Patina protection

[Space-Kook]

Hey All,

I'm changing my mind and doing the lightweight up as a patina build. I gave half the tailgate a gentle wash and polish last night and it's a bit flakey but looks good.

Does anyone have any advice about protecting/preserving the paint, or potentially making it a bit shinier? I've read good things about owatrol, would that act like a clear coat?

Thanks,

[Wittsend]

You need to use a good old fashioned car wax - Carnauba wax, with lots of elbow grease.

 

[Space-Kook]

You need to use a good old fashioned car wax - Carnauba wax, with lots of elbow grease.

 

Cheers Alan! I'll stock up 

[Clifford Pope]

Isn't "protecting a patina" a contradiction in terms? Surely a patina derives precisely as a result of not protecting the paintwork over many years?

[Space-Kook]

That's a fair point Clifford, but it's already had plenty of neglect. I'm looking to make sure the little left won't fall off.
It won't be patina any more if there's no paint.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

I'm left to herald the sentiments of the OP. It's about time this was considered the right way to go. It is just me? I'm fed-up going to classic-car turn-outs to see old cars that aren't 'old' - I loathe the trend to 'antique' fresh looking paint etc. The world has no need for another rivet-correct DBG 88, such confections should be lambasted, yet they get praise. 

Mine's done 8-9,000 miles this year. No 'genuine' fake, it's real. I have no doubt it'd be considered 'wrong'.

To keep patina all that's needed is use. Park it under a tree, drive it plenty and it'll be fine. Anything else and it'll be yet another 'never driven fake' - this with a proud fake owner.

This comment won't find favour. The problem is, it's far harder to know when to leave be.

[g6anz]

There is a big difference between a 50 year old Land rover and a @classic' car. A 50 year old land Rover can, and in many cases does, still work for a living. A 'classic' car is a molly coddled piece of machinery that only comes out in the dry summer weather.
Admittedly some of the classic cars are worth a lot of cash and so have to be kept in the dry and cared for, but a Land Rover was always meant to work. A few bumps, scratches and worn paint make them look better.

[Wittsend]

There is no answer to the "should you" or "leave it as it is" warts & all

There are 912 users on the forum and they will all have their own solution/opinion.

Each to their own ...

To answer the original question:
As I posted you can't beat a car wax and waxing is very therapeutic.

The topic starter mentions Owatrol. I'm a big fan, but it works best on mechanical parts, chassis, fuel tank, the underneath bits. It keeps rust at bay.
I wouldn't use it on body work per sa - unless I was laying up the vehicle for some time.
I recommend every owner to have a can on the shelf for treating parts. Much better than Waxoyle for example.

Owatrol Christmas Offers

[Alan Drover]

The current issue of CLR has an interesting and humorous article on patina.

[Space-Kook]

Thanks all for your answers, good to know about Owatrol. I'll give the wax a go and see if I can hunt down that article.

[jonhutchings]

I know several people (including myself) who use or have used owatrol on the whole land rover. One of it's primary functions is as a paint conditioner when painting something, so I figure it won't do any harm. Best done on a warm but not hot day, and used sparingly as otherwise you get a slightly tacky finish for a long time, but it does a good enough job.

Car wax will give you a shiner finish I suspect, and is probably nicer to apply.

The other option if you use the vehicle is a regular wipe over with a  good old fashioned oily rag  

[Alan Drover]

The article is on page 23 of the January issue of CLR.

[Oilyrag921]

This Austin I saw a few years ago at a classic car show was not restored/repainted, just left as is and recommissioned.  The owner told me that he had painted everything with linseed oil. I've never tried it myself though.
When I first got my S1 it was brown, but I used t-cut which easily removed the brown to reveal a half decent green coat (not original). After a bit of work with Simonize it looked quite presentable.

[Beowulf]

.......The owner told me that he had painted everything with linseed oil. I've never tried it myself though.....

I've heard that an approximate mixture of 90% boiled linseed oil and 10% mineral spirits applied using a dry cloth is a good method   

[Wittsend]

^^^ You're getting very close to the Owatrol recipe ...

These protectants will do the job with varying degrees of effectiveness, even the wipe-over-with-an-oily rag. Don't overdo the application.
Thing is too much linseed oil based products will oxidise and can form a crusty layer.