Stay Rat or.....Go all the way????

[Redleg]

As a few of you have seen me post, for the last few months ive been using my 72 shop truck/Rat rod/patina truck for a daily driver.

Still running great. Still drive it almost every day. Still my daily driver besides the bike.

Well i am about done with the bike. (Mods that is), so my budget and attention are now turning back to the 72.

Well ive been looking at the truck and listing all the stuff that needs done etc. My plan was to go from (1st Picture), to (2nd Picture)(photoshopped)...keeping the "kinda rat rod/shop truck/flat paint theme......

However, looking at all the parts i want and need, i realized, the only thing between me and a gorgeous truck would be a nice paint job.....

SO my question to you guys. Stay the old school theme and go with the Army Green....OR spend just a few hundred more and put a good paint job on it....

Im stuck...I love the thought of both....

[MARKDTN]

Me, I would go with the nice paint job. Rat rods don't do anything for me-but that's me. Do whatever makes you happy.

[jsprengeler]

Love the first picture!

[crazy longhorn]

My old 69 has been a "rat", for a 1/4 century.....why should I spend 6-8000 on a paint job now? crazyL

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by jsprengeler

Love the first picture!

Thats how she is right now. Needs some body work. Mainly on the bed. Just some dings and dents etc. The front is completely straight minus the rocker panels and 2 small rusted through parts inside the cab on the roof.

Im replacing the:

Grill
Bed or at least 1 side
Tailgate
Rear bumper
Outer rocker panels
inner rocker panels
All rubber and seals
Windshield

After that the truck will be perfectly straight. Honestly a good body man could probably repair the bed side. But it has a few creases and ripples that i dont even want to tackle!!!

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by crazy longhorn

My old 69 has been a "rat", for a 1/4 century.....why should I spend 6-8000 on a paint job now? crazyL

Haha, ok let me rehrase "good paint job" Instead of making it a flat Army Green color in my garage,

I would be spending the extra money on tools etc and making it a NICER gloss paint job, probably blue or black. Max spent on paint would be $1,000...

[Palf70Step]

I think your truck looks good as it sits, but like was already mentioned I too am not a rat rod fan. I like nice shiny paint.

[70-Shorty]

Originally Posted by Redleg

Haha, ok let me rehrase "good paint job" Instead of making it a flat Army Green color in my garage,

I would be spending the extra money on tools etc and making it a NICER gloss paint job, probably blue or black. Max spent on paint would be $1,000...

max spent on materials or total cost of paint job? A thousand dollar paint job will buy you something marginally better than a Maaco job. As they say the devil is in the details....prep work and body work is every bit as important as the paint materials if not more. Proper prep+body work=lotsa labor hours. All for nought if you cut corners. Anyway, are you gonna do it yourself? that can save big if you have the skills and patience. It goes without saying if you choose black you need to block the thing to perfection (really for any color but some colors show more than others)....it will likely have more value if you put a "real" paint job on it too. Looks more finished that a primer-ish looking paint job.
Tim

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by 70-Shorty

max spent on materials or total cost of paint job? A thousand dollar paint job will buy you something marginally better than a Maaco job. As they say the devil is in the details....prep work and body work is every bit as important as the paint materials if not more. Proper prep+body work=lotsa labor hours. All for nought if you cut corners. Anyway, are you gonna do it yourself? that can save big if you have the skills and patience. It goes without saying if you choose black you need to block the thing to perfection (really for any color but some colors show more than others)....it will likely have more value if you put a "real" paint job on it too. Looks more finished that a primer-ish looking paint job.
Tim

THe plan would be to do all the work myself. So materials. and then take my time and be very patient with it and do it right. Did some bike fenders a few years right. Took my time and did them right and they turned out great. So maybe, just maybe i could get the same results here....

[1968ratrod]

I like rat rods..............

[richards72chevy]

I like the first pic.I think it would look better if a little bit more of the orange or red under the black would come out a little more.

[LEX]

I like the way it looks now. Maybe, fix the dings, dents, rust and think about it during. You can always repaint it either way, but with everything fixed the next time around. It's up to you. Either way, it'll look good.
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[xb9rguy]

I say if you like both looks why waste any extra money on shiny paint. I think it will look great either way! I especially like the Army theme but I'm sure whatever you decide will look sweet.

[BuiltwithIvy]

put the army green paint on and then throw some flat clear on it, best of both worlds, what ever it is, it just has to speak to you personally, we all have different styles, rock what makes you feel best.

[Hubscrub]

i like both pics, i would NOT spend thousands on a "nice" paint job (for me anymore it's not worth it) if you want to do it yourself thats the way to go. I would rather spend big money on something i could use like a cold AC. Paint won't get ya home.

