1948 gmc patina or paint?

Hi I have a 1948 gmc 3/4 ton with gorgeous patina and wondering if I should paint it or just clear coat. Here is what it looks like now with orig. paint and I would paint it orig. color if I did. I would have to end up wielding new cab corners in, cowl, and rockers also do some wielding on a split metal part on a fender. I already have another set of fenders ready for paint but want more opinions .


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Depends what you want. A reasonable thing to do would be to fix it up mechanically so you can drive it around, and see how you like it. I tend to do paint last....when I try to do it first, I end up never getting the project done, or it takes forever.

I would NOT clear coat it, that just looks lame. It's not going to get any worse, now that you're keeping it indoors most of the time.

 

thanks


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Surface rust is not patina,Go to the hardware store and buy a quart of CLR and wipe the truck down and see if you have more paint than rust. HRP

 

I love the patina!

 

otherwise how hard is it to paint patina


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try the CLR like HRP said, there may be paint under that rust. then you will have patina. right now you have rust.

 

That truck is the definition of patina.

 

you can't paint patina on, but you can get rid of the rust, fix the holes, and restore the truck. Then it'll be another old restored 3/4 ton truck, with a lot of time/money sunk into it.

Seriously...either leave it alone, or do the whole thing. It looks neat as is, and it would look neat painted shiny turquoise (or whatever color that is). There is no paint under the rust, there's just more rust, then you'll eventually get down to metal.

 

Leave the patina


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I'm in the process of bringing a '50 F-1 back to life as a regularly driven hot rod pickup - see my avitar. It's a New Mexico truck with surface rust, peeling paint and a touch of through-rust in all the usual places.

Paint it? Hell, no! I've already got two "finished" cars that I hesitate to drive much because I'm afraid I'd have to kill anybody who put a door ding in either one of them while I was at Wal-Mart.

I've got a patena'd daily beater '64 El Camino that I drive a lot...and never worry about it. If anybody ever did open a door on it, I'd probably never know it. The new '50 will be the same. I'd hate to spend my elder years in the can because I'd lost my temper over a door ding.

 

The truck has more rust than paint. Put it on the road, paint it when the time and money are there. WAY too many Johnny Come Lately run the 'patina' & black wheel'z w/a cheese themed door logo. Wanna jump the shark, go ahead and follow the herd.

 

This was my patina'ed truck. Original paint (as far as I knew). Only time it was washed was when they painted the sponsor logos on the doors. I never had to worry about the finish

Having kept it simple, it set a very laid-back tone which made this the vehicle I have enjoyed the most.

If I would have painted it, lots of people would have walked past it at car shows

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When I bought my Plymouth (see avatar) all anyone ever asked was when was I going to paint it. That was 1996, now everyone tells me to leave it like it is. I don't mind "patina" on trucks, I prefer my cars painted. I already have a yard full of patina-mobiles.

 

Im with slammed. Way to many stupid signs painted on the doors of old trucks. I dont get the patina craze, i can see if the car or truck has some history leave it but other than that i would paint it.

 

Patina is something old ladies look for in antiques.

 

I think authentic patina is cool as hell. Rust, not so much. CLR the hell outta that thing like HRP suggests. You may be surprised at the paint left under that surface rust. Run it around for a while before you decide whether to make it shiny like 9 out of 10 other old trucks/cars. Character has it's virtues.

 

now thats funny!

 

Patina is a fuckload easier and cheaper than decent paint and body work. All you gotta do is convince people its some how cooler.. Sound difficult right? Apparently not though.

I sold one of my bikes to a good friend of mine. He's hunting an extra set of tins and wants them blasted and acid washed then rusted to run on it. He really digs the contrast of the cruddy neglect and everything else pristine. I don't get it but it really is fun to see him excited about it.

Now why doesn't patina rhyme with vagina ?

 

Paint it

 

To me "patina" is like saying you found the clean end of a turd. Be honest. Its rust, pure and simple. People have said its only original once and painting it will destroy the originality. Well, it didn't come from the factory rusty and if it only original once was the attitude of this forum everyone would be driving box stock Model As. The truck looks like its had a long working life. Show it some respect and give it a decent coat of paint.

 

"Gorgeous patina" LOL

Lets call a spade a spade. It's fucking rusty.

I blame those damn Gas Monkeys for this shit.

 

Patina (rust) is as stupid as spelling "culture" with a "k". Amazing how you usually find both in the same group of people. I'd rather someone tell me they are broke or lazy, instead of lying and trying to convince me patina (rust) is cool.

But, hell, man. Your truck, your rules. Get after it.

 

Kulture is not spelled with a k? LMAO

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If it were mine, I'd get the mechanicals in order and just enjoy it as is. Clean it with CLR, see what's under that corrosion, then decide what to do next, if anything. Just enjoy it before the worms come knocking......

 

Agree 100%. Get it on the road and worry about the shine later.

 

Do the brakes 100%, then make it go faster and look better.

 

Thanks guys

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15 awesome! I took my 49 gmc apart over 10 years ago to de-patina it. Life work and fixing other peoples cars came first. If I could do it over I would fix the mechanicals and enjoy.
Good luck

 

Patina has nothing to do with traditional hot rods. A guy could sure do a nice Ayala/Geisler inspired traditional (no quotation marks needed) build with that raw material, shame to let it rust away in the name of following a silly flavour-of-the-week trend thats on its last legs anyway...

Just realized I am probably wasting my breath here, probably more interested in "Ol Skool Rods" than period little pages, but I am gonna attempt an "intervention" here anyway...

This is what needs to be done with your truck. Note the Merc tail-lights, belly burners, and chop. and yes, these are both the same truck, about 3 years and one owner apart. I would be leaning towards the Ayala look, but with a different grill treatment, the belly burners, no flames & '52 Buick Terrace Green.Yea...