Finally found one I like

[lewisman]

I have been searching for some inspiration as to what colour to paint my murena and stumbled on this photo via Google images.   


http://autowp.ru/pictures/talbot-matra_murena/autowp.ru_talbot-matra_murena_2.jpg

I even like the modifications to the front bumper and as I have a spare replacement moulded one (both original front and rear bumpers have some damage but are repairable) I will be able to see how it looks without having to worry about making any radical changes.  Whether I would risk blending the bumper into the front wings remains to be seen but I will happily remove the black rubber trims.

I have to rebuild the cylinder head on an Alfa Sportwagon (bought it cheap with a broken belt) which is taking up murena time at the moment but it should help with the funds when it is fixed.  Unless of course the wife wants to keep it...

[michaltalbot]

What is it? Hyundai or Kia or something other korean pseudocar? Brrrrr 

[gizmo]

What is it? Hyundai or Kia or something other korean pseudocar? Brrrrr 

Michal I admire your loyalty to the standard murena and in this instance find myself agreeing with you. Although to be fair, as lewisman points out, the rubber strips of the original are not pleaseing to the eye, perhaps for my car I will find a compromise that will not offend you.

As for the colour I think murenas only look good in three colours red, red or red.

[michaltalbot]

Yes, I agree that some conversions could be nice, but exactly this one which is on the picture is horrible, everybody know, that it isn't possible to combinate classic eighties with round linies (like the rear side window) or does somebody like this blue Murena on the picture?
Blue colour isn't ugly for Murena...

[lewisman]

I agree about the side windows - fortunately you can't see much of them...  However if the photo is anything to go by this is a well finished car whether you like it or not.

I like the colour and it would make a change for the more common red alternative (I like red too but there are just so many red murenas) and it is quite like the Matra race colours.

The round lights are too big but losing the wrap around perspex covers - especially if like me you have the ones without the glass lens - is an improvement in my opinion and the last time I looked the murena had round headlights.  It certainly looks nothing like any Kia or Hyundai I have seen. Perhaps you get better Korean cars in the other end of Europe

The original bumpers - just like the ones on the series 2 Bagheera - have typical Matra join lines which I really don't like.  I suppose it saved Matra a few quid but , Michal, if you are trying to tell me it is a styling feature then you are having a laugh.  The sidelight/indicator units came from a Citroen LN where they were mounted sideways so they were not given any stying importance either.

As I have said before, I wouldn't touch a good murena S, and I would be concerned about fitting lowered suspension to one if it was mine, but I have no worries about tweaking the bumpers on my murena especially when I have a spare set.  In any case I am fitting S side skirts which are definately not original and almost all of the interior will end up re-trimmed eventually.
 

[krede]

Well.. here we go again.. what modifications people are "allowed " to do to the murena seems to be a hot issue every time.
I find the outside design og the car just fine, so I dont like the stuff done one the picture.. but if you want to experiment a bit with some fiberglass and stuff, by all means go a head!. who are we to judge?..
Then again.. since you post the pic I guess you DO want our opinion, so...
I particularly don't like the "Ford tractor blue" color.. .. a bit of white detailing might help give it a racey look, but as it is now, with the bumper modification too, it looks much like a kit car.

As for colors go , red is always the safe bet for a sportscar , but yellow,silver and white are also nice i think

[lewisman]

 
I am obviously interested in other people's opinion especially as most of you guys have seen a lot more murenas than me and in various states of repair.  I have only ever seen about a dozen different murenas and most of them have been Red!

Quite often a colour can look good in a photo and look awful when you actually see the car and although I know of a nice light blue Bagheera I have never seen a murena in this colour.  Initially my top two colours of choice were red or white (I have taken photos of each of them before so I know what the end product will look like!) and I just don't think dark colours suit the shape of the car.  I was hoping someone would say that they had seen a similar (colour) murena and it either suited the car or it didn't.

As far as the front bumper mods are concerned, I really don't care if anyone likes it or not.  I wouldn't blend the bumpers into the front wings in case I ever had to take them off for any reason so there would always be an oppotunity to re-fit the originals (if they had been repaired first of course)

Michal is alway ready to criticise anything that is not a mobile museum piece so I take his comments on anything to do with styling with a very large pinch of salt, after all he drives a Tagora

[gizmo]

Whilst on the subject of modifications has anyone come up with a good idea to replace the awful rubber trims between the body panels. I am sure they are the reason some people think the murena is a kit car. In fact in this area most kit cars are better, it's only a little thing but it really spoils the line of the car.

