Saving patina........ (1 Viewer)

[Bones]

have an idea, wondering what the thoughts of the masses in on it.

i have a 78. dune beige. original paint. to me, it has a great patina. battle scars and all. it is pretty much rust free that i have been able to find. some minor rear sill issues.

now my idea to save the patina, while protecting the rest of the paint and metal areas is to have it sprayed, but with clear only. that way the patina is preserved, and any exposed metal areas are protected. i would fix the rear sill area, paint to match, and might even add a few battle scars to make it match the rest.

question is, would it still be considered an original survivor? would i decrease overall value by doing this.

thoughts?

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

Like this...

 

[JeffD]

I think it would work, and look great!

 

[bikersmurf]

It's hard to keep clear over bare metal... Although, I gather there is now clear primer.

 

[cjgoode]

I looked into this because my kids wanted to keep it looking rough. Not really possible, there is no clear that will truly adhere to metal and protect it. There is no clear primer. Most of those rat rods are 100% clean and properly primed and painted metal then they actually paint them to look rusty and even use filler to make them have rust texture.

 

[snaggletto]

I would think the clear would give it a gloss that none of the originals ever had and ruin it. I think I would practice painting some scrap with original single stage paint and scuff it up to simulate wear in those areas you have to repair. Otherwise, I would leave the rest alone. Just keep it clean and dry and it will last another lifetime. The more you do, the less original it will look.

 

[darwink1]

My buddy uses this clear metal coating at work that goes on over bare steel. Its kinda like if clear coat and bed liner had babies.... Saw a couple things they did that have been outside for a couple years and they still look mint. Have to bug him to get me the name of the stuff.

D

 

[Bear]

Rather than just trying to keep it dry and covering it with nothing, how about waxing it frequently?

 

[swamp-thing]

are you in an area/climate where it would be a problem to just leave it as is?

 

[Rat70Fj]

Multiple cots of carnuba looks great and preserves.

 

[Bones]

thanks for the replies guys.

i was just thinking out loud, wondering if there is any benefit to doing it. i know nothing about clear coat. there is not alot of metal showing, but some. it gets washed weekly, waxed monthly. driven only occasionally in the winter. i live in the high desert of central oregon and this climate is darn near perfect for maintaining and preserving a car.

looks like i will continue with my ritual of washing and waxing. i actually enjoy it.

thanks again
andy

 

[SDChia]

I'm sort of in the same boat. Trying to figure out if I want to remove the surface rust then clear it, or how to just scuff it all, wipe it down then clear the rig! Mine looks pretty rough!

 

[GA Architect]

^^ It just needs a little carnauba, applied Miyagi style, and you are golden. ^^

 

[php74]

I agree wax. Could wet sand it just a little to knock if the high spots first so the wax has a better surface. 1500 grit or so, rubbing compound, then wax.

 

[SDChia]

Already looks quite a bit different!

 

[handcannon]

Has anybody tried ospho? It is a rust converter liquid. I have never used it on a painted surface that has surface rust where the paint has worn thin, so I am not sure how the paint would react. The rusty surface will darken where the ospho is used. If somebody has used it please chime in. If the paint is not damaged in any way maybe it would be a good way to keep the patina without adding any other stuff. I'm really curious.

I got my ospho at Home Depot in a quart container, but I don't remember what the price was.

By the way Andy, I really envy you living in central Oregon. A number of years ago I tried to talk my wife into moving over there. I love that country and weather. However, as you can see I didn't succeed.

 

[emac]

I have used this (weatherpruf) on some boat parts and tractors over the years with good results. Stuff that has to stay outside. I have no clue how it would work in your situation, but I dont think it would hurt.

Industrial Specialties

 

[BrianSanDiego]

Has anybody tried ospho? It is a rust converter liquid. I have never used it on a painted surface that has surface rust where the paint has worn thin, so I am not sure how the paint would react. The rusty surface will darken where the ospho is used. If somebody has used it please chime in. If the paint is not damaged in any way maybe it would be a good way to keep the patina without adding any other stuff. I'm really curious.

I got my ospho at Home Depot in a quart container, but I don't remember what the price was.

By the way Andy, I really envy you living in central Oregon. A number of years ago I tried to talk my wife into moving over there. I love that country and weather. However, as you can see I didn't succeed.

Hi there,
I've been using ospho on my rattle-can resto to treat any bare metal or rust, and it bleaches out the existing paint to a much lighter color. This paint it is affecting is just previously applied rustolium though. If you are really curious, I can dab on a little ospho on a section of orig paint under my fender, and I'll let you know what happens. It would be a couple days till I can get back to you about it though.
In nutshell: ospho messes up rustolium.

 

[handcannon]

Hi there,
I've been using ospho on my rattle-can resto to treat any bare metal or rust, and it bleaches out the existing paint to a much lighter color. This paint it is affecting is just previously applied rustolium though. If you are really curious, I can dab on a little ospho on a section of orig paint under my fender, and I'll let you know what happens. It would be a couple days till I can get back to you about it though.
In nutshell: ospho messes up rustolium.

It is real good knowing the reaction that Rustolium has to ospho. Thank you!

As soon as you get a chance, try ospho on the original paint, definitely in an inconspicuous area. I'm definitely interested in the results.

Don

 

[cjgoode]

Clear over compromised rusty metal will not work for long as it will not want to adhere to rusty metal and the rust can continue rusting. A lot of those patina looking hot rods are actually painted to look that way, there are even tricks to give it that rough rusty metal look and feel. We had asked the same thing a while back, my kids loved the patina look. People said I was crazy to paint it to look patinaed. You cannot keep the real patina look without continuing decay of your vehicle. But occasional a really good waxing can really slow it down to a crawl. We waxed the rust on my son's pickup truck hood, and I am shocked at how little it has changed over the years.