Your opinion on Patina?

[Sahara]

I was never a big fan of it. Until I built this. Not fake patina. All original patina and rust. Now it is fun pulling up next to and beating anything I pull up next to. Always been a fan of sleepers.

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This! Exactly.
More then forty years ago I had a ‘69 Mustang coupe with a fairly warm 289. Tomato soup red painted in the driveway, mismatched mags etc. Real patina. But if I could wind it up it went like snot.
I’m at a red light. Preppie looking guy and his girl pull up beside me in a new Corvette. They look at my car and proceed to snicker. I nod at him, he nods at me. Light turns green and I take off like a fuel altered. The last I saw was him way back in my rear view mirror. He must have turned off because I never saw him again.

 

[SteveSS]

I remember a video from quite a while ago where a group of young guys started a movement called Ratty Muscle Cars. That was the first time I heard of this style. It's pretty much what we're talking about. They drove the snot out of their cars. If something broke, no big deal, fix it and drive it hard again. Now I'm kinda sad I sold the ratty 70 GTO clone,

 

[cosgig]

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.

Agree 100%. My car is in its 1978 condition, living the first 6 years of its life as a daily driver. Being driven less and less every year, in 1978 somebody stole the battery out of it, and to quote the original owner….”I knew they were coming back for my Tri-Power, so I just pushed it in the garage and never drove it again”. Fast forward to 2018 and I get the car, and with the intention of returning it to the road just as it left it, I embarked on a “preservation” to do as much as possible to make it safe and roadworthy, but as little as possible to maintain its as found condition.

I’ve done restorations on cars, and I’m pretty tired of the many hours and dollars it takes to make a car new again, but a preservation was infinetely more difficult to achieve. Why? Because it’s easy to buy new parts and replace old parts, but it goes against the grain of thought to buy patina correct parts and put them on. It needed a mirror, I wanted a crappy one, slightly better than the original. An emblem was broken and a tooth missing out of the grille because his buddy backed into it with the transom of his boat. The emblem has been changed, the tooth and dent in the trim will remain.

In the end, this is the most fun I’ve had with any Mopar, and with the original owners help and history, I’m able to keep the integrity of the car just as I want it. Bumps, bruises, and rust, it’s just an honest daily driven car, as it has been it’s whole life. With a long slumber I between.

 

[Basket case]

A little goes a long way

 

[64BEL]

Great car, cosgig. I have a similar outlook with my '66. I find it to be an interesting car, and I have no intentions of restoring. Partially because it's unique the way it is, and partially because I'm not going to spend the fortune it would take to restore it - especially with me closing in on retirement. Regardless, it's fun to drive the way it is. Here are a few pics of it.

 

[PlymCrazy]

Agree 100%. My car is in its 1978 condition, living the first 6 years of its life as a daily driver. Being driven less and less every year, in 1978 somebody stole the battery out of it, and to quote the original owner….”I knew they were coming back for my Tri-Power, so I just pushed it in the garage and never drove it again”. Fast forward to 2018 and I get the car, and with the intention of returning it to the road just as it left it, I embarked on a “preservation” to do as much as possible to make it safe and roadworthy, but as little as possible to maintain its as found condition.

I’ve done restorations on cars, and I’m pretty tired of the many hours and dollars it takes to make a car new again, but a preservation was infinetely more difficult to achieve. Why? Because it’s easy to buy new parts and replace old parts, but it goes against the grain of thought to buy patina correct parts and put them on. It needed a mirror, I wanted a crappy one, slightly better than the original. An emblem was broken and a tooth missing out of the grille because his buddy backed into it with the transom of his boat. The emblem has been changed, the tooth and dent in the trim will remain.

In the end, this is the most fun I’ve had with any Mopar, and with the original owners help and history, I’m able to keep the integrity of the car just as I want it. Bumps, bruises, and rust, it’s just an honest daily driven car, as it has been it’s whole life. With a long slumber I between.

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Great car, cosgig. I have a similar outlook with my '66. I find it to be an interesting car, and I have no intentions of restoring. Partially because it's unique the way it is, and partially because I'm not going to spend the fortune it would take to restore it - especially with me closing in on retirement. Regardless, it's fun to drive the way it is. Here are a few pics of it.

