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Repainting Car- Pros and Cons


Guest etolen

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Guest etolen

I have a 1925 Oakland that has the original paint. For the most part the main body paint is in good condition, with the exception of the hood, where most of it has worn off, and a couple of chips on the doors. The paint on the fenders, originally black, has worn off pretty badly. I would like to know what the pros and cons are to having the vehicle repainted in original colors.

I have tried to attach a picture of the car, don't know if it is successful.

Thanks for all your thoughts

Ed

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This is my opinion. It depends what you intend to do with the car. If all you are doing is driving, touring, and casually showing the car I'd leave it as is. If it's really the original paint, it doesn't look bad in the picture, except of course the hood. There are so few truly original cars left. Besides the new paint would make the interior, and trim look worse. My dodge Bros. would have never been painted had it looked this good. Some clubs, like NCRS, reward these truly original cars with separate classes. I enjoy seeing them as much as the big $$$ restorations. If in fact, you want to show and WIN, be prepared to spend much more $$$$$$ then just a paint job. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

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A true virtuoso with paint can fill in the worn off part and make it match the overall aged original look. It won't look like new paint just overall even depth and coverage if that is the primary concern. When expert painters need to blend in collision damage without painting the whole car they simply adjust for age of surrounding paint. Your car could be entirely done this way if need be.

Dunno2.gif

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When you blend new to old you are doing two things. One is a form of cheating your eye, as some colors go muddy when tinting, & its off color some what.

The other is no direct new paint straight line new to old paint. To cheat in blending in this case the cowl has a narrow area to do the blending on.

I'm not saying it cant be done but some colors are more forgivable than others to tint and you might get lucky, but cant go back once you have started. Jack

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Dear Etolen,Do you know what kind of material is on the hood now?Cannot believe you will ever get a good match[tough color]and then there is the possible adhesion and or lifting problem.You can always paint the running boards and fenders black but WHERE are you goin stop.I think i would get as good a match as i could,paint the entire hood,touch up any bad spots on the fenders,rub out the entire car and ENJOY it.diz smile.gif

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Yeah it ain't easy and only the best of the best paint masters can do it. For my part if it was a driver I'd re-paint it. This is exactly where my Packard is. Old owner painted it but interior is original. Engine is re-painted but all components under-hood original. For a driver if you don't have a good paint job it just looks like a crappy old car, akin to many 10 year old and older "beaters" seen daily.

I've never seen a Dusenberg with 1930s age paint. If a Dusey should be repainted why not an Oakland? wink.gif

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Heaven's, please leave it. I'd keep it clean and waxed and not worry about anything. With a car like yours, I feel that the name of the game is preservation rather than restoration or even refurbishing. Old cars that are original but clean, solid, happy, and running are wonderful. After eighty years it SHOULD look old! You have something of an historical document - don't erase it! There are too many guys out there worrying about their polished frame rails - save your money and enjoy the car for what it is. My feeling with my own car as I refurbish it is that I want it to look nice and work well but don't want to erase all of its history and that I do want it to actually BE an old car. I dunno, maybe I'm wierd, but brand-new old cars don't so much do it for me, no matter how wondrous the work or how many trophies they earn. They just don't look like they've been anywhere, yet we know otherwise...

Yeah, I'm wierd...ah well! NICE car!

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Guest etolen

DizzyDale,

The paint is Duco nitro-cellulose lacquer according to the literature that I have been able to get. Some of the paint is worn down to bare metal, while some is only worn to the primer. Don't know what kind of primer it is.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Right now I am more interested in just having it for driving around, parades and the occasional car show. One of these years I would like to take it to Hershey for the Fall car show. The Oakland Owners Club International has a fairly good showing there, for as small as the club is and how few Oaklands there are left, and I would like to be able to showoff my car to them.

Ed

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks everyone for your responses </div></div>

Ed. Good thread. Please do not end it here. Keep us posted as time goes on...

Regards,

Peter J. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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Guest etolen

Peter,

I will certainly keep the forum informed of my progress on the car. Although the car is in great shape (imo) for its age. It does need some work. It is about 95% original with only the water outlet manifold, the radiator cap and the rubber top having been replaced. The top was replaced with a factory replacement top in 1958. I am mostly going to concentrate on getting it into good running condition. We currently drive it locally, withing a mile or so of the house, but don't feel comfortable driving it further. I know it needs some engine work and hope to get that done in the next year or so.

My wife and I are the third owner's of the car. We got it from my wife's step father who purchased it from the original owner in 1956 for $1. There is a whole other story behind that. The car has been garaged its entire life and has 86,000 + original miles, most of which occured prior to 1956.

Thanks for your interest.

Ed

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Guest trevor ward

Hey, Ed.....,

If there is another whole story regarding the $1 price....

Then i am sure we are all ears!! laugh.giflaugh.gif

Trevor... '64 Le sabre.... hibernating....( the car NOT me!!)

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I get many compliments on my unrestored original cars. Some are pretty nice and others are pretty "ugly" but they all get favorable feedback and I show all of them at Hershey in the HPOF (Historic Preservation with Original Features) class. You can see photos of them at www.brewstercars.com. THEY ARE ONLY ORIGINAL ONCE! YOU CAN NEVER CHANGE THEM BACK!

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