fbekholden.com

My car was resprayed long before i got it, a drab grey colour over the original Barrier coral.
Today I was was a bit bored and had a day off work, so i decided to take to the bonnet with a palm sander to see if I could get a gimse of what the barrier coral would look like. I expected to just be able to see a few patches of it here and there, to my suprise the grey came off real easy, leaving a finish that with a bit of meguires came up a treat!

before



During



After



Rear Guard

So, this has got me thinking.....

They grey is badly weathered and wont polish and makes the car look like its been sitting in a paddock for the last 10 years (which it has)
To respray the car I would end up pulling it all apart and obviously do it properly, this will be however several years down the track as other projects are in front of it atm, and these sort of finances just dont allow for it for now...

Maybe i just spent a few weekends exposing the original paint, fix up a bit of rust, get it roadworthy and drive it.....
its obviously not going to look a million bucks, but should pass as a daily driver....
Or do I just put a tarp back over it and wait until its turn comes up to resto it properly?
Opnions????

Dave

There may be parts of the original paint that might not show up so well. There also might be panels that have been replaced that are a totally different colour.

You won't know unless you do it, I suppose

The only panels that are different are the two front guards.
Ill probably fix them up, and respray them to original colour. They will look sightly different to the rest of the car, but close enough???
I really like this car, but unless I give it a low budget quick tidy up I cant see myself driving it for ten plus years
I know im going against the trend here on the site, and not going the full hog, but getting her on the road is doing it more justice then tarping her up again??????

Dave

Go for it, the tarp in the end will just cause more work anyway. May aswell enjoy it!

i think the grey is only primer ( i looked at the car before you bought it ) so it prolly wasn't put on well, that's what i'de do clean it up do what needs doing and drive it as DR said sitting there for 10 years under a tarp you won't have anything left to fix

I agree with Devilrod & harry 186 a car just sitting there deteriorates quicker than one that is driven if only occasionally.
BILLY

Do it !!! Paint the guards black and do it up as a taxi

Its more fun to drive them around than it is watching them fall to bits under a tarp.

You know the answer.

Maybe i just spent a few weekends exposing the original paint, fix up a bit of rust, get it roadworthy and drive it.....

...a rolling resto...sounds like a good plan.

A great original Color!

Well done!

Paul K

I agree with all the above, my poor old wagon fell to bits very quickly one it was decommissioned!
As for my present sedan it just goes better and better since I've been using it every day...sure you get the odd stone chip etc, but it proves it's driven & loved.
So get out the Scotchbrites and give it a bath in Jiff the put some decent polish on it, take her down and get that beast rego'ed. You'll be happy you did and your car will love you for it!
It can always be painted down the track.

Scotty.

Drive it !!

I am currently building a new garage, and once built my plans are to finish the necessary rust repairs and get my EK roadworthy, and drive it in part primer, or maybe spot repaint.

I would love to do a strip and re-paint, but as you say, neither time nor finances allow at the moment.

I have seen so many cars stripped in sheds and NEVER finished, so i am gonna definatly run mine as a 'rolling restoration' too.