Patina Paint Job

That’s all your opinion and it’s just that, YOUR opinion. I’m not saying it’s wrong but just because that’s your preference, also doesn’t make it right.

When I bought my Duster, I had a decision to make. 1. Tear into the car and strip it all down and start on a full blown redo or 2. Get the mechanical side of it done (car hadn’t ran in 20+ years) and ENJOY the car and fix things as I can and then someday, when I have a second one running, tear the Duster apart for a full redo.

Well obviously I decided to go the second route. Why? I’ve had the car for 5 years now. In those 5 years I have been able to maybe put another $2-3k in the car total. Now, had I torn into the car, it’d still be sitting in thousands of pieces, I’d probably be burned out by lack of time and money to make any progress on the car AND in those 5 years, we have moved, and while we still own the first place, we are now 25 minutes away and I rarely get down there. So tell me, which route is truly better?

Also, when I was debating on what to do back when I got my car, a good friend and a member here gave me some excellent advice. He told me “the ratty muscle cars are the hot fad right now. If I were you, I’d get the car running and driving and ride that fad till it goes out, THEN worry about body and paint.” And he wasn’t wrong. He’s also the one who convinced me to make the 10 hour drive to North Carolina to go buy my Duster. He’s one smart dude! Right @cosgig? :D :thankyou:

I think you made the right choice, Caleb. Instead of losing 5 years and a lot of inspiration, you gained 5 years of fun and experience bringing the car back to life. You even fulfilled a huge bucket list item by bringing it to the Nats, and I know that was high on your list. You can always strip it to the bone and paint it, but now you have a roadmap in your mind as to how you put it together, and that will make it much easier when it comes time for a redo. Plus, you’ve been the coolest dude in town for 5 years now, that right there is worth the trip!!