What's your thinking on keeping original paint? I have a 46 that still has factory maroon paint and it doesn't look that bad, it's all there, scratches and all, but I'm struggling with having it painted. One of the back fenders has a primer spot applied by the PO and I could probably have that blended in. Is OG paint still have value like I think it has or am I thinking backwards here? I am painting the wheels.....
...once you mess with it, you can never go back, buff it out, try that awhile, if you don't like it , then re-paint...I like original paint.
On any car I own/owned I always assess what I perceive the end result should be, to best suit my needs/taste. Is the car going to be a driver?, show car?, unrestored classic?, or, and I hope for you, just for your own enjoyment..and then what will it take to arrive at that end goal? If I had just bought your woodie, I would blend the back fender, and cut/buff the rest of the paint. Woodies have a wholesome, outdoorsy, vibe to them which suits original patina (I hate the use of that word, but it does fit in this circumstance). Nice car.
I'd be tempted to rub the primer off the rear fender and see whats under it, and then leave it the way it is with just a good cleaning and waxing.
If original paint is solid in my world it is the way to go unless you are building a show car. I like old paint waxed (buffed?) and driven. There is just a look that it has that suits me. Not everyone will agree but if its opinion wanted that's my opinion.
A survivor car is only an original 1X. IMO keep as is, possible buff ? not a paint guy, but old paint can be brought back to life. You can blend in that primered spot and not loose original, most survivor cars have had some paint repair, believe rule of thumb is 90% orig, 10% repair/repaint is standard/acceptable. Kool old Woody !
There was a lot of hard work done to preserve this car all these years. If you give up on the original paint then all that work will have been done in vain.
To me, it depends on what else has been done to the car. Obviously the woodwork has been redone/ refinished, is the interior new? In that case I would finish the restoration and paint it. If the wood and interior were original, I would definitely keep it the way it is... My 2 cents...
I would attempt to bring the paint backand live with it awhile. I think you will find that the ones who get it will commend your efforts. Share some pics after the process, Thanks.
I would enjoy as is. As far as the.new wood finish with older paint, that's to be expected with a woody. Woodies had to be revarished every few years as the finish is high wear and high maintenance.
Front fender looks pretty 'speckled', if a hard rub won't bring the maroon back (doubtful that it will) any more 'patina' is simply compromising the extreme woodwork that's apparently been done...There is a line there... My wife is acquainted with a young man that works for Roy (Brizio) who does 'patina'. He is great at it, so IF that front fender looks any "less maroon" when finished rubbing, maybe a thin coat of maroon to 'fill', not repaint...then rub it out as started. Just 'help' the mother color. My tan '50 Ford coupe had red oxide primer showing thru, but I rubbed it out and waxed it anyway. The car, albeit clean as a whistle, looked like it had been sprayed with clear, over a shabby coat of what was once 'paint'...it looked like "The little match girl" just before she froze.
I can't believe that no-one has told you to just spray it all flat black. But on a more serious note, it looks good. Just wax it and drive it.
As long as there is no rust coming through,gone through to metal or bad rub through tp primer,I'm in the keep it polished camp. But if it looks like what some call heavy patina,then paint it
I'd either blend in the primer spot, or as someone else said, clean the primer off and see what's beneath, maybe you can just touch up a much smaller area. If this was some rusty field car I'd say different but the paint is pretty intact yet. If you want to spend some money on it, spend the money on a new windshield pane and some proper tires.
New tires and wheel are coming. Maroon wheels with Tacoma cream pinstripes and black wall tires.......
Keep it original.. My original paint 38 Standard after a 53 year hibernation.. Your's looks great as is...
Is that wood original??? I would color sand with 1000, 1500 & 2000 and than buff with a real mild agent like Preferred II. Keep an eye on the edges (mask them off is a good trick) and see how it turns out. Is that vynal roof correct???
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