Patina vs. Polish
 

My Cobra has a nice patina on it now - a few paint chips and scratches, mildly worn seats and carpets, etc. Don't wax it really, just wipe it down and drive it.
The actual factory Cobras all have imperfections, race scars, poor fit and other issues that go with a 45 year old car, so I guess that's the allure of patina for some people.

no waxing here
 

I agree. I will wipe a car after use, but I do not " detail" cars, I drive them. It maybe that I am just lazy. Edited to add that the cars are only driven under the best of conditions, so they really don't get dirty.

I painted mine with a patina look. I wanted it to look raced & dirty.

Cobras look even meaner with a little dirt on them:D

Great thread! Unlike all the guys who make those beautiful, pristine perfect replicas, I want my car to look like it's 47 years old when I'm done. I guess that might sound peculiar, but I will enjoy participating in the illusion. I have a nice pair of old looking seats from a 20yr old Unique. I've got a nasty old puke tank and bracket from a 66 vette with dirt still on it. I plan to condition my FIA wheels per Jeff Gagnon's technique, etc.

How did you accomplish this paint job, Hyde? Did you use single-stage paint? Two-stage with flattener? Does it look like, or is it, the old laquer finish? Does it have crazing, chalking, or pitting? I looked at your photos, and it looks pretty shiny to me...

The pictures look pretty shiny. In person it looks pretty dull. Nothing special with the paint. I made sure to get all of the meatballs & stripe right then did a hack job of buffing out the clear coat. There are a few chips in it now & dirt spray on the rear fenders. If you go this route, be prepared. Every guy with a $25k paintjob will shake his head in digust. Oddly enough, I get a kick out of that. & I dont worry every time I hear a rock pop up. Just makes the car look more raced...

Good thread.

Was at a local car show recently. There were a few Cobras there but one stood out and I was having trouble figuring out why I liked it so much. Where many of the Cobras were very pretty and shiny, this car had a lot of visible wear to it. It wasn't until now that I realized how the wear conveyed a sense of purpose and activity. Reminds me of the subtle way a well worn leather pistol holster hints at lethality. This car was no trailer queen and it meant business. Of course I can't help but love perfectly painted and polished cars but a weathered campaigner is pretty frikkin compelling.

I don't have my Cobra yet but with any luck I will soon and this thread has caused me adjust my thoughts on paint and such. :cool:

Does your car get more attention than theirs? That would make sense, then;).

That is so wierd... I just played the old 60s "Aye yi yi yi, I am the FritoBandito...' video for my kids, who had never seen it before, almost at the same time you are posting in a thread that I had just posted in:D!

I had some personal tension trying to reconcile my interests in this hobby, between a perfect show car that I wouldn't let anyone near and a daily driver that I wouldn't be worried about driving to the hardware store. I couldn't quite make it fit until a few things happened.

1. I didn't want a car that I couldn't share with my young sons, and that I would have to keep after them anytime they were within a football field's length of the car.

2. I read about Lynn Park's Dirtbag (great story to read) and how it seems to steal the show.

3. I met Tony Naumoff from here and the Unique forum, and he had a similar concept for his car. I loved it and right then it all gelled for me. Great job Tony!

I want to build a "survivor car" that has the patina of 47-plus years on it. I want to extend the illusion... there has been a move in the antique world for about ten years that original condition pieces are much more valuable than restored pieces. That is unlikely true in the automotive world in general, but Dirtbag sure makes a statement!

I was fortunate to have gotten the original quick jacks from CSX2060 from before it was restored back to street condition. (I have a photo of them on the car.) I plan to replicate CSX2459, and I have a great history of the car from someone that knew the original owner. I have an old Moto Lita steering wheel with the finish worn off in places from use and some pry marks at the center - perfect! Jeff Gagnon is building an even more accurate replica with his project and he is doing a similar build. Check out his wheels. They look awesome!

I've seen old used cobra replicas, and they look just that... old and used. (There are several reasons for that.) That is not where I am going with this. Your car looks great Hyde... can't see any reason that someone would turn their nose up at it. When and what are you planning Frito?

