Preserve patina, diy paint or pro paint? Wagoneer

The wood grain is definitely staying. I'll redo it next year as I'm trying to get interior and a/c finished this year. The roof is my biggest concern but its solid. I'm just amazed at how much complements I get on the look. People seem to love it in it's current state. I'm going to repair and repaint it myself, I love driving it and would hate it to get worst . I think I just needed others opinions on what they would do. I've been going between preserve, diy paint and professional paint since I bought the thing.

Anything you're thinking of is good. We all have a personal bias on things like this.

The good thing is, you care enough to ask and you want to preserve it. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

You asked...

I HATE "patina". It's a fad that says lazy to me. It's a marketing term like "barn find" that gets tacked on to overpriced vehicles that the owner was too lazy or cheap to restore, usually asking restored price.

Worse is when someone "preserves" "patina" by spraying clear over the rust. Really? WTF?

Do a proper prep and paint and decals. Nobody doesn't like a clean, nice looking Wagoneer as opposed to a minority who actually dig patina...

I'm not a big fan of patina except on early survivor class cars you see at like pebble beach like the bugatti Atlantic they found a while back, and 50s and earlier American cars.

I Say do a cheap single stage respect, plus it will help resale value later

Again, this may be just opinion:

It's definitely NOT old enough to benefit from the respect that comes from "surviving".

That's why I think what I do.

If it were a 60's version, you'd be closer but maybe still not quite there.

Which is again why I think I'd refresh it and retrofit older wheels and grill.

I said "preserve" for lack of a better word. The jeep doesn't look bad in person which is why I had the passing thought of clearing it. For the most part I've spent more then I initially intended which makes me cautious on spending more. The plan was always to restore and repaint it but complements on the jeep and not wanting something too nice to mess up, had me thinking of alternatives.

In reply to ebonyandivory:

Most people think is far older then it is. They are surprised it's an 1990.

I like patina on properly old cars, but not so much on cars of our vintage. To me, it just screams lack of proper care by a previous owner.

Regardless of our opinions, you are keeping a classic on the road, so whatever route you go, I am just happy to see it survive.

BTW, you're receiving compliments. Complement is when something goes well with another thing.

In reply to Esoteric Nixon:

Thanks for the correction. I should have looked it up but I trusted my auto-correct.

all these years, i've been driving cars and trucks with "patina", when i thought they were just rusty beaters.. my stupid 86 Camaro turns heads and gets compliments wherever i go with it- which makes no sense because it looks like crap, but i gotta admit it does look kind of mean..

I like it as is.

I have an 87 4Runner with similar blasted off paint. It stays. With 449,850 miles on it, I think the bastard has earned it.

I sorta like it the way it is, especially if it is used as a fishing rig, but I would want to do something to stop it from getting worse. So, I guess I would either preserve the patina with some clear or that Eastwood stuff someone mentioned, or try the CLR technique to clean it up a bit then clear it. I wouldn't bother with a full respray just to go fishing unless there were some sentimental value to the truck or it was my dream car.

The clear was peeling off the flat surfaces when I got my dark grey '96 4runner. I sanded down the flat surfaces(hood and top) and then painted them semi-gloss black based upon advice of my hot rod building friends. Five years later, it still holds on and looks good. Most people dont even notice the paint difference until I point it out. I considered a Maaco respray but that would have limited some of my favorite drives in this vehicle ie one lane gravel/dirt forestry service roads with overhanging trees etc.

The wear on that paint is like the words in a book.