Old paint....redo or leave it?

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swing69

fightin' socialism
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I'm going to try and post a poll, bear with me.

Question: with a very faded (well patina'd) no rust or repairs, ORIGINAL factory paint on a 1960s mopar, would you paint it or drive it "as-is"? Here is the subject.


(crap...couldn't add a poll. Poll had to be added within 5 minutes of the original post!!!! that sucks. It took me 10 min. to make the poll question and options!!! lol)

My intention is to leave the body as is, and do a mechanical re-do only. They are only original once!!!! I'm interested is what others would do
 

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I would drive it as is
I like a car that proudly shows its history
and doesn't try and look to new
 
I've always restored mine they way I wanted them and have always been happy with the way they turned out. You will probably have the same results if you do it like you want it. Good luck and have fun. Jerry
 
What ever you do just keep it drivable, they are no fun when there just sitting.
 
i've seen it in person. that baby is clean. i would buff it out and leave it the way it is.
 
Good originals have their own personality. Once you start restoring the big question is "Where Do You Stop?". I think that it's a personal choice, but good point above. If you take it off the road you are not enjoying driving it.
Good luck whichever way you go.
Gary
 
Leave it, Ive pulled to many apart only to get frustrated and sell them 90% of the way done.
 
Keep the original paint and get a garage or a good car cover.
 
I vote if it is in great shape, leave it. Otherwise, if rust and bad paint areas are discoloring (like mine was) PAINT IT! Biggest thing is keeping it rust free!
 
At shows I tend to look at the original stuff and just go past the restored cars. I'd just clean it and drive it.
 
cjdive said:
I vote if it is in great shape, leave it. Otherwise, if rust and bad paint areas are discoloring (like mine was) PAINT IT! Biggest thing is keeping it rust free!
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I agree with this.If theres not much rust and in fairly good shape,then enjoy it the way it is,but if theres rust,best to paint it so it dont get worse if you financially are able to.
 
polish it up and call it good. even if its thin and you go through it will still look good. people are going through all this effort to give fresh paint jobs the patina look which makes no sense to me, you have the real thing.
ZHANDFUL, i like that dart, my 69 was the same color as your 68 and i did 431 727 and dana 60, went 11.80 with the fly away blue paint with original bench seat interior and police wheels with the 69 poverty caps i had the fronts narrowed and painted them blue. i got so many comments on it, not all good but it was a blast. painted it and never drove it again. it sits in the garage. my duster really isnt that nice but i have no plans on painting it. i just gave it a quick sand compound and polish before i took it to florida. i like it. people with really nice cars seem to look at you like joe dirt or something, but most guys withthat mentality dont do their own work. i was always into the sleepers and my buddies and i always left paint for last, if they ever got painted.
 
I like the patina.

Besides...... It's never just a paint job. You paint it then you will want your bumpers re-chromed, then your emblems will look bad next to the new paint and chrome

Then the other trim will.......

And away you go.

That is why everything I do on my car I make an effort to stay within the "patina" of the rest of the car.

100_1937.jpg
 
I would touch up pannels as neeeded and give it a good overall buffing. Keeping as much original paint as possible if you want to go the unrestored route.
 
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