Some say it’s laziness not to repaint a car . I myself have found if I take anything for paint it probably won’t get back on the road . My 57 Fairlane I’ve noticed people are comfortable around it . We lean against it while we visit . I’m careful not to drag things across it to damage what paint is on the car . A shiny paint car isn’t enjoyable. Life happens this is my opinion. My SIL has been waiting a year and a half on his 66 Mustang to get out of the paint shop . Around here there isn’t many shops that will touch a full paint car .
Or folks that are upset our "rusty" ol cars that get more attention than thier high dollar paint job. I love nice painted cars too. I dig all flavors of this thing we do... Except those baby doll head, smoke stacked up, saw blades welded all over shot rods we dont talk about here.
Do as you want, personally I like it all from rusty to concourse grade paint jobs, preserving the patina is a good idea if you’re not going paint soon or ever. In my neck of the woods we get dew or frost about 80 percent or the time excluding rain and snow, surface rust -patina- will become a Swiss cheese looking patina in a short time. A friend uses industrial floor wax on his patina stuff looks good to me and keeps the rust at bay.
Patina is associated with trying to make something age gracefully, so to speak. A nice black primer paint job back in the 50s-60s was the lowest cost available paint that most associated with old cars. But, if one slightly buffs up the primer paint, now in 2024, it is called an “Ice” paint application costing $$$ extra on some new cars and more $$$ on custom paint jobs. Although, it is difficult to see which car driving down the street has an expensive “ice” paint job or a wrap. Hello, A long time ago, we painted our 1940 Willys Coupe a primer red. As I was polishing the chrome accessories logos, and bumpers, I got some wax on the red primer paint. So, I wiped it off. But, in doing so, it gave it a little gloss, unintended, of course. I had noticed a slight difference when the car moved in different light as we rolled it to the front garage from the backyard garage. Then it started to pop up a lot and bothered me, so I had to wash the areas off, even in this building stage. Once something is noticed, it just stays in your mind until a correction is done. red primer look… Back then the red primer was so we did not have to worry about a finished paint job and extreme care had to be taken when replacing something or doing more work on the overall car. My brother’s goal was to paint in in primer then when running well and becomes a great representative of our work, get it painted, detailed and finished. Jnaki Then one day my wife and I saw this cool old Ford truck sitting by the side of a coastal city street. it looked rusty from across the on coming traffic lane. Upon closer inspection, either the salt air was already attacking the paint, the rust was covered in some clear solution or preservative oil. A closer photo proves some solution was sprayed on to preserve the “old car” look. Or, some early morning salt air moisture was having fun. We weren’t at a car show, so being a possible daily driver, the old truck had the look to be preserved in any way possible. It had moved several parking spaces on other days we saw it, so it does get driven. normal protection for any paint has numerous ways and products available. But, if anything is left outside, especially in “salt air,” it has no chance for long term survival. YRMV
I use Owatrol. a Euro Product... a paint conditioner and repels moisture..no silicone and no danger if paint is in your future... wipe on.. buff out... no shiny gloss. Works for what I need.....
I Went the Linseed oil route. Only took a couple hours to do the entire car. The coating did take a couple of days to set up. I am contemplating removing the Linseed oil finish and doing a mild wet sand and buff on the car. Here is what the car looks like after the oil finish.
I just did a wet sand with 1,500 grit on the rough spots, then polished and waxed my PU. Still need to finish the bed and the hood sides. Never thought to use Linseed Oil. May need to try that on my roadster...
"Protecting Patina", hmmmm. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the lack of protection is how that patina got there in the first place.
No apologies, I am a super fan of Summit Racing satin clear catalyzed urethane. They call it satin but it is about as dead flat as you can get. It preserves and protects whatever it is on as well as the glitzy big guys while not turning the car into a 100 point trailer queen. Nothing comes close to urethane!! And the best part, with a pint of 4-to-1 activator you are into it for 'only' about $100.
That is because in most cases it is not patina. Patina: an overused, misused and corrupted term that has been adopted by the car and motorcycle culture. The word was rarely ever spoken, until it became trendy to have an "aged" appearing car. 90% of the stuff called "patina" is shabby, neglected paint and beyond saving. If over 10-15% the original paint is gone and has dings, oxidized bare metal and other flaws... you just got an old, shitty finish.
This poor thing sat out for 30+ years... looked like crap. I cleaned it, used some compound and a sponge buffer wheel on it... and it still looks like crap. But it's clean...
I do think “Protecting the patina - rust - whatever” is a good idea , slowing the rusting or paint oxidation down will help keep the car on the road a few more years maybe. Some examples above shined up damn nice. Dan
My wife restores bronze sculptures and "patina" is technically a purposely applied protective coating created by chemical reaction on bronzes that results in a passivated surface that will not corrode until weathered away. Think the brown color of an old penny vs a new penny. Statues with a good patina are brown but when the very thin patina wears away from exposure the statues corrode and turn green, like a penny kept wet under the carpeting of a leaky car. Below is a statue with green corrosion and after being cleaned with a new patina applied Its kind of ironic that her car is a "patina" ride Hardly washed, and never any polish, CLR, wax, clear or sauce. But if you asked my wife she'd tell you the bast way to protect it would be a very hard paste wax applied at lest twice a year in the hot blazing sun so it can soak in the grain boundaries of the metal to protect it (she does that to the statues to keep them looking better longer and not having to re-patinate them). She loves her car, named it Vivian and envisions it fully painted at some point (after my '40 is done its will get the full treatment).
It pays pretty well as there are very few folks who know what they are doing out there competing for contracts especially in the south. It is hard, physical work and we ( I often help her out) are getting too old to be scrubbing hot metal from ladders and scaffolding out in the sun. She does mostly small indoor stuff these days. A few people clean them but there is nobody but us, and the original foundry, that does metal repairs when they get broken, I braze them up and she matches the finishes.
50% BOILED linseed oil and 50% acetone mixed.....wipe on, wipe off, lasts about 6 mos and drys in about 15 mins. The key is BOILED linseed oil as opposed to straight linseed oil...been doing this one for many years and NO rust.....
I have a rather unusual and unique car. Horrible paint job......a 20 footer. The orange peel/prep scratches are so bad I thought it was painted with a brush. The photos may be out of order. The car was damaged in a parking lot in ‘77. It was painted by the original owner and his son and never finished. It’s like a 13 year old car. A time capsule. 1. Of course the mechanicals..... 2. Body I cannot fully repair hat horrible paint job.... What I may can do is color sand that 50 year old enamel , panel repair and blend. My goal is not to make the car look new but I may can make it look like a credible original 1964 paint job.
Why does everyone use a temporary shine agent on their oxidized (it's not patina it is damage but what ever potāto potãto)? Wouldn't a heavy 2 part clear be more permanent in the preservation effort preserving the formally neglected surface.
Now that's good honest wear... earned, not manufactured. If a gloss clear was applied over this paint it would ruin the natural effect. (Flat or satin clear would not) I.M.O., Things like real paint wear, real lake pipes, real spot lights, etc. are cool... the fake ones are not.
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