Patina isn’t a new thing—and we don’t mean that as a bad pun. For the past several years there has been a growing interest in the well-worn warmth of aesthetically neglected finishes. From the rise of the rat rods, to retro rods pretending to be something they aren’t, there is a big bubble of shabby chic rods on the scene. To be honest, it bothers us.
Here’s the thing: spending big dollars to make a fully restored car look like a barn car is ridiculous. Have you ever seen a nice paintjob that has been purposely rubbed thin? We have, and—pardon the pun again—it’s rubbing thin. Yet the look is popular and we feel it can be done right—on the right car with the right technique.
This is as we found the ’60...
This is as we found the ’60 Ford Starliner, though the camera is pretty kind to the condition of the body. It had been sitting outside for untold years and showed it. Note that the decklid has no lip left from rust.
Case in point is the Weekend Makeover project shown here: a running and driving ’60 Galaxie Starliner that was legitimately found in a barn in Northern California. It’s a great candidate for a restoration for someone with time on his hands and deep pockets, but we have neither and want to cruise and get attention right now.
So what we had was a car that could be a nice car, but in reality was many months of work and many thousands of dollars in panel patching and general paint and bodywork from being even remotely worth applying a legit paintjob over. Some might call that patina, but really it was just serious neglect via a previous owner who just didn’t care about the car. Actually, that’s what all “patina” is if you think about it.
Our answer? Work with what time and nature have dealt us and create some style with artificially aged aesthetics, mainly because adding fresh paint to the chalky white original paint and surface rust would look odd. Nevertheless, if we took the time to match our updates to the Starliner’s current state, we could end up with something that felt very natural if not authentic. For this misadventure, we opted to create a phantom ’60 NASCAR racer based on vintage photos, while cloning nothing.
Inside his studio/shop, paint...
Inside his studio/shop, paint expert Eric Reyes began by laying out some lines of tape that would serve as consistent top and bottom lines for the planned lettering. These lines serve as the horizontal anchors for the layout.
Luckily, the business park at Infineon Raceway is brimming with talent, including one of the best custom lettering artists in the business: Eric Reyes. Reyes grew up watching his dad drag race at Fremont Dragstrip and was completely absorbed by the candy paint, gold leaf, and airbrushed headlights. He later became a racer in his own right with a shelf full of Wallys. Growing up in the midst of prominent racers through what we’d call the best decades of drag racing (when Funny Cars looked like muscle cars) gave him an appreciation for, and understanding of, traditional painting and lettering. That’s why he’s sought out by big-name racers and sponsors. And, he’s a pro at patina painting.
So here’s the big question: Does fake patina make you a poser? Only if you try to pretend it’s real. From our perspective, we’re working with a blank canvas with nothing to lose. We’re simply matching our graphics to the weathered surface of the car for a consistent look. And rather than months in the body shop followed by more months of rebuilding the rest of the car, we’ll be hitting the street in a couple days time with bank accounts still in the positive—and likely getting way more attention than primo restos.
If you don’t like the idea, or think weathered-looking paint should only come from years of sitting neglected in the weather, no worries; you’ll always find more mainstream paint and body tech in PHR. For now, we’ll show you how to grab a six pack of beers, order a stack of pizzas, and have fun with a car that’s just not ready for resto. Keep in mind, this stuff isn’t sacred, it’s just paint, and if we get tired of it, we’ll just sand it off with no love lost.
Time for some color. Reyes...
Time for some color. Reyes uses standard Sign Painter’s 1-Shot lettering enamel, but thins it dramatically to create a more transparent red. This is basically a trial-and-error step and will likely require a few changes to find the right ratio. Actually there is no “right ratio,” it’s just whatever looks good.
On a vertical stoke, Reyes...
On a vertical stoke, Reyes employs the three-finger technique, dragging his pinky to help maintain a consistent distance from the Starliner.
Up close, you can see Reyes’...
Up close, you can see Reyes’ technique for creating the billboard lettering on the quarter-panels. First, he creates a grid using a ruler set to the slant he wants, and then roughs in the block letters. Ideally you want to use the same color grease pencil as your final paint, but the red one disappeared somewhere on us.
