Projects Keeping orig. paint + patina, how to?

LOL. Yeah, a multi primered car doesn't purposely look like junk. It looks like shit.

 

As someone already suggested, Penetrol is the go-to product to nourish and protect metal and paint. Penetrol is mineral spirits and linseed oil. Penetrol is the gold standard used by the hit-or-miss and old tractor crowd.

There is an old-school alternative. Kerosene and water, 50:50 in a coffee can. Shake vigorously, apply with rag, either let it be or lightly wipe off with a second rag. Adds patina and water will bead. Lasts about a month outdoors. BTW, this was the way the NYPD would make their black limo parade cars shine back in the day of Impy as mayor.

 

The fun is temporary, but 2 of my past street/race/flip cars were a riot when they were ragged and ugly. I had an O/T musclecar, about 2/3 Limelight green, a black deck lid, red oxide and grey primer. I used to stop quite regular at a Nugget restaurant and got to know the owner well. In his New York accent, "Ain't ya got no pride whatcha put your body in? How about parkin out back, keep the image up around here...?" So it was on, I had to get back at my friend Jack some way. We all remember the "I (heart) N.Y." campaign, yes? So I took some 1 Shot and painted on the back in white with the big red heart "I (heart) Nugget #6", his place. That afternoon I stopped in and parked in the 1st spot by the road where he could see it through those big windows. "Hey kid, didn't I tell ya?" "Oh Jack, I don't think you want me to move it now, do ya?" He looked close, again in that NY accent, "It's beautiful! Park it wherever ya want!" What was even more fun? The questions I got on the weekend haunts where the racers hung out. "What's Nugget #6?" "Ever remember hearing about mothballs in the gas tank for more horsepower?" "Yeah, did that work?" "It did but it wasn't the best thing for your fuel system, so Nugget #6 removed the danger but makes the power." "No shit! Can I get some of those?" "Keep an eye out for the ad campaign in Hot Rod and Car Craft, it's coming." "Cool, that's awesome! Got any extra?" "Just used my last one, sorry." Fun times for sure.

 

Drive it as much as possible. Your boots will keep the running boards polished and your oily hands will give luster to the window sills and bed rails.

Make sure it is dry in storage. Sitting still is the worst thing you can do to a car. You won't regret any patina lost in the process of enjoying your vehicle. Patina will and should change with use.

Some of us don't like shiny cars, because somewhere inside we are scared we'll scratch it.

 

I'll second the penetrol method, makes shitty paint look less shitty. Gives it just enough shine to not look hazy or oxidized but not a bright shine like clear coat. I'd say it enhances the old paint to make it look as good as its going to. If you have rust and haze try a CLR wash first, then Penetrol.

 

Which Penetrol product you mean? Seems that there are many. Here in Finland we don't have Penetrol but maybe I can find something else that is similar. I think Owatrol is our substitute...

 

I used thinned kerosene on my forty but the stuff would leave a white film sitting out in the sun. I did find that Pledge, a furniture polish, any scent you liked worked really good.

 

You mean Pledge worked on the white marks or Pledge worked on the coating of the paint?

 

Linseed oil is actually a paint base. It will not negatively affect the metal for painting. Just use acetone to wipe it off, or as I stated it will wear/fade off with time. We recoat my son's truck every 2 years or so. Its,really a very easy process. Everyone that sees our patina vehicles are always amazed how good the patina looks.

 

2 of them that we have done. I've done several others too. Remember it's a wipe on wipe off procedure, not put on and walk away. You want just a thin layer.

 

Gun oil. We use this on architectural metals that we patina an stain. It last about a year between recoats.

 

I have been following along, I have a few questions about patina.
Seems the answers are more like opinions and no right or wrong way.
For myself, the truck in my avatar I have been washing it down scrubbing it with steel wool and getting back to the blue paint. I plan to get a aerosol can mixed up to spot a few places. I really am not a patina guy. Just saying, I would rather get out a foam roller and paint it rather then keep worn out paint.
Also my truck is originally red, there are a few spots where the blue is gone exposing brown primer and some spots the primer is gone showing red. Blue, red and brown is not flattering.

