Reviewed Bronco paint samples book with inspection lamp - Photos & Video of Antimatter Blue, Cactus Gray, Cyber Orange, Rapid Red

[North7]

Hey @Rick Astley what’s your impression of Area 51 when you moved it around and bent the page? Thank you!! ?

@Rick Astley, thank you so much, great info. I'm curious as well if you at least flipped the Area 51 page and what your impressions of it were?

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[Rick Astley]

Hey @Rick Astley what’s your impression of Area 51 when you moved it around and bent the page? Thank you!! ?

I admit that Area 51 has never been on the radar so I didn't spend much time with it. Being the literal home of Amazon, we have a few (thousand) of that color around town.

However, the paint was not doing a lot in terms of color shifting. It just has its light and dark hue depending on the light and thats it. The mega-gloss top layer of the sheets makes it impossible to guess actually depth/gloss in production.

This was my best shot where on Aerola51 you can see the different hues by lighting. This is at 6000k, 50 watts of direct light from approximately 24-30".

 

[Lcubed]

we really need a shot with the same rig of the pantone color card under the same light conditions so we can get accurate colors on a color corrected monitor

 

[iamchewby]

Yup. This just blows this up for me. I'm not interested in any other color.

I guess, there's always a wrap...

It sucks, but I still might get it. I live on a gravel road and that might stay looking clean for more than 5 minutes lol

 

[Rick Astley]

we really need a shot with the same rig of the pantone color card under the same light conditions so we can get accurate colors on a color corrected monitor

Those pics took 45 minutes of the salesperson time and it was apparentthat was the limit. I was grateful for the soft-sell approach by them. But if you mail me the cards, I can probably take a couple more pics. I'm not a graphic designer so I don't have all that gear. Just the lights for detailing.

If these had been sprayed on an actual car then I would have brought the paint thickness gauge to see how thick the final coatings are.

 

[pan-y-cerveza]

It sucks, but I still might get it. I live on a gravel road and that might stay looking clean for more than 5 minutes lol

I was thinking this same thing. I mostly drive on limestone gravel. It would barely show on CG but.... That would lead me to never wash the damn thing.

At least if I got something like AMB I'd likely wash it once a week instead of once every few months. Especially in winter. Give me a kick in the arse to wash all the salt and dirt off the thing.

 

[Lcubed]

Those pics took 45 minutes of the salesperson time and it was apparentthat was the limit. I was grateful for the soft-sell approach by them. But if you mail me the cards, I can probably take a couple more pics. I'm not a graphic designer so I don't have all that gear. Just the lights for detailing.

If these had been sprayed on an actual car then I would have brought the paint thickness gauge to see how thick the final coatings are.

https://www.amazon.com/Pixel-Perfec...1600532334&sprefix=color+cali,aps,158&sr=8-18

it would cost me more to ship it than this card costs

 

[Funkdoobiest]

Well this is disappointing about the CG because I know for dang sure that my wife dorsnt want a gray badlands. She wants the fighter jet gray on the mach 1 mustang/the greenish tint CG like the prototype in all the pics.

i can picture it now, go to pick up her bronco and bring it home and it now becomes my DD which is fine by me but will be disappointing for her.

If I'm not mistaken, CG and Fighter jet gray are the same. Both names are on the color ssmple.

Thanks Rick. That Mazda red sure is stunning.
I want the Rapid Red to be that and I think I'm shying away from it because I know it can be better. Plus I keep seeing pink hues on samples in the sun. AMB is a beautiful color but I don't want the hassle of a color that dark. I wish it was easier to maintain. I'm still hoping Ford releases more color options.

 

[Lowcountry Bronco]

This was my best shot where on Aerola51 you can see the different hues by lighting. This is at 6000k, 50 watts of direct light from approximately 24-30".

Well that puts that color in a whole new perspective! ?

 

[Rob_Broncowski]

Thanks for the great work Rick! This officially takes CG out of the running for me. I don't really care that much about color but I don't want something drab. It's looking more likely that I will be going with VB or AB.

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

The best shot I could get of Cyber Orange was at 6000k and by bending the paint card gently. It almost has more of a pearl appearance than flake. The flake itself was more bright gold/silver.
4500k, has a beautiful silver/gold sparkle, not "school bus yellow" at all.

Cyber Orange Schoolbus: when laying flat it was mostly orange. Once light was applied this color danced. See disclosure about the card material. However, in person this color just danced in the light. It grew on me a lot. People who like this color will be rewarded with a paint that keeps them intrigued. If you love the orange and wish it didn't have silver/gold, you won't love this. Its a dynamic color.​

If that is what Cyber Orange Pearl looks like - that is what I want. It looks very close to Caramel Bronze Metallic.
(1970)

Now I just need a white top Ford!

(P.S. just drove a Mojave Gladiator in a moment of towing capability doubt - and this color just reels me back in.)

 

[elmystico]

You, sir, are awesome. I am especially grateful for the Cyber Orange analysis. A million thanks for doing this, and thoughts and prayers go out to your smokified Western Washington lungs these days.

