Change color or not

So I just bought a 48 Cj2a...one owner!
Guy bought it new and worked it like a stolen mule on his farm in Ohio.
A few years ago he spent a bunch of money and had a restoration done to it.
New body, and mechanicals gone through...painted original picket gray.
My challenge comes in that the paint work was done half ass, the color might be similar but not perfect, the recovered seats are an unknown gray, and the wheels and tires are incorrect. A few years ago I restored a 2a (vec)to about as perfect as anyone could, an effort of love and history of these machines far more than a sane person would. (Try flatfenderwilly cj2a, or cj2a vec on google) I had to part with it to support my kids higher education goals, so here I am again. I want to make it nice, but not as nice as my last one that I was afraid to scratchor get dirty.
Delima is, it came gray. One owner kept it gray, and if I restore it to be just like the one owner bought it, I feel it would have the most value and interest. Problem comes in that I love red. And pasture green...or od...
But it wouldn't be purist accurate. My feelings are to keep it exactly like it came from the factory, and find a red od pasture green unit another day..........
Thoughts?
Mike Flatfenderwilly

I agree with Dmillet its now a Frankenjeep and you can do anything you want to with it.

So if he fitted another engine but kept the original body would it be original?, if he converted it to 12v would it be original?.

  I guess I'm about 95% "purist", but maybe paint color falls in the other 5%. I don't see anything wrong in changing the color, especially if you use one of the originally available colors. Just don't paint it pink or teal and try to pass it off as original.

Well I really appreciate the thoughts. I suppose that I could now paint it how I want it and not be blasphemous in the other jeep purists eyes. Now just to keep that fine line of keeping it nice but not over done. If you can't drive it and enjoy it, a museum piece it becomes! Not why I bought it. No, never again will it pull a disc, but a light trail and put zing around the lake it must do well. Thank you all for your input. Glad to back in the ranks!
Mike Flatfenderwilly Thomas

If someone says anything about the color say---well its for sale if it really bothers you (then give them a price roughly 4 times what you have in to it)

Eloquent words...