To fill in the lettering,...
To fill in the lettering, Reyes uses a couple standard techniques to keep his hands steady. When dragging the brush horizontal, he often crosses his wrists using one to brace the other. Also note the thin Mack brush he’s using, known as a “truck lettering flat.” This is a workhorse brush for lettering artists, and Reyes is using its thin head to help create uneven paint thickness. You’ll see why.
Script is a bit tricky, since...
Script is a bit tricky, since it requires a lot of rolling and working the brush to create the shape. Excellent lettering technique is actually quite a lot like calligraphy, and unfortunately is a quickly dying art form. To create the “Ford” logo, Reyes uses a logo that dates back to the mid ’70s, but previous versions were very similar with more of an organic hand-painted feel, so our final product will look appropriate.
So how do we make the new...
So how do we make the new paint blend with the old? With just a few basics: lacquer thinner, a terry cloth, a spray bottle full of water, some 1,000-grit wet sandpaper, and a red Scotch-Brite.
We did borrow Fred Lorenzen’s...
We did borrow Fred Lorenzen’s infamous No. 28 racing number as a nod to the Galaxie’s NASCAR heritage. This is how the paint looks in the beginning. The font and style are period perfect, but even thinned out, the fresh enamel looks way out of place against the chalky white paint.
For the first step, Reyes...
For the first step, Reyes takes a terry cloth dipped in lacquer thinner and rubs it quickly around the number following his original brushstrokes. There’s no starting and stopping allowed here; you must make complete swipes then lift the cloth. We want the paint removal to look organic.
This is where the uneven paint...
This is where the uneven paint thickness Reyes laid down begins to pay off. The thinner will strip the thinnest areas down to the original paint and blend them into the thicker areas. Reyes also made sure to add a little extra paint to the bottoms of the letters since that’s the natural result via gravity that any lettering artist would have had to contend with.
Once he’s happy with the amount...
Once he’s happy with the amount of paint removed, Reyes began wet-sanding with 1,000-grit paper. The sandpaper will even out the high spots in the paint and create a more consistent surface without heavy brushstrokes. This is a good time to note that this technique will vary depending on the car. We don’t care about the original paint, and white will hide scuffing, so Reyes does not have to be cautious.
After the wet-sanding, Reyes...
After the wet-sanding, Reyes followed up with the red Scotch-Brite to remove any remaining sheen from fresh paint, and add in some heavier scratches. This is how the finished “8” looks in contrast to the starting point on the number “2.” Are you starting to see what we’re shooting for?
Since we’re not cloning a...
Since we’re not cloning a car or even using real sponsors, we decided to make all the details on the car mean something personal to the owner. For example, Riedy’s Motors refers to Dodge Riedy who is building the tri-power 390 for the Starliner.
Another phantom decal: this...
Another phantom decal: this one Reyes designed from scratch as a surprise for the Starliner owner’s girlfriend.
Unfortunately, Reyes couldn’t...
Unfortunately, Reyes couldn’t make our photo date in the PHR photo studio with the Starliner, but definitely check his awesome paint and graphic work on his website. For this shot, friend of the magazine and renowned pinstriper and custom painter Jeff Styles stopped in and added a detail of his own, based on the classic the Holman-Moody “Competition Proven” graphic. You can catch some video of him painting this on PHR’s YouTube channel: www.YouTube.com/PopularHotRodding.
We wanted to add some more...
We wanted to add some more color to the white, so Reyes laid out an asymmetrical hood stripe and spray bombed it and the surface rust on the roof with a semi-flat red that was a reasonably good match the thinned out 1-Shot red.
After hazing the roof with...
After hazing the roof with a thin layer, Reyes added another No. 28, then attacked the whole thing with a dual-action sander and a fine sanding pad. The surface rust makes the paint easy to sand off and adds an aging effect to the paint that remains.
Check it out: The sanding...
Check it out: The sanding was amazingly effective. A little road time in the sun and/or rain will make it look even more legit.