This hot rod photo is driving me nuts

[RayTheRat]

This is a car a friend built years ago. The photo was in pretty bad shape and I'm having a real hard time with it...especially the maroon color that wants to pixelate. I'm using Paint Shop Pro Photo X2. I've restored numerous photos but this one seems to be beyond my abilities.

Thanks in advance,

RtR

[valentina09]

hello,
1933 Ford Tudor22.jpg

[DCobb]

I gave this a quick try. I used curves to split the light from dark and then painted (reducing the opacity and flow of the brush as needed) on blank layers to smooth out the color and reducing the opacity of the layer as needed.

This is not done by any means, but improved.

dc
In looking at the posted pictures, I have changed the car color twice trying to match the original color using Color Mechanic Pro.

[RayTheRat]

Hi there. This is about the best I've been able to come up with using numerous tools: salt/pepper filter, unsharp mask, makeover tool, etc.

Biggest problem for me is the color shift from maroon to dark red. When I try to shift the color, yellow splotches pop up...even after splitting into RCB channels and smoothing each one.

[RayTheRat]

It's hard to get a handle on the color. I never saw the car and as almost invariably happens, as soon as he sold it, the buyer wrecked it. But here's a shot of the frame and engine block that were painted in the same color.

I'm gonna have to set it aside for a while. I just found out that I have to go out of town early in the morning.

Thanks for the help...it's giving me ideas to work with.

[Kraellin]

trickier than it looks

welcome to RP.

i gave this a shot. this is mostly clone and airbrush on blank layers, guassian blurred and then erased around the edges. some of these layers are blended to the original using blend modes to restore some of the original textures. there is also a contrast/brightness layer and a curves layer. this one took a while.

based on that chassis pic, your original color may be a candy apple red and, there was some hint of metal fleck, especially on the fenders, but i didnt go that way as i wasnt sure.

oh, and i did a digital noise removal on both my later layers and on the original copy for blending purposes.