Practically Classics Forum

Because I am old and an ex mechanic. I remember well what sort of condition a new car was in.

The main things I see is paint work that is just too good to be like it left the factory. And over done under bonnet look.

My Rolls-Royce naturally left the factory with a high quality paint job. But lesser cars such as a Minor didn't. The finish was good enough for the price.

My car was resprayed to RR std by the insurance company it cost £3000. 2005.

Spending that amount on a Minor IMO is a waste.
And to be honest I wouldn't have spent 3 grand spraying my RR unless some else was paying.

Getting a resonable paint finish for a Minor is easy but taking to RR stds is far harder and lots more money.

If Diying then go for the best. But think carefully when paying a bodyshop.

Note I am not a Rolls-Royce snob, all cars have redeeming features. I like 2CVs as well. If I had the money I would have lots of makes of cars. Neither do I think RR is the best car in the world. Eg. Minis go faster round corners

There are various factors to consider though:

Is the owner a professional restorer and does he/she want to show a finished product? There's a world of difference between someone who wants to use a car every day and someone who wants to produce "Show Quality" vehicles. Having seen tractors parked on carpets and almost cordoned off at shows, my opinion is that such items are no longer working (or workable) machines but are museum exhibits.

Did the manufacturer take a car straight from the production line and "stick" them on the stand at the Motor Show? I very much doubt it - our Marina had a nice sag on one front wing and orange peel on the other and I know it was not unique! David Browns even fitted chrome rings on the lights (normally satin black on production models) and spent hours polishing tractors to get an almost mirror finish. The production machines were painted with a yard brush (according to one or two ex-B workers) - it was a myth as they had one of the most advanced paint shops at one time! In the 70s, the local BL agents used to have four people working in the body shop and much of the work was sorting out the faults on new cars! I know some garages didn't put that much effort in the PDI process (we had a Metro delivered with undercoat showing), but some had pride in their product and service.

Do you want us to spray cars badly just because the manufacturer did? Do you want a car to have the painted underframe as supplied by the manufacturer? I think I would prefer a good modern "underseal" rather than the rubber stuff that was used in the 60s or'70s. Our MM convertible was rusted out before it got to eight years old - someone "restored" it with felt and underseal after Father sold it for scrap - and never used welding gear! The second traveller was about seven when a stick got flicked up on the road and was later found behind the driver's seat!

I am happy with the finish on my little tractor - the bonnet was sprayed some time before the cab bits and has lost some shine, but is still in good condition and has much better rust protection than that applied by David Brown (prior to the new paint shops!). Yes, someone could have done better with 2-pak and better equipment (and a proper spray booth) but the tractor is used and has mud on the tyres - even though it hasn't been used for a year! I'd like to make a better job of the big one, but it won't fit in my garage: it's about nine feet tall!

No I wouldn't spray a car badly I would do a job to what the owner wants. The least is a gun finish with no orange peel or sags looking shinny. After that its time for the mop.

Show cars are different. I was talking about daily drivers and week end fun cars.

A friend has just had a Cloud refinished to a high standard and its taken over 200 hours. The piant was over 500 quid.
The finish from the gun was better than a new normal car. Then it was cut and polished.

1970s BL cars had appalling paint work. 1960s was much better. The 1970s cars were often resprayed by the dealer before delivery to make the car acceptable. Also there would be bits missing like wiper motors. To me replicating cock ups like this is stupid BL didn't do it on purpose.

Ultimately the choice is up to the owner. There's no shame in just spraying a daily driver with a good finish from a gun and not cutting and mopping. It won't win medals but look good in Tescos car park.

Kind regards
Bob.

I've done a few with roller and a quick gentle drag of a good brush, suited fine for some of the use them hard leave them parked outside dailys like Moggies and Minis.

Could get a reasonable finish and it was suited to the use they got.

Always hated trailer queens and took a sort of pride in not going to a high standard, nowadays though I spray paint I don't see the point of going beyond a respectable finish. But do like to get near the manufacturers standard.

