I have an original 1971 GS with just under 30,000 showing on the odometer and most everything is still original including the exterior. There is some bubbling under the paint on the low parts of the fenders and doors. I am considering the best approach to the situation. the way I see it i have 3 choices, 1. leave it as is completely original, 2. clean up the rust and have a paint shop try to blend it in, or 3. repair the rust and do a complete repaint. obviously #3 will look the best but is it the best thing to do value-wise? Just looking for input on this
I had a 1969 ss396 Camaro lemans blue, 18k original miles, original paint, great 5 footer, the drivers fender was beginning to check and crack, a few minor blemishes like you describe, I spent 14k on strip repaint, it turned out beyond amazing, driving the car down the highway you could see clouds in the sky, in the paint reflection from the drivers seat, absolutely amazing!!! Worst mistake I ever made, those cars werent painted that good, brand new, every single thing on the car that was fine before, looked not good against the amazing paint, recently purchased a 1970 gs 455, light brown, 80k miles stored since 81, still wearing its original dullish paint, got a couple bumps on it, but I am so happy to have a original paint car, if I was offered a free 14k pant job, I would turn it down, IMO
Fix the rust b4 it gets worse, rust be it under original paint or not sure isn't going to have a positive effect on value, I'd have the areas repaired CORRECTLY, then do a solvent blend using the body line as a break point
Leave it alone ,do not repaint GS if car is still reasonably presentable. Original paint muscle cars are rare and very desirable.
IMO... it just depends on what you personally want to do with the car. Meaning... are you keeping it for the value as an investment or is it a car you just love to drive? With 30,000 original miles if you drive it, the value depreciates, correct? So you lose value anyway. That being said and if you are using it as a driver/show car, I would repair the rust and blend in new paint. Bubbles under the paint are definitely a sign of rust and usually rust turns out to be way worse underneath than it appears on the surface. Now if you are keeping the car as an investment to sell and put very little miles on it, maybe all original/untouched is the way to leave it. Restored to original has become not nearly as rare as all original. For me: I have always felt that cars were built to be driven. But I can appreciate the work, time and money put into a 'trailer queen'. :grin:
I originally picked it up to flip but the longer I keep it the harder it is to let go of it. It's really a nice car for what it is.....it was rust proofed back in the day and from what I understand it suffers from the results of the factory weep holes being plugged by the rust proofing. I garage keep it so if the rust progresses it will be slow. It is very presentable minus the rst bubbles which are not noticeable at 20 feet.....i keep thinking I may never find another car in a similar state and with such low miles I may be able to enjoy it as it is for a long time........but if I keep it a long time, the rust has to go....
IMO i would find an reputable old school paint shop and have only the rust/bubbling area's fixed. A good shop should be able to do a nice blend on those small area's thus leaving the original paint alone. IMO it is original once, thus why it will hold its value better.
Fix whats bad and partial paint (blend out)with lacquer,some shops can still get it,and maybe know how to use it.
I thought Clark drove a green wagon? If you're still thinking of flipping, I would sell as is. It will be hard to recoup the :dollar: investments in any amount of body and paint work. If you are planning on keeping it for at least 10 years...IMHO your option 3 I thought good original cars with one repaint were also the rage at auctions? Anyway, my route would be different than the others and along those lines. I would go with the "to the metal" repaint with metal repairs, frame-on style, complete exterior refurbishment (meaning new base clear, chrome work, and stainless polish). Do all the stuff that needs done along the way like cleaning window tracks and lubing, and new weatherstripping. There is no way this process wouldn't increase the value of your car when done right. If I didn't have the means or a shop I could trust...I'd live with the 20 footer indefinitely. Like you say, it's not out in the elements so degradation should be minimal in the years to come. Nice looking GS BTW
