Please explain "patina" to me

To my understanding "patina" is a barn find with a faded but original paint job. For some strange reason this seems to becoming a sort of rage among some people?

The reason I ask is because we just picked up another TR8 - a barnfind with "patina" paint. Its what was called "poseiden green" in the era, a sort of metallic off shade BRG. The sides are good but the boot/bonnet are definately showing signs of fade and oxidation.

I would like to try to restore the paint with rubbing compound/wax and see how well we can bring it back. The problem is stone chips in the front as it looks almost like the car follwed behind a gravel truck for a long distance.

Another solution would be just repaint the car, but then it would no longer be "patina".

Would do you thnk?

There was a line in Hot Rod (IIRC) a while ago: "Without purpose, patina is just decay." Possible purposes include keeping the car all-original if that's the factory paint, or possibly if you deliberately want a "It's a junky car and I don't have to care about it getting any more scratches or rock chips" sort of image. Or if you personally feel it's not worth the effort to restore and are happy with it the way it is. If none of those purposes are present, and you have the cash... fix it.

To me patina is important if the car has a historical owner of importance (ie John Buffum or Bob Tullius for TR8s) or if the car is in just such nice original condition that it doesn't need to be restored.

Patina is the history of the car writ in the surfaces that we see and interact with.

An old car has been around for a while and stuff has happened to it; it has a history. If it say, belonged to someone famous, it would be their ass that wore out the leather or whose farts seasoned the foam. You paid for that, hence would not want to lose the charm.

If you take that car and restore it with new paint, chrome and interior, you effectively zero the history meter and you get to start all over again. Not a bad thing,just not the same car.

Walk into any garage containing an old British car and you will SMELL the patina. Never to be confused with new car smell.

NOHOME wrote: Walk into any garage containing an old British car and you will SMELL the patina. Never to be confused with new car smell.

....that's just the smell of the magic smoke escaping

[giggles and runs away while ducking the spanner that has been hurled at his head]

Seriously, I agree with what you said. It just seemed like an easy chance to say something funny.

faded paint and a little wear and tear is one thing, but rust and decay is another. I see these rusty old cars that have been clearcoated to preserve the 'patina' and I can't figure it out.

NOHOME wrote: Walk into any garage containing an old British car and you will SMELL the patina. Never to be confused with new car smell.

My old TR3 had that effect. Neither Spitfire does though.

EDIT: J-3 cubs seem to have a certain smell too.

We had a discussion about this after Tim repainted his GT350.

IMHO, it means different things to different people and different cars with final use taken into account.

In the case of a TR8, while the car is reasonably rare they don't have such a huge following that original paint is as important to most people than the car having "good" paint. So I would vote for painting it. Especially if the plan is to clean up the car and flip it.

I know it when I see it.......

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/1972-opel-kadett-wagon/57132/page1/

It either looks cool as is or it doesn't. if it looks cool to you the way it is. leave it. If it doesn't fix it. it's pretty much that simple

Some cars have a "cool" factor in unrestored condition while others look well like worn out pieces of junk (not very cool).

I would much prefer to see a perfectly restored to like new condition TR8 than one that is preserved in crappy condition.

spitfirebill wrote:

NOHOME wrote: Walk into any garage containing an old British car and you will SMELL the patina. Never to be confused with new car smell.

My old TR3 had that effect. Neither Spitfire does though. EDIT: J-3 cubs seem to have a certain smell too.

Wow,

I always walked into my garage with British cars there and smelled Eau de Oil or Eau de Anti-freeze. Then when I sat down in one I usually smelled Eau de Mildew.

I don't recall smelling the paint job unless I had an exhaust leak. And then it wasn't pleasant!

Rupert wrote: I always walked into my garage with British cars there and smelled Eau de Oil or Eau de Anti-freeze. Then when I sat down in one I usually smelled Eau de Mildew.

Switch it on and you might smell Eau de Ozone by Lucas.

Quite So!!