One of my pet hates is watching the same cars get the same prizes at the local show year on year when they are not even used let alone even started, one has a split chassis but the paint and chrome done to a much higher standard than its first incarnation from the factory means it still pulls the prizes Motorbikes that gleam yet the fuel lines haven't even seen petrol is another of my hates to be found at shows.

I'll not start on my feelings for the several minis round and about with lovely 2k paintjobs and tax free identities that are no more than 25 years old....

Well put arc eye. Arc eye is painful.

If my Shadow piant got damaged and I had to pay for it. Because its a family hack I would just do a nice gun finish with minimal mopping. As long as it passes muster in the car park.

Garage queens are stupid and a waste of money. I like to drive the car not polish it endlessly. If it gets keyed by a scumbag so be it. It ain't the end of the world. Especially if the paint job didn't cost a lot. Anyway I have imsurance and don't park in dodgy places.

However should one wish to polish to perfection ones chosen car and never drive it be my guest.

Bob

I saw an immaculate Mk1 Cortina a few years ago and it had won a lot of concours events. It came second in the first show that I saw it and I gather the owner was a bit miffed! However, the winning car had won because it was a daily driver. What the organisers hadn't realised, the Cortina was also a daily driver and had also come to the show under its own power!

I have to confess that I don't actually enjoy driving - I've done too much of it out of necessity and I can assure you a long road run on a tractor is not my idea of pleasure! All my vehicles get used because I have to use them and the car rarely has a run out for the sake of going for a drive (hence the low annual mileage). I suspect Bob has a similar feeling when he has to sort a problem with the Shadow (as I was told by an RR technician, Rolls Royces don't break down, they fail to proceed). Where he spent most of his time under a bonnet (figuratively speaking), I spent a lot of my time in the driving seat and the novelty wears off eventually; in my case it wore off when I was thirteen!

And before anyone says anything, the Golf was last polished in 2012 (not long after I bought it) unless you count the stuff that is put on in a car wash; the little tractor was polished about a year after I sprayed the bonnet - about eight years ago! The car seats are covered n dog hairs (the towel and sheet were soon moved by the dog)!

I'm not a concours fanatic either, though it is nice to see really shiny vehicles as well as daily drivers at the shows!

I suppose that I see paintwork in a different way to most, but it does depend on the car.

I would prefer to see a better paint job in original colours on a Minor, Mini or any other "working mans" car for the simple reason that they are the ones that have the memories. Being taken to the seaside as a child, or maybe to some other place as a treat.

Even if I do not like Trailer Queens, I can accept them. They're not for me, but to each his own.

This is probably going off topic a little. A couple of years ago, I visited a car/aircraft museum when on holiday. Probably most on here have done that at one time or another. Anyone that has will have therefore seen restored, exhibition quality cars in them. The big difference with this one was that with very few exceptions, all of the vehicles were shown in "as found" condition. In other words, the place was a time capsule. Most were found in barns, one was even pulled from a swamp! It was however the most interesting and educational museum I have ever visited, as it showed exactly how cars used to look.

if you want a nice paintjob ask that chapfoose fellow, he's doing a rather spectacular resto of a cortina on here somewhere.. at the end of the day its the owners choice & if he wants to spend £3000 painting his car its really up to him.. personally i wouldnt give that sort of money for a roller unless it was one of these http://plant.autotrader.co.uk/used-plan ... sting=true

I am not keen on endless journeys. 1 hour is about my limit.

My Shadow has never actually broken down in 26 years.
And this is points ignition and points SU fuel pumps. The hydraulics have never played up. Except the front pump non return valve jammed. A polish with 400 grit sorted it.
Even then the valve jammed conveniently in my workshop.
Proper servicing is the key.

Bob

History wrote: The main things I see is paint work that is just too good to be like it left the factory. And over done under bonnet look.

On the other hand,a respray that improves the factory paint job,is probably what it should have been like when the vehicle left the factory. As most mass produced vehicles were rushed