A custom-patina paint job can turn years of neglect into a one-of-a-kind statement of automotive style. The best of the breed, especially when applied to a classic truck, can be pure magic. The trick is to make the exquisite finish on a weathered survivor look like like it naturally occurred—even when it might have been painstakingly pursued. There’s a slippery slope from faux finish to faux pas.
Take a gander at this untouched 1947 Chevy pickup truck. It’s 100-percent authentic. Someone started working on the cab, abandoned the job and left it for the elements to do the rest. Rust, putty, primer, top coat, and graffiti combine to create something very special. Of course, one truck enthusiast’s barn-find dream is another’s eyesore.
Patina Paint Job Techniques Run the Gamut
Patina preservation methods and tactics are varied. There is no one single right way. The primary goal is to not remove too much character or hit large patches of bare metal. One common approach is to attack the rough rusty spots with CLR Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover, and a Scotch Brite pad to remove the rough scales. Once that’s done, you can use 3M Imperial Hand Glaze or a similar product to bring life back into the dull oxidized paint.
You can wax the prepared surface until the cows come home—and keep it high and dry in the garage—or attempt a variety of sealing methods to preserve the effect for as long as possible. An application of clear POR-15 Rust Preventive Coating can slow down the inevitable march of rust. A top coat of matte or satin clear coat will encapsulate the surface and provide depth without a glossy shine. All that work is only temporary. Like Neil Young sang, “Rust never sleeps.”
It’s a Cali Truck
Feast your eyes on this gorgeous slammed 1970 GMC C10. Unlike its rusty eastern cousin, this luscious aqua beauty lived the easy low-humidity life in sunny California. The C10 boasts a patina base that benefits from a wonderfully weathered original paint job. Expert polish work shows off the years.
El Diablo’s Patina Paint Job is a Jaw-Breaker on Wheels
This rough and ready 1952 Chevy 3100, dubbed “El Diablo,” proudly wears a highly textured paint job, weathered away to reveal its under colors like a devilish 25-cent jaw-breaker. The black top coat has been blasted away by the elements to reveal white and red layers underneath. Clear coat keeps the layering intact, while wide whitewalls and smoothie hub caps set off the slammed stance.
Taking it Down to Bare Metal
If the splotchy look doesn’t do it for you, how about taking it all the way down to bare metal? We’ve featured amazing patina hot rods on the eBayMotors blog, but “Clear Kentucky Shine” takes its place as one of the most outrageous of the bunch. The builders of this insanely great 1950 Chevy C10 sanded and hand polished the truck, before covering it with a deep clear coat.
A faux finish should never look phony. It takes persistence, vision, the right products, and whole lot of elbow grease to get from the back of the barn to the pick of the pack at cruise night.
