Patina

Wife Nicki tells the story of her Grandma Annie who painted her ’47 Chevy coupe with a brush. I read a story about painting cars outside; for best results they recommended the color Indian Ceramic, to hide the dust. Now, the term “patina” well known in the antique trade; describes all conditions of original finish.

The theory is that a car is only original once. There are a number of reasons to avoid a new paint job: doing the preparation is time consuming and if rust is involved beneath the surface, it has to be addressed or will soon show as bubbles in the paint. Painting over even minor flaws magnifies them in the shiny finish. Surface preparation includes sanding, removing the dents and dings, and panel straightening or replacement resulting from collisions.

The finish coat is now a huge expense if you expect a satisfactory result. You can go with a low-gloss flat or satin, which down-play defects, to a three-stage glossy pearl finish that is a mirror image of the surface below. Any quality job should include the aforementioned surface preparation, self-etching primer, sealer, the color, and several coats of clear.

As John McGann in Hot Rod Magazine states, “Painting a car is one of the most expensive things you can do to it; it’s practically a lifetime commitment – ‘til’ death do us part.’” Most hot-rodders would rather improve the way it runs rather than the way it looks, so if it’s not fast, paint it!