That brings me to my uncles 47 jailbar that I have been helping him with.
He wants to preserve the original patina, seems to think it needs to be lightly sanded and clear coat sprayed on.
While I think it needs to be scrubbed clean of all the dirt and grime and top layer of rust, get down to the paint that is left.
Then accept the leftover imperfections of age. I call that patina.
I think his original green cleaned up with the patina would look good.

So, what ... how? is it we decide what is patina?
Do we clean it up and present it in the best condition it capable of?
Or do we leave all the bird crap on and clear coat, or oil it as is?

 

Patina in general does not exist on cars at all IMO. Weathered would be a better description.

 

I agree, weathered would be more accurate.
Patina just sounds cooler, doesn´t it?

 

I do. Spray it on a rag and wipe the entire car done with it. Original paint on my '28 roadster.

 

I'm trying to figure out the best way to clean up the existing paint on my car. The remaining clear is flaking off, but before I mess with it I'd like to prepare myself so as not to make it extremely worse. I may try the linseed option. I usually use Murphys Oil Soap or Pledge on toolboxes and stuff but this is different. Technically this is going to be a band-aid anyway as I do plan to paint the car... someday.

 

All that rust is just that, freaking rust, no matter what cutsie name you stick on it rust is rust and that means the rig is rotting away.
True patina on a car is much like a worn but well cared for saddle, you can see the wear but it hasn't been allowed to deteriorate.
This is patina, there are a few spots where the paint is worn though but the original paint is still in reasonable shape and there is no visible rust showing
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/user/mr...LATHEAD RUN AT MONITOR 2015/IMG_8126.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w71/mr48chev/EAST WEST FLATHEAD RUN AT MONITOR 2015/IMG_8126.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_8126.jpg"/></a>

This is the best "patina" example I have seen.
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About 26 years ago when I worked nights at Bowden's auto parts in Sunnyside, Wa a little old gent in his upper years would come in and tell me about his Mercury hardtop that he had had for years. He said it ran great and he would really like to drive it "back home" to Arkansas or Missouri where he was from originally but he was afraid to drive it even around town because the gas gauge didn't work. He would fire it up and move it around the yard when he mowed but covered it back up with a tarp. A few years later I saw it on a trailer headed up the freeway.
That was a few years before it showed up at the car show I took the photos of it at. Well loved and cared for car that while showing it's age a bit shows that it was always loved and cared for .

 

The Penetrol product I am referring to and as sold in the States is mostly linseed oil with some mineral spirits added. You could make your own. The idea is to add enough spirits that the linseed oil does not remain tacky but not so much that the oil still protects. I don't think is it that critical and that you could make your own with some trial and error.

 

Just curious here.
Being a traditional site, wouldn't we want our cars to be more like they were back then, rather than trying to preserve the way we find them now?

 

Surprised. I thought I was going to get a full ration by this morning. LOL

 

I have seen a couple great looking examples of what I call patina, Mr48chevy above has posted one of them.
Here is a lousy photo of my uncles 47, only one I have right now. But my uncle claims this is patina and it just needs to be clear coated.
I doubt any hot rodder back in the 60's would drive a shop truck that looked as bad as the paint on this one.
Even if it meant painting it with a vacuum cleaner or a brush, they would have done something.
And all the trim, grill headlight rings were removed and stored indoors and paint is excellent, hows that going to look when put back on?
He is 81 years old and I will do anything he wants, love him big time.

 

does that mean I am very traditional, as opposed to "quite traditional"??

 

My Grandpa used 30wt motor oil on every thing . From his tractors to his trucks.

 

you forgot the quotation marks around "traditional"... That's the key...