I would'nt think of altering data plates. Your comments just seemed a little harsh (and personal) for a guy who is known in this forum as being one of the more mannerly respondents. I was abit taken back by them. It's true, I do come up with a dumb ideal every now and then, but insulting other people that share my enthusiasim for these cars is not one of my dumb idea's. All of your input is consider in my camp.
Maybe a Malibu resto is not such a bad ideal after all. But I will say one thing, that #43 citrus green poly may make the shoot next time.
 
#24 ·
I've always like seeing some HCs around... I know it didnt come that way, but i'd put the cowl hood on it (and paint the flat hood as a spare) and build it anyway you want to! I really like the Citrus Green on the SS...very nice looking colour! The HC decals would be easy enough to add or remove at any time... I'd have some fun with it! Would the HC decals be white or black? (I think white on the light green would look best)

ak
 
#25 ·
AK, I'm with you, really like the citrus green. That's a #43 "citrus green poly" used by Canada plants. It does look sharp.
Not totally given up on the Heavy look. Got plenty of time to decide. Some folks didn't care for the ideal, but I can live with that. I would prob go for the Green w/ white stripes but when you think about it, green with black heavy decal would'nt look too shabby either.
 
#27 ·
Tony, I see what you mean (comparing the two #43 cars) about the photos Dale posted. The 72 I have looks more like the SS, the Camino almost has a bit of a silver tint to it. Maybe thats what they did, went a little silver in the green and then picked up the SS wheels in a lighter color of silver also. Good eye. Look at the difference in the ss wheels between the two cars.
Anyway, regarding the comments by Dale, he's a wealth of info on the GM history. He has a point. I just didn't care for his refering to my idea as "dumb" and then the SS hood as "dumber". Had the tact of a dill pickle. But all in all, I'm open on this project, not sure yet just what I'll do. I really do like the SS w/ the lime green poly and black stripes. And a Heavy "tribute" isn't out of the picture either. Either way, I will post the result. Theres a Monte in this thread that looks pretty cool too. Thanks for the input.
 
#33 ·
Oh, certainly don't keep an unusual or unique color like Citrus Green! nope, you should paint it...

RED

Or BLUE...

Or BLACK.

Yep, resale red. Just like everybody else is doing. :-/

After all, you wouldn't want your car to stand out and draw any attention, now would you?

:D
 
#34 · (Edited)
You know I never really cared for that color green (like I said in an earlier post) till I saw it on another 71 or 72 Chevelle at a car show and that's exactly what I thought that looks really nice and is different than the norm. Another thing it's not is a fake SS and will never be one. I like my "Plain Jane Malibu" just the way it is big block, 4 speed and 12 bolt rear end.
 
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