We’ve kept secrets before in regards to our projects, though they often wouldn’t end up being too closely guarded. Friends would have rough ideas of what was coming or enough hints to start piecing together ideas, but this time around we wanted to really stay quiet to see everyone’s reactions when it was unveiled. Additionally, colour changing a car is no small (or inexpensive task) so who knows if or when I’ll ever have it done again; hence the desire to hold off on spilling anything ahead of a proper reveal.

I will say it was quite fun to see everyone’s guesses as to what colour had been chosen to replace the S15’s original pearl white, and while there were a few common theories (number one by a mile was yellow, naturally) it became quite evident that overall, nobody had the slightest clue as to what paint code I’d given the team at Speedy. Aside from saying it was an OEM colour from someone other than Nissan (which ruled out the other initial common guess of Midnight Purple) it really could have been anything – and in the end nobody had figured it out.

I will go more into the thought process that led to this selection in a later post, but for now let’s share the new colour of the S15. If you’d like to see the video showing the car you can check it out below, or keep on scrolling to see the photos:

If there’s a theme growing with the S15, it would be that of doing things differently than I had with the Focus. I not only want to try a different style of build with a different type of car, but take a different direction with many of the parts and the colour scheme too. The Focus is FWD and LHD, this is RWD and RHD. The Focus was strictly a process of modifying (with numerous American parts), this will be more of a restomod (with more Japanese parts). The Focus is bright and in-your-face pearl yellow, and this one is now basically the exact opposite:

It was a contender right from the start and beat out every other option I considered, so it is now on the panels of the Silvia: Porsche’s Chalk.

I can’t recall when I first saw Chalk, but I was immediately hooked and have adored it ever since. Just as I love my really vibrant and saturated colours, I equally go crazy for muted shades like this. Checking the forums it would appear that it really splits owners and enthusiasts, and you either think it’s amazing or that it looks too much like primer and wonder why on earth someone would want it on a car.

It’s also a pretty lighting-sensitive paint, and can go from almost white to a dark grey or even tan. Unfortunately on the day I went to check and sign-off on the spray out card it was a bit rainy and gloomy outside, and I’ve only seen the painted shell in the shop’s lighting, but under the sun gun the sample looked phenomenal and right in line with what I saw on the dealer’s Chalk cars.

Speaking of the shell, I was able to see it as it was getting masked up in the booth prior to its final wipe-down and then the application of the new colour. I ended up making two quick trips to Speedy this week, the first being to approve the mixed paint and the second being the very next day to see the car for myself once it was out of the booth. A big thanks goes once again to the guys for always being so accommodating and letting me come visit!

I pointed it out in the video, but here you can see the decals in the door jamb masked up in prep for the paint; the inspection stickers were still on in this photo (those above the latch) but they ended up being pulled so that only the factory decals remained. You can also see how much more of the door jamb/fender area the Chalk ended up covering as compared to the original white. I can’t wait to (in the next major overhaul phase) get the front end of the shell – mainly the area under the fenders – cleaned up and refinished to the same standard.

The last time I saw it before it was no longer white…

When I returned the next day, the guys just smiled when I pulled up. They knew why I was back! They walked me over to the car and left me to take it all in.

Every issue that this car’s paint had are now things of the past; my Focus’ paint wasn’t this good when it was brand new! I am overjoyed to not only see the S15 now wearing Chalk, but to see it wearing a proper paint job, period.

For the last couple of months I’ve been totally fine to leave the S15 the shop, letting the guys take their time and turn back the clock on it, but after seeing it like this all I want to do now is get it home, reassemble it, and go for a drive!

The next steps for the team are to paint the rest of the pieces (wing, doors, lip kit, so forth), address any dirt nibs, and refit the glass and main panels before it’s then up to me to arrange a flatbed and have it brought back home so that everything else can go back on.

I honestly wasn’t expecting the paint to be going on so soon after the last update, but here we are! Based on the breakdown numbers I’ve seen, pearl white was the single most common colour ever offered for the S15 meaning that the nugget would’ve always blended in a bit in that large crowd. Now it’s something much more unique and I have a car finished in one of my all-time favourite OEM colours.

Also, I guess we can’t call it a nugget any more.

-Bill