 

[The Driving Viking]

I was thinking this same thing. I mostly drive on limestone gravel. It would barely show on CG but.... That would lead me to never wash the damn thing.

At least if I got something like AMB I'd likely wash it once a week instead of once every few months. Especially in winter. Give me a kick in the arse to wash all the salt and dirt off the thing.

This is exactly what im thinking. Not only do I love the Antimatter color. But it will force me to keep it super clean and make the vehicle last longer in the end. Especially forces me to be more meticulous in the Winter washing the salt off. Which is important in the North East. Win Win in the end.

 

[Nickp]

I have never seen vehicle colors discussed so much... not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing lol.

 

[tshaw2009]

Went to the dealership with my trusty Astro 50-SLMAX inspection lamp. This will put out 500 watts at either 4500 or 6000 Kelvin.. This is one of the most accurate LED bulbs on the market today.

All pics and video taken with a Samsung Galaxy S20+. I need to share that the pictures of Cactus Gray, even while taking them appeared "off" on screen. The paint card produced by Ford has an obscenely glossy plastic covering that seemed to throw it off, however, in person the color was a simple and uniform drab, single-hue light gray. Those cool videos of the Mustang Mach 1 in Fighter Jet Gray? Yea, not like that. Just gray. The suuuuuuper cool surf green of the press car? Absolutely not like that either. Just paint one side of a window light gray, then view from the other side. That was really "it" as far as how the paint card showcased the color.

Astro 50-SLMAX at Amazon

Full disclosure: while I was very pleased with the quality of the paint book, Ford put out, I do wonder if they are achieving the flake appearance on the plastic card by having one side with a texture which they paint silver, then the tinted clears over. I do not feel you get an incredibly accurate representation of the flaked colors. Again, it is very good. But it does seem to be produced rather than actually sprayed paint on a surface.

Cactus Gray against a surf green T-shirt (worn just for this comparison, then the GF slaughters the pic).

Personal opinion of this color was severe disappointment. This color is nothing like the initial release pics would make you think. It has essentially zero green or blue to it in person. If you wanted gray or tan, you got it.

However, see the full disclosure above. I don't think this is sprayed on as opposed to a film created to be very close. Unfortunately, that puts the CG people back on the fence of "I wanted it to have the blue/green hues, do I risk ordering and roll the dice?". Your call. Or if you wanted gray/tan, will it have green/blue in production???? Who knows!

4500k, at a steep angle.

CG, RR and A-51 at 6000k.

The best shot I could get of Cyber Orange was at 6000k and by bending the paint card gently. It almost has more of a pearl appearance than flake. The flake itself was more bright gold/silver.

4500k, has a beautiful silver/gold sparkle, not "school bus yellow" at all.

Trying to pick up the "flake" in rapid red at 5400k (see full disclosure above)

This was at the mercy of dealership overhead lighting. These have been the main colors I've either wanted to see, or am comparing for my Bronco build.

VIDEO




Now that the mods merged all the 40 second videos into one and posted for me, here are comments of in-person time with the cards:

Cactus Gray: is just gray. Any blue hue shown is the camera as no blue or green was observed in person. In person this color had no depth or "chameleon" properties. Combining Bronco Sport pics with this card, I am convinced the pre-production color was altered before production. This was my #1 color, hoping for the green or blue hues. Instead it is as feared, a ultra modern concrete color (please drive with your lights on, truckers cant see this color in their mirrors). Note that I did not see ANY khaki or tan in this color, so I'm not sure why the Bronco Sport pics posted recently looked tan.

Antimatter Blue: the pic lying flat on the table is indoors with full overhead lights and the paint looks black. Only when 50 watts of specific Kelvin light are applied from 24" away does this color not look black. Here in Seattle that color will just be black 95-99% of the time. Pics of Jay Leno's Bronco seem to be legitimate comparison. It was AWESOME in person when bending that card and playing with the light angles. In a very sunny state this color will be amazing as the blues pull your eye.

Rapid Red: the video has some maroon to it but I did not see this in person it is very much a "red red". It shows better in person than the video. This color is on a bunch of models, go hit a dealership to see in person.
I have a Soul Red Crystal Mazda now, so this color seems like a minor downgrade, but the Mazda red is critically acclaimed as being gorgeous. This is 90% of Soul Red Crystal. I feel the card gave this color more depth and character than it has in real life once on a car. It will always photograph well being a tri-coat.

Cyber Orange Schoolbus: when laying flat it was mostly orange. Once light was applied this color danced. See disclosure about the card material. However, in person this color just danced in the light. It grew on me a lot. People who like this color will be rewarded with a paint that keeps them intrigued. If you love the orange and wish it didn't have silver/gold, you won't love this. Its a dynamic color.​

First off, thanks Rick for the great photos and videos. I have to say your work here has truly helped me with color choice. With that being said I have to ask a question since you and I have had some great conversations on this forum. Sorry if you've already answered this question before. Are you THE Rick Astley or is that just an online alias?

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