If this deuce was mine, I'd be tempted to polish and wax the paint to see how it would look. I would for sure put Gibbs oil on the bare metal spots. Being as oxidized as it is now, it looks somewhat neglected to me. I'd give it a little more love.....same with Don Dillard's roadster too!
“Patina” in the majority of cases is guys trying to give value to decades of neglect and even abuse. I’ve got NO problem with an old car/truck having chips or door dings from having actually been used for years. What I have a problem with is a car that has never been cared for, never waxed, left naked in the sun to bake to hell and rust then putting a fancy sounding word on it. A car that’s been polished and cared for over decades will eventually polish down to the primer and even to bare metal in spots. Again, NO problem with that. It shows someone cared for the car. Same with chrome. If it’s been neglected til it’s got crusty rust - that’s not to be admired. My dad taught me if you don’t give the sun something to eat, it’s gonna eat your paint. That regular washing and waxing give the paint the best chance of lasting and looking good long term.
I love my patina builds, and it has nothing to do with finances or skill. I could paint every one if I wanted to, and then they would look the same as every other one out there. Patina vehicles are always different, never see another one exactly the same..also never have to worry about door dings, rock chips, kids touching them at car shows, etc..I have no problem with painted or patina style cars, not sure why some people get so upset about this stuff.
I totally agree with you. Something good on both ends of the story. I like cars that have that distressed, weathered appearance that only father time can give. As long as it's real and not some phony created finish. Provided it's not rotted to hell. To me, there's a story to tell of decades of service. Also like fresh shiny paint on vintage iron. There's something to be said for someone's who's taken the time to invest the labor and skill to bring back a piece of history to survive for another lifetime.
I like some patina, as long as the rust is minimal. I have never really been fooled by fake weathering, not my cup of tea... There's an ass for every saddle! If sanding through the paint is fake patina, did my car qualify? ;-)
Exactly!! The moment I paint my sedan, two things happen: 1.) It looks just like every other chopped '32 sedan out there, and 2.) Some portion of the 'fun' associated with driving this car gets replaced by anxiety about maintaining the finish. Besides, as an elder statesman of Texas hot rodding once told me - "You can always repaint them, but they only look like this once!".
You might have your causation wrong. I'd suggest that some guys start out with plans to build a nicely-finished car, so they build a nice chassis, drivetrain, rolling stock, etc, along those lines. Then, they simply delay (or eliminate) the final step of painting the body... perhaps because they are too busy driving and enjoying the car in its current state. I can appreciate that. For me, that's one key distinction between a hot rod and a rat rod... the rat rodder actually goes to great lengths to deliberately make the car look rougher or older than it might actually be, otherwise.
I like the painted or shiny rims. It tells me that although the "patina'd" car looks neglected, it's being well maintained.
A lot of us had cars with primer on spots we were working on but everyone I knew wanted to "finish" their car. I don't remember any real car guy driving a rusty piece of crap. The only patina I'm ok with is an actual unmolested survivor car with history. Also a race car or maybe a shop truck with original lettering or artwork. As far as fake patina well it's fake. It belongs in the same category as Olds valve covers on a sbc or tri power with only the center carb hooked up.
When looking to buy a project car, I would prefer to buy one in it's natural patina state. I can't help but think of how much bondo and overlapped sheet metal that's brazed together under that nice new paint job. Saw too much of this body work in the seventies and eighties. I like cars that have patina in the paint but no a fan of bare rusted metal and rust holes. A lot of nice cars have left to go to the sandblaster and returned not so nice.
One of my favorite cars... Cory Moore's Merc. Perfect stance, hot flathead, cold AC, tons of high-zoot chrome, and a beautiful interior... but not painted (yet?). He just drives the heck out of it, as-is.
I agree 100%! My thoughts are, if you go to great lengths and dollars to upgrade and update the chassis, engine, and interior, why stop there? I understand driving one unfinished, they are all unfinished to a point. It makes it look like you ran out of money, well maybe you did, before you got to the exterior, which in turn makes people wonder why you started something you couldn't {or wouldn't} finish. Big difference to me in paint that has battle scars and road rash than paint that is mostly missing in action. I can live with a few scars and blemishes on otherwise good paint, it doesn't even have to be shiny, but on a straight, well built ride, I don't want to see bare or rusty metal shining through dead remnants of paint, and sure as hell don't want to see a mess like that clear coated. If you're going to that much trouble, why not go ahead and spray some color, flat, shiny, or in between?
Okay, let's ask the next question..., In our quest for authenticity what about bubbling delaminating vintage "Father Timed" glass? Replacing glass you can't see through wouldn't be honest. Replacement glass would be bad and our glass would look like every other car's glass.... Gets silly doesn't it? -Dave
I can appreciate your thoughts Blake but I'm not talking about projects in progress or stalled builds. I am talking about real patina lovers, myself included....my avatar.....when I go to a patina show, and talk to these guys their car is done, just the way they want it....I've seen brightly painted steelies, billet rims, chrome reverse, cragars.....and even brand new tru spokes...lol. It ruins the effect for me the rims should be as dull and dingy as the rest of the car and if wwws are involved they should be yellowish brownish not alpine white. Just my opinion nothing else inferred.
Nope, would rather see a basic single stage Maaco paint job myself, no need to go have Gene Winfield do it. Traditionally, krusty kars were not kool, but original paint did let you see what needed repaired.
