Your opinion on Patina?

[SteveSS]

Since I have Hagerty as my insurance company I get their magazine. It's usually great. This time it was called The Patina Issue. Lots of articles about cars with mostly surface rust, old paint, missing chrome, and some battle scars. In considering what they were saying I think some cars can get away with it and some can't. There was a 1st gen Mustang that was set up for road racing that looked pretty cool in its imperfect state and an old Cadillac that was pulling it off pretty well. I can see leaving a historic race car in its original unrestored condition.

Maybe younger hot rodders are into more than me. I watch a channel called BryceCold where he is running a pretty cruddy 1970 Coronet with a modern Hemi.

I just don't think my cars would look good with patina. What about you folks?

 

[Cojohnso1]

I never got the "Pantia" appeal? It just says "You can afford the car, but not a new paint job?"

 

[eldubb440]

do NOT clearcoat "patina" like the gas monkey idiots......it's no longer patina

 

[SteveSS]

When I sold the '70 GTO clone its body was about 4 different colors but not rusty. It was super fast with its Chevy big block but I always thought it should be painted. The guy who bought it didn't seem to mind the finish in the least.

 

[Cojohnso1]

do NOT clearcoat "patina" like the gas monkey idiots......it's no longer patina

Yeah, that makes even less sense. I've even seen paint jobs that give a "Patina" look?

I just believe one is leaving value on the table. By limiting demand.

But to each their own.

 

[eldubb440]

 

[Mackman]

“But look how much money I saved!”

 

[Cojohnso1]

View attachment 1550362

That looks to be an excellent barn find to me, than an actual driver.

But then again, I know many who would leave as is.

 

[SlingLow]

I agree with you @SteveSS . It takes a whole car to pull off the patina look and it has to be the 'right' car. Otherwise it's just rust to me.

 

[INTMD8]

It really depends on each individual car. As you said, some can get away with it.

I really don't like when patina is clear coated.

My 59 Cadillac has this to a degree, original worn interior, dents, faded chrome, paint worn through.

Would it look nicer if I spent 50-60k restoring it? Yes, but it also happens to be the car I put the most miles on because I don't have to worry about it.

 

[YY1]

When the car was 4K but the quotes for paint and basically no body work are all over 6500.....

 

[Kern Dog]

I can see the appeal for some.

It brings us back to days when we'd pick up a 10 year old used car and get it running and driving. We'd race them and slowly get them back into a presentable condition.
Nowadays there is a wide range of reasons why some have these cars.
I have a shiny one so I don't feel like a broke dick driving "Jigsaw" in this condition.

Some seem to embrace the worn out look and have no intentions of doing bodywork and paint. They may be short on cash or just want to enjoy the car without stressing about potential damage to a shiny car. I'll say that there certainly is a different feeling I get when driving each car. I'm far more relaxed when driving Jigsaw. The only thing that worries me is damage to fenders and the grille, they are one year only parts that can be hard to find. I can do body and paint but I can't build a grille from scratch. The grilles were reproduced a while ago, I don't know if they're still making them.

I've seen many ratty cars with restored engine bays, nice interiors and flawless running drivetrains but with a relatively untouched outer body. With this, I'm a little conflicted. I understand the appeal of focusing on the mechanical aspects and simply tolerating the ratty exteriors. When I see one, it tells me a few things about the owner.
1) They are not the type that pays others to build their car.
2) They are the core of what we are as a car guy....mechanically adept and more concerned with performance rather than appearance.

 

[Cojohnso1]

I have a buddy with a '63 Sport Fury. He pulled the 318 and built a Max Wedge tribute. With a real Stage II period correct 426. And the Borg Warner 4-speed. Excellent body, but left it patina.

(I'll try to get a couple of pics. This post would be appropriate.)

 

[Ron H]

There are a few car folks I’ve gotten to know over the years at the annual shows. One has a ’53 Cadillac he drives just the way he found it 25 years ago and another with a ’59 Dodge. Rusty-crusty engine bays, engine, torn up insides…moldy smelling, cracked windows…they just keep and drive ‘em this way year in and out. Their cars attract some attention at the shows…a change from all the pristine rides, I guess.

Oh well, to each – their own..

 

[Belvedere408]

No appeal to me. I grew up in the 90s we primered everything. My first 2 Mopars had original paint until I rattle canned them primer.

 

[PlymCrazy]

It's easy to overlook patina when there's an impressive power plant behind it(even sometimes without).
The combination of the two can create character in a vehicle unseen by even the most thorough of restorations IMO.
Not all of them of course.
But definitely quite a few IMO.

I often see patina as just one more part of the car's story.
And if it's not contributing to significant structural integrity issues, I can see some appeal.

 

[Tony Tee]

If it wasn't a factory option. I don't want it! Nor like it.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I like my cars shiny, but I see the appeal of something you can drive without worrying about some A-hole scratching the paint....

Back in 96 I took my freshly finished Challenger to Hot August Nights... Wound up assigned parking on a sidewalk on a corner in Sparks... It seemed like every man woman & child had to touch my car... I was stressed but tolerated it.. Then there was the idiots who thought it was a park bench to sit on... I asked nicely for them to get their asses off my car the first time... The second time my GF handled it... The third time my GF went full Pit Bull....
The whole time a guy who was parked behind me was watching... We had talked a fair amount earlier in the day, his 50 Merc that he'd driven to the event was being built by Gene Winfield.... Gene is from Modesto & comes back fairly often... Anyway, he initially was bummed the Gene hadn't gotten his paint job done before HAN... By the end of that evening he was having second thoughts... I've seen him at a few events since then, he never painted his Merc & he's enjoyed the hell outta it...

 

[Ron H]

I like my cars shiny, but I see the appeal of something you can drive without worrying about some A-hole scratching the paint

Yeah, something to be said about worrying on your car being scratched or worse. Before I finally redid my Plymouth, drove it more than I do now for this reason, used to take it on errands more than I do now. There’s a sweet-spot somewhere. Before and after photos.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Looks great now, but honestly it looked good enough before