Welcome to the garage Jacob! It's your truck, do what ever will make you proud of it. Myself, I like the original look of the wear and tears it has from the years of use. Please give us some more info about it, year, model, history and pictures.
1967 GMC 9500 Fire Ladder Truck "The Flag Pole" In the Stovebolt Gallery '46 2-Ton grain truck | '50 2-ton flatbed | '54 Pontiac Straight Eight | '54 Plymouth Belvidere | '70 American LaFrance pumper fire truck | '76 Triumph TR-6 Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most!
I always think it's best to maintain the original paint. Though when there is more bare metal, rust, primer left exposed, can't tell what the original color is, after time with a buffing wheel and polishing compound and there is no improvement, what you have is a judgement call to make.
Basically if after a wash, polishing compound, wax, and the truck looks presentable I would leave the original paint.
Presentable does not mean like new.
Presentable is dings, scratches, some rust spots, though most of the paint is there and can be buffed back close to the original color. So the truck still shines up and looks good in spite of it's age. Jeffrey
I have an old restoration which has, rough at best, paint on it, and another truck with a very shiny high dollar recent rebuild, and I get just as many honks and thumbs up for either one of them. Personally I would rather look at an old weathered finish which barely has any paint on it rather that seeing one with a slapped-on paint job.
Last edited by 52Carl; 12/17/201710:53 PM.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
Mine has the original paint, except for the doors. It buffed out fairly well, but there is plenty of "patina" on the hood! Still looks pretty good though.
Back in 1970 I bought a 56 Chevy with a real slab on paint job for $25. It was painted 2-tone green, using house paint and applied with a paint brush. I could not leave it that way, too embarrassing. Stripped it and repainted it. Drove the 56 to work every day for years, until the frame rotted out. It had a stovebolt 6. A great running machine.
I have an old restoration which has, rough at best, paint on it, and another truck with a very shiny high dollar resent rebuild, and I get just as many honks and thumbs up for either one of them. Personally I would rather look at an old weathered finish which barely has any paint on it rather that seeing one with a slapped-on paint job.
Paint is over rated. :-)
Brian 1955.2 3100 Truck The older I get the more dangerous I am!!!!!
Everyone is different and I really love the restorations but I don't want a brand new 1948 Chevy truck. Just me. I get sooo... many thumbs-up, hands clapping, etc. with my truck the way it is, I don't want to lower their appreciation or bang around on Forest Service roads. The link in my signature shows what I personally want but, hey, do whatever you want. Don't take my or others advice!!
33 Years. Now with a '61 261, 848 head, Rochester Monojet carb, SM420 4-speed, 4.10 rear, dual reservoir MC, Bendix up front, 235/85R16 tires, 12-volt w/alternator, electric wipers and a modern radio in the glove box.
To paint or to leave the original patina is certainly a very subjective call. It would be generally thought that a "slapped on" paint job would detract from the value of a vehicle. If the vehicle has all of the original body panels and they are not excessively dented or rusted, and the old paint has a nice patina, you may want to leave it as is. If the vehicle is a salad of many vehicles with poor color match, really bad corrosion issues, or significant dents then repair and paint may be the better route. What do you think is visually appealing?
How about submitting an image or two and letting all of us critique?
I've been thinking about having a matte clear coat sprayed over the original patina on my '51. I can tell that I've lost quite a bit of paint over the years.
-Tim '51 Chevy 3104 w/'56 235, 848 Head, HEI Dizzy, Corvette Cam, Split Manifold and Dual Carter YF's
For me, I have too many issues with the body to leave it with the original paint, besides, some one already beat me to the punch on that one.
The cab and front end is from one truck, and was paint color option 503A Glenwood Green before someone painted it a sort of maroon. except for the right front fender. That was a repair from my daughter's learning to drive. I'm not sure what color it was originally. Someone had used fiberglass to repair the standard rust behind the wheel well and painted it purple. I ripped out the fiberglass, fixed the rust and painted it with primer.
The bed is from another truck with an unknown original color. It is now a faded and cracking white, and needs body work.
I am toying with the idea of going to paint color option 505, Woodland Green in the future.
The picture below is from before my daughter got a hold of it.
There are times when keeping what you have is good, as some of the previous posters have shown, but there are others when a good paint job is required, like mine. Ultimately, it is your decision, it is your truck after all.
It is a personal choise, I live in Australia an my 42 one and half ton truck is staying the way I brought it 8 years ago with surface rust but no dints so it looks as original as possible. After rebuilding it and now doing the wiring the only up grade is from 6V to 12V electrics and still no new paint. I LOVE IT cant wait to drive it. Like everyone has said its your toy do what you want cheers Justin
