open the texture in the gimp,
Flip it vertically
Convert the image to grayscale, then back to RGB.
Create a new layer, Fill it with the approximate color you want to use, it should be on top of the original texture.
Change the layer mode to "Overlay"
You can then adjust the brightness of the now grayscale texture, and the colors on the new layer to get the look you want, without removing any of the detail.
This works for any of the dark colored planes. Im no expert with the gimp, or graphics in general, but this works decently.
For help using the gimp in general, search google for "Grokking the Gimp".