Projects Repaint it, or leave it "as is"?

My wife and I bought this very cool art deco piece of diagonstic equipment from the mid 30's last weekend. I want to refinish it in the original colors, Sunoco blue and yellow (it's got a really cool wrinkle finish, intact but faded and rust stained), while Kim thinks it should be left as is. I have to rewire it, in order to get the reading light to work, and to illuminate the dials. We're going to use it as an art stand, it may come into the house.

I say it's not on the same level as a wooden chair from the revolutionary war period, and should be refurbished to be "pretty" and I'm not really concerned about what it's "worth". Kim thinks it ought to be left alone in order to keep the "garage find" look. Which way to go?

http://flynbrian48.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/coolest-swap-meet-find-ever/

 

cool piece. well, if your gonna start pulling stuff apart, you might as well clean it up, just don't make it shiny with clearcoat to give it that total restoration look. if it's staying in the house, i would just spray all the parts with basecoat so it still has that old vibe. to it.

 

I'll bet that looked even kooler when it was new,or to put it another way,if you found one 'as new',would you try and age it?
Paul

 

I'd leave it.

 

repainted/restored would be bad ass...

 

never make the wife angry, leave it alone

 

Too kool to leave it ugly. Hey, you asked...

 

What was it supposed to look like out of the box 80 years ago? It might look cooler now.

 

I think I would leave it. It has character either way though.

 

I like the "old" look but I think that piece would be really cool semi-restored.
Nice find btw.

 

Looks like you had a close call with it. Some nut nearly ran over it in one of the photos

 

I agree with your Miss's leave it as is. But then i am a lazy slob that needs another tetanus shot.

 

leave it

 

leave it

 

The very best advice anyone can get. Just the fact she is OK with it in the first place makes her opinon carry the day.

Frank

 

Since it's coming in the house- I'd restore it to what it would have looked like new. Don't over-restore it though, then it will look like a reproduction.

 

It can only be original once.

 

I'd totally leave it the way it is

 

There was a thread on a guy using CLR on a 59 Elcamino fender. Wow, it really looked good. Maybe worth a try before you get too deep into a repaint

 

Looks cool I'd leave it as it is.

 

Tough question. Probably worth more to a collector unmolested but functional. On the other hand restored it would look real good if it is a good restoration.

I would be tempted to restore it. Especially if it was moving into the house.