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To both of you…

Yeah, buddy

 

[Kern Dog]

Great car, cosgig. I have a similar outlook with my '66. I find it to be an interesting car, and I have no intentions of restoring. Partially because it's unique the way it is, and partially because I'm not going to spend the fortune it would take to restore it - especially with me closing in on retirement. Regardless, it's fun to drive the way it is. Here are a few pics of it.

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Wasn't this car featured in Mopar Action magazine? Something about the owner trading a Harley Davidson for it?

 

[cosgig]

Great car, cosgig. I have a similar outlook with my '66. I find it to be an interesting car, and I have no intentions of restoring. Partially because it's unique the way it is, and partially because I'm not going to spend the fortune it would take to restore it - especially with me closing in on retirement. Regardless, it's fun to drive the way it is. Here are a few pics of it.

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Now that’s what I’m talking about. The fake patina craze can’t hold a candle to cars like this, I wouldn’t give one second of my time at a show to look at an airbrushed patina paint job, simply because I would be staring at this car the whole time. I love this car, and would love to see it in person!

 

[toolmanmike]

Great car, cosgig. I have a similar outlook with my '66. I find it to be an interesting car, and I have no intentions of restoring. Partially because it's unique the way it is, and partially because I'm not going to spend the fortune it would take to restore it - especially with me closing in on retirement. Regardless, it's fun to drive the way it is. Here are a few pics of it.

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Love it.

 

[toolmanmike]

I have one with paint and one without. My 66 has faded chalked out lacquer that is just fine. I got the lower quarters and trunk extension rot fixed, got some new Legendary upholstery (but the headliner is still hanging loose). 10+ years ago I rebuilt the 273. THe 833 is original as is the 8 3/4 SG. It all works except the radio. I have driven it out of state for car shows at least a half dozen times. It get's almost 20mpg on the highway cruise. It's old and loose but it is a blast to drive and I really don't want to change a thing. I do wish it had more patina. I like the looks of the paint rubbed through to the primer on these old cars.

 

[cosgig]

I have one with paint and one without. My 66 has faded chalked out lacquer that is just fine. I got the lower quarters and trunk extension rot fixed, got some new Legendary upholstery (but the headliner is still hanging loose). 10+ years ago I rebuilt the 273. THe 833 is original as is the 8 3/4 SG. It all works except the radio. I have driven it out of state for car shows at least a half dozen times. It get's almost 20mpg on the highway cruise. It's old and loose but it is a blast to drive and I really don't want to change a thing. I do wish it had more patina. I like the looks of the paint rubbed through to the primer on these old cars.

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I also have a heavy patina’d A body, although I wish this car was bright and shiny. It might be more rare than my Roadrunner, but I was all set to strip this thing down and drop it on some 17’s and do a 2 tone crème and copper paint job on it. Until I found out that it is an original commando car. Well, maybe not “patina” but certainly really faded paint. Maybe I’ll leave it outside for a couple years and patina it up.

 

[Triplegreen500]

I also have a heavy patina’d A body, although I wish this car was bright and shiny. It might be more rare than my Roadrunner, but I was all set to strip this thing down and drop it on some 17’s and do a 2 tone crème and copper paint job on it. Until I found out that it is an original commando car. Well, maybe not “patina” but certainly really faded paint. Maybe I’ll leave it outside for a couple years and patina it up.

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My Charger was about that shiny when I got it. Wet sand with 1000, then 1500, then 3000, then rubbing compound, then polishing compound, then show car glaze...did all of that 5x I think, and am quite happy with the results.

Still has the stains, still has the nicks and dings...but it presents quite nicely.

Before, literally 10 min after I took it off the trailer when I bought it:

First night, just a coat of hand wax on the trunk (Dutchmen panel is untouched):

Half the hood with a coat of wax:

Now:

 

[toolmanmike]

I also have a heavy patina’d A body, although I wish this car was bright and shiny. It might be more rare than my Roadrunner, but I was all set to strip this thing down and drop it on some 17’s and do a 2 tone crème and copper paint job on it. Until I found out that it is an original commando car. Well, maybe not “patina” but certainly really faded paint. Maybe I’ll leave it outside for a couple years and patina it up.

