Help Me Pick My Paint Color!

[Big Tap]

After many months of setbacks and waiting, it's finally time to buy some paint for my Tahoe. Originally I was going to go back with the facotry gray, but my painter offered to do a color change in the jams and everything, free of charge. Not one to pass up an opportunity like this, I'm now trying to decide which color to choose.
I had some test panels done and had started to settle on a custom blue mix of Toyota Nautical Blue Pearl with a bit of added blue pearl and flake. The paint looked great; think factory Chevy blue with a darker translucent finish that popped with the pearl. The thing that scares me away from this is trying to fix it later should something bad happen to the paint. With it being a custom mix, this could create problems. The other thing is that it looks a lot like a stock color to me and I don't know if I want to go to the trouble of shooting a custom color if it's going to look close to factory.
That leads me to where I am now. I'm starting to lean towards two factory colors that I'm considering. Since the facotry gray grew on me a bit, as well as the blue, I have thought about going with a compromise of the two. I think it has a nice color to it and gives a subtle custom touch since no other Tahoe will have the same color paint.
The first is a BMW Toledo Blue Metallic (TBM). The Second is a Chrysler Modern Blue Pearl (MBP).
Toledo Blue Metallic

Modern Blue Pearl

They are similar colors in normal light, with the MBP having a slightly darker appearance than the TBM. The MBP also has a larger silver flake in it that is visible in normal light. In the sun, the TBM really pops and has more of a steel blue look to it with very fine green and silver flake. In the sun, I would say that the TMB has more of a greenish blue hue, while the MBP has more of a grayish blue hue. Both are great colors from what I can tell in the paint book.
As you can tell, I've put a LOT of thought into this. The pictures don't really do either color justice, but at least its a reference point. Any help would be appreciated as I'm probably going to buy paint this week. Thanks!

 

[boostaholic]

I like audi nogaro blue

and porsche lapis blue if you want darker

I also really like the laguna seca blue on the e46 m3

 

[Big Tap]

The Porsche blue looks nice. The Audi and BMW blue are a little much for me though. I have always wanted an M3 that is that color.

 

[mary900]

It's hard to fix nicks/scratches on metal flake paints.

...porsche blue is cool.

 

[Gomez]

go FLAT BLACK !
so i can see the results because i might get that, lol

 

[withac]

IMHO the MBP doesn't look blue at all, looks charcoal. I like bright colors so I'd go with the Beemer if you want something no other 'Ho or Yuke will have, second choice would be the Porsche. The Porsche looks like kinduv a good compromise, a little brighter than the TMB but not as flashy as the Audi or Beemer. Since it sounds like aren't into the brighter colors if you're only choosing between the TMB and MBP I prefer the TBM hands down over the MBP.

 

[Big Tap]

It's not that I don't like bright colors, I just don't prefer to have them on my DD. Too much attention drawn to them between thieves and Johnny Law.

Here's another picture of the MBT. It shows it a bit better than the picture of the van. That Porsche blue looks very similar to the custom mix we created. I agree with you though Withac, I'm beginning to lean towards the TBM.

 

[withac]

Here's another picture of the MBT. It shows it a bit better than the picture of the van. That Porsche blue looks very similar to the custom mix we created. I agree with you though Withac, I'm beginning to lean towards the TBM.

Looks like gun metal blueing.

 

[Big Tap]

Yeah, it really kind of is. The picture of the van makes it look more flat and gray than it really is.

 

[withac]

It's not that I don't like bright colors, I just don't prefer to have them on my DD. Too much attention drawn to them between thieves and Johnny Law.

Here's another picture of the MBT. It shows it a bit better than the picture of the van. That Porsche blue looks very similar to the custom mix we created. I agree with you though Withac, I'm beginning to lean towards the TBM.

Actually, if the Porsche blue looks like the custom you came up with that seems like the logical choice. It gives you what you were looking for to start with and since it's a factory color you won't have matching issues if you need to do some work on it later.

 

[matt14]

I would go with the toledo blue metallic. it looks like a nice color IMO. what color interior do you have?

 

[treepete]

I second the TBM.

I think that since your getting new paint, make it like no other paint. mask in some ghost flames while your at it.

 

[JKmotorsports]

I like the TBM and the Porsche blue. You have an eta on when it's going to be done? I'm going to have to stop by and check it out sometime.

 

[Big Tap]

The interior is a two tone charcoal and light gray. It's predominately dark in color. I also have dark blue Escalade gauges that will install once I get it out of paint.
I've seen some videos online of X5's from different angles in sunlight that are TBM and it looks really good. I think it's a custom, yet subtle kind of color that will make it stand apart from other Tahoe's. Early on I considered ghost flames on it, but it just seems a little too much for me on my DD. Not that I don't like them on cars, but maybe not on my DD. Maybe I'm getting a little old...haha.
I'm picking up paint on Saturday JK. After that, I hope that it will be no more than just a few weeks since it's already prepped for paint. If it's done and I'm free, I might try to roll over to the Saturday Night meet in Pflugerville a couple of weeks before Christmas. If not, shoot me a PM and we'll get together sometime and check out each others rides.

 

[mikemjohnson]

350z daytona blue, only color id rock besides black or white

 

[withac]

I don't know the name of the color but my SIL just bought a little Scion coupe that is a dark blue, it's a pretty sweet color.

 

[jgiguere17]

I would stay away from ANY pearl color, if you get into a accident, fender bender or scuff it will be VERY difficult to blend properly and get the batch to match exactly.

I have anyways liked this color.

a blue with more of a teal in it.

 

[Big Tap]

I ended up going with the Toledo Blue Metallic today. After they mixed it up and showed it to me, I got pretty excited. It showed better in person than I imagined. Hopefully it will look as good when it's on my Tahoe.
I ran into a bit of a snag though with the SS bumper and the fog lamps. I thought the '04 truck fogs would fit directly into the faux brake vent holes, but they're a bit too big, even if I were to trim the holes. Anyone know of a smaller factory fog lamp that might fit? Are the earlier model Avalanches maybe running a smaller size, but similar looking fog lamp to the '04 trucks?