[lewisman]

I agree with you about the rubber trims - they are just there to avoid having to make a good job of panel fits and do nothing for the car.

Around the front bumper it is just a case of filling in the holes and relocating the bumper a bit further back.  I had found a link to a page explaining how it was done but I lost it when I changed my PC.  There are a few murenas on the web that have been "de-rubbered"

eg  http://people.zeelandnet.nl/gerlinde82/

[Matra_Hans]

Hi
This blue Murena do look a bit strange. Blue was the colour used for French racing cars so “French Racing Blue” should be acceptable for a Matra, but not this shade of blue. And I find that Krede is not fair to Ford to call this colour Ford tractor blue.
Even Matra must have realized that the rubber strip across the front of the car did not look good as they removed the rubber strip on their evolution model 4S
However Bagheera in a metallic blue looks gorgeous. I have on a few occasions been driving for many hours in front of Bagheera Lars to Matra meetings in Germany. I found it difficult to stay on the road as I simply had to stair constantly in the rear-view mirror in order to look at the blue Bagheera behind me.
Regarding the rubber strip across the front even Matra realized that was no good as they removed the rubber strip on their evolution model 4S.

Hans

[lewisman]

Thanks for you input Hans.

I was looking for a murena in "French Racing Blue" and this is the nearest that I found.  I like the smoother front bumper and even although the fog lights are not quite "right", the round lights do tie in with the main headlghts.  (not impressed with the mods to the rear but the photo might not do it any favours - I might be a bit kind there )

At the end of the day, I wll need to respray my murena and the choice of colour is going to be blue, white of red.  Much as I like red cars, there are just so many red murenas already!!

All the best.

David

[krede]

I kinda like that rubber trim!!. but that just goes to show how different taste (or lack of it) people have!

However Bagheera in a metallic blue looks gorgeous

I agree.. arent there a pic of his car in the gallery? ..it looks absolutely stunning!..
 

[michaltalbot]

Michal is alway ready to criticise anything that is not a mobile museum piece so I take his comments on anything to do with styling with a very large pinch of salt, after all he drives a Tagora

Yes You are right, because I still think, that the best condition of Murena is the ORIGINAL one. All conversions could be good or bad, but never be better than originality! Look at guys who tried to sell their converted cars (somebody with yellow "Testarossa", or that terrible red Ferrari signed car), nobody is able to give them their prices, because for future the most expensive cars will be that in original condition.
I also agree that demounting black rubber strips could look nicer, but the car was made with them, so let them on their place - my opinion only...

Tagora, from first view looks ugly, but when You understand design of this car, You will find that it is a beautifull car with very well-balanced design. When I was young, I was stupid, and made some tuning on it, but it's gone and this winter I will start with complete renovation and the result will be, of course, maximum orifinality.

You know, my life mission is to do everything for that people will never forget our liked marks Simca/Talbot/Matra. And I don't want to show to all people arround me some "creatures", I want to show them what really was produced by this marks.

Maybe You understand Your car as only a nice car, but for me it is a life philosophy. I will never buy other car than Simca or Talbot...

[krede]

Tagora, from first view looks ugly, but when You understand design of this car, You will find that it is a beautifull car with very well-balanced design

You see.. that's just the thing with old cars... they tend to become "cool" with age...
Cars, that was old and tired, and that you dismissed 10 years ago start to become interesting again.. a few examples (at least for me)

Opel mantas A's and even the early B's with the chrome bumpers.
Senators,Records,Commodores.
Any old 70'ies Ford Grenada,Escort Mk I-II Taunus ,Cortina,or Capri (well the Capri has ALWAYS been cool  )....

I Love them all!

As for modifying....I can see Michaels point.. that the 100% original cars ARE the ones that are going to fetch the highest price in the future... BUT I think it is okay to modify the cars,just as long as it is done in the "spirit" of the cars age..
I think that is what it boils down to for me.... Fancy 18 inch wheels with low profile tires? NO! wolfrace slot mags with white labled goodyears? YES!..
And so forth..
Of cause. for every day convenience, some compromise can be struck.. more recent radio/cd would be one.. (though I actually rather like the looks of Anders' ULTRA 80'ies Radio/kasette) 

[macaroni]

Tagora, from first view looks ugly, but when You understand design of this car, You will find that it is a beautifull car with very well-balanced design

You see.. that's just the thing with old cars... they tend to become "cool" with age...
Cars, that was old and tired, and that you dismissed 10 years ago start to become interesting again.. a few examples (at least for me)

This is very true, check out http://www.retro-rides.com/ for evidence. Cars that you never, ever thought would be in demand again are generating scary amounts of interest.