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That's perfect.

 

[cosgig]

My Charger was about that shiny when I got it. Wet sand with 1000, then 1500, then 3000, then rubbing compound, then polishing compound, then show car glaze...did all of that 5x I think, and am quite happy with the results.

Still has the stains, still has the nicks and dings...but it presents quite nicely.

Before, literally 10 min after I took it off the trailer when I bought it:

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First night, just a coat of hand wax on the trunk (Dutchmen panel is untouched):

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Half the hood with a coat of wax:

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Now:

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You know, I really have nothing to lose with the little red car, so I’m going to do what you suggest. Although, my buddy has been using Meguiars Aluminum Wheel Cleaner on his vehicles with heavy patina, and it really does bring back the old paint. He’s been bugging me to try that too, and over the winter I’m going to bring it in the shop and play with it. Thanks for including what you did to make your car look so good, it really does, and I think mine could as well.

 

[Triplegreen500]

You're right - nothing to lose. And, it's fun. I used pads on an orbital for everything, took a lot of the "work" out of it. Did the wet sanding (keep it MOVING so you don't burn through the paint!), then moved to meguiars 110 compound, followed by meguiars 210, then meguiars hi tech yellow wax #26. Compounds were done with a buffing pad on the orbital, and the yellow wax used a terry cloth pad on the buffer. All stages were terry cloth hand-wipe to remove.

It's been sitting a year or so now, with only a dry dust-wipe whenever I take it out...once in a great while (Carlisle) I spritz it with some quick detailer spray, helps with the bugs.

(Yes...I still need to rebuild the leaking power steering....don't judge me...)

 

[cosgig]

You're right - nothing to lose. And, it's fun. I used pads on an orbital for everything, took a lot of the "work" out of it. Did the wet sanding (keep it MOVING so you don't burn through the paint!), then moved to meguiars 110 compound, followed by meguiars 210, then meguiars hi tech yellow wax #26. Compounds were done with a buffing pad on the orbital, and the yellow wax used a terry cloth pad on the buffer. All stages were terry cloth hand-wipe to remove.

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It's been sitting a year or so now, with only a dry dust-wipe whenever I take it out...once in a great while (Carlisle) I spritz it with some quick detailer spray, helps with the bugs.

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(Yes...I still need to rebuild the leaking power steering....don't judge me...)

No judging here, just appreciation for all of your great input. As for the power steering leak, my plow truck power steering gearbox makes you leak look like nothing but a trickle. I’ve been chasing that leak for awhile now, but alway at the last minute before it snows. All good here, and I’ll keep you updated as to my progress as I try to bring the convertibles paint back to life.

 

[SlingLow]

Reading through this thread, I realize that back in the 70s (class of 78 here), just about every kid in every high school in every town was a member of the patina club. Maybe that's why it's not my cup of tea. It reminds me of the then pedestrian, now magnificent beat up muscle cars we drove and somewhat took for granted, and maintained on a shoestring budget. I ran my 69 Chevelle SS into a street light pole 3 days after I bought it (learning the 4 speed on 4 bald tires with no fear, an aggressive attitude and a wet street on a left-hand sweeper), and it lived with a primer front fender for the rest of it's life. None of my cars had what would be considered good paint. Every dime went into mechanical, tires and gas. I killed a lot of clutches being an idiot. Wouldn't change it for anything.

 

[70ChargeDodger]

If it's not raining I drive my cars, I used my 68 Charger to pick and deliver parts yesterday, original paint survivor, I have grown attached to the bumps and bruises. I am not against slowly touching it up but using it as often as possible is the priority.

 

[Big bill]

I have built the show cars and now I build beaters All the parts I use are dead stock from the 70s and 80s ,most people think I’m crazy if I go to a show with one of my rat nests but some people get it . No fake rust ,stains dents bondo chunks or stuffing hanging out the seats for this dude .

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I love them. I'm okay with spotting in some patina to a part that had to be replaced. Fake or enhanced is no good. As was mentioned it tells a story.
My kid literally saved this from the torch, now it runs and drives. That took a little over a year, a couple months of it was while he was layed off, so no pesky job to get in the way. It will continue to improve toward shiney, but it is still a fun ride in between projects