Understood... I just disagree with the specific quote above. I've never been to a 'patina show', but I would probably not be keen, either, on patina'd cars which simply had chrome or billet rolling stock bolted to them. However, like my sedan and Corey's Merc (among many others), I have no problem with honest patina'd bodies on updated chassis with new chrome and period-correct wheels/tires in shiny-new condition. Just my opinion, of course... I don't feel nearly as strongly about this subject as some of the others here.
I put shiny on shiny and beaten on beaten........lol, I have both but my 69 4 door hard top Imperial doesn't fit here so I wont post it
My truck was a very worn and faded grey when I got it. It had a Ford bed on it and it needed to have a Chevy one in it. My nephew and I found another truck where I wound up with an orange front clip and bed. Then for a time it became my daily and my wife said it needed to be all one color. So, not having spray equipment, it got rattle canned. Now the rattle can is chipping away and it has some nice age made patina. But, I got another parts truck with a better bed yet a different color. Now when I get to installing it I am back to square one! Thinking of just going with Kiwi Kev’s paint scheme: primer red color. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I bougt this old heap 2003 on E-bay from Carsbad CA, it was siting abandoned outside a house with a lot of stray cats living in it. I shiped the truck to Sweden when I went home, still driving this old heap as I found it (my wife and I love the truck).
I am the second titled owner of my sedan and have owned it more than 30 years from what I was told it was last painted in 1962 and I love the car just like it sits. Call it patina or neglect but I have no intention of repainting it, I don't check the weather channel before I leave the house and I wash the car when it gets dirty, I do keep the car inside when I'm not driving. I often get the questions of when am I going to paint the car?, or it sure would look better with new paint and there is no doubt in my mind a beautiful shiny black finish would be nice but with that comes all the time it takes to keep it looking perfect, then I would be uncomfortable driving the car to the grocery store or anywhere you have to worry about door dings, no thanks. HRP
Your cars , build them and show them off the way you want. Just do not get upset when I look at your car and go Great Starting Point! Almost 50 years of teaching myself the skills and buying the equipment to build any aspect of a car from chassis, drivetrain to award wining paint and interior work, I can not look at a worn and neglected car , truck or motorcycle and not envision it looking like or better than brand new. It is just the way I was built. Growing up in the sixties and watching my uncles and older cousins fixing up their cars. It was always about shiny paint and chrome and black , white or red tuck and roll with lots of chrome and paint added to the motor for good measure . When I had my big shop in the 90's and 2000's, paint jobs started at 10 grand and if I had to build the body from a Wisconsin rust bucket that starting price tripled. The only step back I have taken in the last ten years since I closed up the full time shop is I don't concern my self with flawless door gaps or metal finishing panels to perfection before spending countless hours blocking primer for flawless paint. Now if there is a dent I fix it . A rust hole , I repair it , prime block it once or twice and paint. If you want to get down on your hands and knees and check for flaws you will find them but 10 feet away it is perfect! And if I scratch it I fix it. Just the way I was taught and just the way I like it! They are all just old cars ,ENJOY THEM or find a different hobby . Larry
Every owner should always follow what you want as far as looks. Never back down, even if random people suggest it should be this or that. It's yours, not theirs. I have had many vintage rides since the 60s...but the 32 is a total people magnet since I was forced to use it as my daily. I don't go to shows much at all. I know it's the "overall first glance of the colors on a really old car". This car draws so many people to come talk, to pose with it and sit in it. It's been in a local calendar, and a poster of cruise night cars, and a Country music "student video contest". It has hand mixed lacquer paint mixed by my son and I, in a 5 gallon bucket from free PPG toners from a closed auto parts store. I did not want a shiny/new look, so we never buffed it. It has no shine at all, but there is so many types of polys that we threw in the bucket that it even glows on gray days or evenings. I am pretty scruffy & beat up looking, but people of all ages including little kids, and even teen girls come right up to me with big smiles. It makes me feel good after such a long tough build, in that the car makes so many people smile. Think about Nature...Flowers are bright vivid colors to "attract"...compared to a neglected field of dead weeds. A talented/patient person can certainly pick the right lighting to make a fantastic Calendar Photo of that field, but most people never even notice that field as they pass by...but they rarely miss a home that has tons of vivid nice flowers. Be happy with your ride,.... it sure won't be me to tell you to make it "nicer". I only wish more people would drive their rides around my area. (even the RR ones) I always give any vintage ride a raised fist.
... and don't you get upset when that car's owner turns away from you and goes back to laughing with the guys who are enjoying the get-together instead of offering unsolicited feedback on strangers' cars.
Sorry if my remark offened. I should have phrased it as " and Think what a Great Starting Point" . Because I would never bad mouth another mans choice to him, I may not agree but I would not express it. Again sorry for the misunderstanding. Larry
I'm sure most of you guys can imaging with a handle like hotrodprimer my first priority has never been to own a eye popping paint job, with me it's always been about enjoying owning and driving a hot rod, if the parts I was using came from different cars and were different colors a coat of fresh red primer was all I needed. Just build the car the way you want it, just get out there and drive it. HRP
Every thing about this car is perfect ! from the stance to lights and wheel cover /tire choice . I just see candy blue paint and white interior and top. It is just how my minds eye see's old cars! Your car your way and just my interpretation of the same car. Both are cool ,just different. Larry
I notice a lot of comments saying how your fear of door dings and having to wash and wax shiny paint is why you prefer rust and crapped out paint. That isn't what I'd call traditional. No matter how humble the car was, we took pride in how it looked. I also see comments about how these ratty cars get more attention than the shiny ones do. How weird! But, true! Car shows are full of people who would ignore the Frank Mack T, the Doane Spencer deuce and Tony Nancy's 22 jr, to drool on some rat rod.
The Jalopy Journal