[68Stepbed]

I'm probably gonna get flamed for this, but you asked for opinions. I personally don't like "rat rods". To me, though, a rat rod is a rusty, ratty peice of junk barely held together and probably not safe to drive(some I've seen I wouldn't even ride in), or some kind of mutt vehicle. I do, however, like "traditional" or "nostalgic" style rods. Old school hot rods and shop trucks fit in that category. That said, though, I do NOT like white walls on anything newer that 1960 cars and trucks.

I think your truck would would look great keeping the shop truck theme, which could be with flat or shiny paint. That's completely your call. Keep in mind you can also put a flatten out the clear to give it a satin sheen. I personally would ditch the white walls. Again, that's just simply my opinion, though.

It's your truck. Use your imagination to do and create what YOU want.

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by 68Stepbed

I'm probably gonna get flamed for this, but you asked for opinions. I personally don't like "rat rods". To me, though, a rat rod is a rusty, ratty peice of junk barely held together and probably not safe to drive(some I've seen I wouldn't even ride in), or some kind of mutt vehicle. I do, however, like "traditional" or "nostalgic" style rods. Old school hot rods and shop trucks fit in that category. That said, though, I do NOT like white walls on anything newer that 1960 cars and trucks.

I think your truck would would look great keeping the shop truck theme, which could be with flat or shiny paint. That's completely your call. Keep in mind you can also put a flatten out the clear to give it a satin sheen. I personally would ditch the white walls. Again, that's just simply my opinion, though.

It's your truck. Use your imagination to do and create what YOU want.

I agree with you in theory. A "rat rod" is usually a rusted out vehicle etc. My plan for this truck is for all the rust to be gone. So i guess it wont be so much of a rat rod as a shop truck or a custom truck with a differant paint scheme. Right now people consider it a "rat rod" and it runs great and besides the rocker panels there is no visible rust. So call it what you will. Nostalgic, old school etc. I love the current black/red/white theme, just its time for an update and since i am doing all the body work that needs done, i might just go all the way. Or still do the Army paint and clear coat it to give it the semi gloss shine......Paint is still a good ways off so im not to worried. Just trying to plan appropriately.

So here is another question. How hard is it to convert to a stepside bed?

[yuccales]

I like it the way it is. The Moon eyes are cool!

[70cst]

As many have said you got to do what makes you happy ... With that said the Rat Rod look will eventually go the way of the Dino like other fads ...

[FRENCHBLUE72]

I dont care for the olive drab look but it kinda sounds like you are tired of the flat and want some shine or even a satin???

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by FRENCHBLUE72

I dont care for the olive drab look but it kinda sounds like you are tired of the flat and want some shine or even a satin???

Its not so much tired of the flat. Whats on it right is just a very faded and streaky primer job. There are a few on here who have some great looking semi or flat paint jobs. Im not ruling out those.

My thoughts were that since I am shelling out the money to make this a very straight truck. All body panels straight and clean. Does that deserve a good paint job or should i stick with the semi-flat look..... I love the flat look, and as for the olive drab. the plan is making an Army truck. Complete with all black bumpers, mirrors, grill, etc. Then a big star on the door with U.S. Army stencils on the back. That was the plan.

[tattoed71]

rat rods are getting played out. theres flat black on everything. u spend months working every little dent out why not finish it. but i really dig the army look ,if u go the army route i wanna see some airbrushed bullet holes and rivets good look with ur choice

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

Me, I would go with the nice paint job. Rat rods don't do anything for me-but that's me. Do whatever makes you happy.

+1 although my truck is probably the grandaddy of all primered trucks. If you are going to use it daily and in your work I don't think I would go overboard on the paint job but a good paint job that just looks custom enough to set the truck off from stock trucks would look good along with loosing the red wheels unless you paint the truck red.
I just can't see the theme trucks that are painted up to look like Army trucks or some other branch of the service. The only way that flies is if the truck was actually a military truck or a phone company truck and you are restoring it to 100% the way it was back in it's day. It's not as bad as guys parading around in Camos when they never wore them in the service or were never in the service but close.

Rust and missmatched paint are not patina. Patina is a somewhat still shiny paint job that has been worn thin over time by being lovingly washed and polished by it's owner until the paint has worn thin and the chrome has been polished thin.

[oldblue1968chevy]

Fix the rust/make it solid warm/cold (AC?) Make it dry, do some kind of DIY paintjob (color, not black) And drive it!

Leave the spotlight!

[original-71]

maybe cause i served in the army, iam all for the army theme