Preserving Patina - How To Tips and Tricks (6 Viewers)

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so @wngrog few questions...

any ideas on restoring or making graphics/decals pop again?

what about pretty decent single stage paint? Light cutting/cleaning turtle wax, rubbing compound, clean, CLR with pad or microfiber? Clay bar then wax?


For non forever trick, Try a little transmission fluid, it is an old Country Squire etc trick that brings back the faux woodgrain vinyl to like new.

Cool rig!
 
Getting there.

Work.

D0CE2C3E-57DC-409D-B3F6-70C10C1E62A1.jpeg
 
What a great reference thread! Thanks all! New to the forum, and while we don't own a Cruiser this thread gave us some great idea possibilities for our current project. This is a Silver 1985 Ford Flareside; just a bit of history, it's a survivor with 140k documented miles, most of them in CA. It moved to NC and was a farm truck. It is super straight and original. The outside is going to get fresh paint in original colors but we've been wrestling with what to do on the bed. Here's why:

From 1983-87, these were the last of the wood bed, Ford trucks. The bed wood in this truck is original from the factory. It was primed and painted OEM. You can see the progression of weathering from left to right in this pic - the factory silver remains, then the reddish primer, finally wood. Original factory wood is a bit rare... while we can always put nice oak in there, it might be one of the last remaining trucks anywhere with factory in place.

So what to do? We found this thread and it gave us the idea of saving the inside of the bed as a time capsule. Going to try CLR and then rust converter on the bed walls and tailgate, and the bed strips, and then BLO. Maybe a light sand of the wood and strengthen it with epoxy where needed, and then BLO over the wood.

We'd welcome the ideas and collective wisdom of you patina pros!

A bit different with both metal and wood in the mix

Silver1.jpg
 
The rust converter will turn black(ish) if you go that route. And it’s not UV stable so will need to be overcoated with something.
 
Ok thanks for the advice. Will go with fluid film or penetrol. May need to keep it off the wood though...

So no BLO? We might use the BLO then just on the wood. The challenge is to have something that will look good on both the bare wood, and the painted wood.
 
Ok thanks for the advice. Will go with fluid film or penetrol. May need to keep it off the wood though...

So no BLO? We might use the BLO then just on the wood. The challenge is to have something that will look good on both the bare wood, and the painted wood.
And just to add - you're using fluid film / penetrol instead of rust converter. However, you're still doing the BLO over that, in the case of the bare metal areas?
 
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What a great reference thread! Thanks all! New to the forum, and while we don't own a Cruiser this thread gave us some great idea possibilities for our current project. This is a Silver 1985 Ford Flareside; just a bit of history, it's a survivor with 140k documented miles, most of them in CA. It moved to NC and was a farm truck. It is super straight and original. The outside is going to get fresh paint in original colors but we've been wrestling with what to do on the bed. Here's why:

From 1983-87, these were the last of the wood bed, Ford trucks. The bed wood in this truck is original from the factory. It was primed and painted OEM. You can see the progression of weathering from left to right in this pic - the factory silver remains, then the reddish primer, finally wood. Original factory wood is a bit rare... while we can always put nice oak in there, it might be one of the last remaining trucks anywhere with factory in place.

So what to do? We found this thread and it gave us the idea of saving the inside of the bed as a time capsule. Going to try CLR and then rust converter on the bed walls and tailgate, and the bed strips, and then BLO. Maybe a light sand of the wood and strengthen it with epoxy where needed, and then BLO over the wood.

We'd welcome the ideas and collective wisdom of you patina pros!

A bit different with both metal and wood in the mix

View attachment 2209812

Welcome!


So what’s the outside paint look like? Personally, if it’s got great patina like the bed, id save it and make it pop. Only original paint once.
 
Here is what it COULD look like if brought back to original paint color. Not our truck.

We were thinking of going with a repaint on the exterior but leaving the inside of the bed as a time capsule

Silver after.jpg
 
Not to keep encouraging the Ford stuff in the Land Cruiser forum, but you need to try to rub that white off like I’m doing on this truck

09BF9AA2-5A03-4990-9BE5-3485642087A9.jpeg
 
I would definitely try and bring it back first. You’d be amazed what people have brought back.
that patina is great on that ferd
 

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