2 paint or not to paint

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Darren

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hey guys i have been trying to decide wether or not to paint my 68 barracuda or leave it. It is a formula s 383 4 speed h code car numbers matching eng and trans. The car has never been painted and the paint is in bad shape. Some people say it is worth more money as is. I think it is just a matter of time before i get it painted. what do you guys think? thanks
 

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Here is another pic. The paint might look good in the pics but it is not to good. I will take more pics tommorow.
 

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If you do end up painting it, take DETAILED pictures of the car as it is now, prior to any paint or bodywork. And then take MORE detailed pics of the bodywork and paint in progress. Use a GOOD camera with attention to detail, INCLUDING close up pictures of all the normal trouble spots. Any future buyer / owner would like to have them, and the car would be worth more to a potential buyer, so more cash in your pocket.

Recent paint on a car for sale is a huge red flag for me, as it takes a few years to see if there are going to be problems with the paint and body.
 
I love it,as is. tear down for paint,gonna get expensive. (And frustrating).
 
I tried to put myself in your place and come up with an answer. I came up with I don't know. If your intent is purely to retain its value, just put a cover on it and never drive it again. Every time you touch it, it will be different than it was. Wearing it out will also drop its value. If I put myself in my shoes, I would just drive it on nice days and have fun with it. The amount of value it would lose if you paint it, assuming you do a perfect job, and that it does actually lose value, is nothing compared to the actual cost to paint it.
 
Tight white underwear aside, It's an a body; do with it what you will. If the goal is a fresh coat of paint, then put one on it. It doesn't have to be 'perfect'. In fact there are few things in life that are, and they are fleeting.
 
More pics
 

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Don't paint it until ready to sell it. If you drive it, it will get chips and stuff. If you make it too pretty, you will never drive it. If you do decide to paint, wait until you have a lot of time to do it right. Remove everything, de-rust and paint all parts, and all nooks and crannies inside. Might be a few years before you get it back together, and many cars never get re-assembled. But better than a half-a$$ job.
 
I say paint it. From what you said in he post, it sounds like you've been thinking about this for quite some time. It also sounds like you REALLY want to paint it, but you've got a "worse case scenario" in your head and it's driving you crazy. I hear ya on the "worth more money as is" thing, but the question I would be asking myself is "would I enjoy the car more with or without a paint job. You're right in worrying about the many problems that could surface from a repaint, but nothing "great" ever happens without "great" chances. Just think about this for a minute. How many hours will I spend staring at this car wondering what if? M oney in the pocket is great and everything, but it will drive you bonkers wondering "what if....."
 
Back 25 or so years ago my 64 Signet was black and beautiful with a few spots worn through. I painted it, paint today is still beautiful with a couple worn spots yet not as worn as the original paint...

Whatever you decide, do it right.....
 
If you're worried about the resale value then leave it as is. If you intend to keep it for a long time do what you want with it. Maybe wetsand it and polish it, you might be surprised, I was.
 
Whatever you do, please don't paint it right before you sell it, as suggested earlier.

Let the potential buyers decide if they want survivor paint that isn't hiding any body work.

Speaking of survivor...I'd at least put it in one show, in the "survivor's tent".

It does look too good to paint in the small, relatively far away pics.
 
If you have all the money it will take to paint it now I say paint it.If you do not have all the money up front or the time leave it as is.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. i will most likley run it one more year as is thanks
 
Keep it as is, only original once.

An old trick to make complety dead paint, (beyond cut and buff) is to rub lightly with ATF, it will make old paint shine up and protect from rust.

Just rain-X the windows because......ATF on wet windows is not a good combo.
 
I think you should do what makes you ultimately happy,however if you do plan on selling any time soon I wouldn't paint it, I think you would make more money with original paint.
 
I think you should do what makes you ultimately happy,however if you do plan on selling any time soon I wouldn't paint it, I think you would make more money with original paint.

Great post.
But if ya wanna keep it awhile and drive it a few more yrs b4 tearing it down why not just scuff and shoot?

:burnout:
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. i will most likley run it one more year as is thanks

Darren,

Good idea. Paint jobs are very expensive!!!

BTW - Your 2 threads got me thinking. I have never purchased refinish paint to date. I get my paint from close connections to two major paint companies. I will add; I don't paint very often (anymore) , just my own stuff and my family's vehicles. After reading all the paint related comments on how expensive paint is today I decided to find out for myself.

Just for chits and giggles I called up the local auto refinish store and asked the counter guy to price out some Chrysler Intense Blue BC/CC, enough material to do a complete respray on a midsize car. Wow!!! I'm glad I didn't ask for a price on Viper Red !!!! ....Man, that stuff is freakin expensive!!!

Bottom Line; I can see why you guys and girls are complaining about the high cost of a decent paint job these days. I would also!!!

:glasses7:
 
I went through this, was, wasn't, now it's too late. Chrome is all off, engine/ trans are just on their way to coming out, and within two weeks or so it will be out at "Master Blaster."

I was NOT going to the this carried away. But in my case, the car was originally green, red at some point, had some sort of white primer, and now black. Dammed paint is about a half inch thick. N'ya it looks a lot better in photos than "in person."
 

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Being an original 383 4speed if you are going to paint it you need to do it right. No macco job.

Pics aren't so great so I can't say one way or the other. But they are only original once.
 
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