I used to be too anal about spit and polish but one day realized it was eating up too much time.Now give all my vehicles one good spring cleaning and wax,then speed shine most of the time after that untill fall.Patina? You bet now that the car is nearing 20 yrs old it has a great Patina.

Same here, i will give it a couple cleanings per year but the older i get the less i am interested in cars the are trailer queens and not driven like they are intended to.

I have seen people polish their cars to death. Basically just wearing stuff out.
I keep my car nice but a little dust and dirt doesn't hurt anything. Birdsh!t, tree sap bugs etc... gets cleaned off pretty quick though.

I'm more grease-stained coveralls than starched oxford/creased khakis/polished penny loafer kind of guy, and that carries over....I like to put my mark on things..I like them to present as if they were used for their intended purpose, yet well cared for...so it's a bit of a balance. On the subject of "balance", I think there is also some requisites to earning time-crafted patina... IMHO it all starts with a definite quality in materials and construction. No matter if it's a treasured Stetson, Browning, Fender, Alfa, it's there at the start....the DNA is present and the canvas is lain for the hands of time to shape the story and thus the reason for the allure preceived by many of us that appreciate such things. I like stories..I think we all do....

- Allen.

For me patina is what attracted me to my car when I bought her. She will be 30 years old in December and has had the same paint for at least 26 of those years. Most everything on the the car looks 30 years old. When I replaced the dash with a comp style in 2006 I struggled with the fact that it was new and didn't match the rest of the cars interior. I have been at several car shows parked near shiney new looking Cobras and have heard people comment that my car " must be a real one because it looks old". Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate a nicely restored car. I have owned several. But there is just something about a race car or a really mean ride that needs to scream I am used for the purpose that I was built.

My wifes theory on this leans more towards me just being to lazy to keep the old girl (Cobra not wife) shined up.

Dick

:LOL: Great old commercial. Shame the way some folks perceive things.

If by old and used you mean poorly maintained then I agree. Use is one thing. Abuse is another.

As for my plans; I really want to build it myself so it'll be a kit. I have a mechanic background so it won't be a problem for me. I'll stay relatively faithful to the original with regard to interior and exterior appearance but wheels/tires will be 17". Finishes (paint, wheels, chrome, etc) will be nice but not show car. I don't think I'll shortcut the patina look. Think I'll let the car earn it. Make of kit, motor details, etc, tend to be points for argument so I'll keep those to myself for now.

A good Patina comes in a lot of flavors.We used to ride our Harleys all the time,one guy I remember had a Fatboy (Harley) that bike never saw an easy day,but Oh was that little 80"er fast.The bike was clean, original and regularly maintained.It puffed a little smoke and the owner loved to race.Amazing how many people we met new of this guy,and his Harley.The same goes for our two seaters,it's fun having to maintain the reputation now and then.Again a nice Patina bestows a regularly raced car.

Now that its summer, pollen is everywhere and if you make a clean spot, you have to wipe the whole car down. A good problem to have.
My neighbors cat has a thing for my car when its parked outside and her paw prints on the hood are making me not like cats.
Now, the engine compartment is another story...
The only thing I keep 'clean' in the engine bay are the spark plug wires, valve covers and air cleaner. Everything else has a nice coat of 'use'. I'll tackle any surface rust I can find and replace any rusty hose clamps and such.
I've seen pristine engine bays on several cars and it just ain't right!

78,000 miles and the leather is just starting to get comfy. The more patina my car shows inside and out, the more attention it seems to draw.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d.../seat_time.jpg

Interesting how that works...

Frito, Having both...17" Wheels are great for the Track & ultimate performance. 15" Wheels ride a little more supple & look a lot more period. My 17's stay stacked in the garage 99% of the time.

I prefer the look as well. Sadly, 13" Wilwood brakes won't fit in a 15" wheel. :(

One of you smart guys need to invent a way we can change the brakes out as easily as we do the wheels.