The Art of Refurbishment

[jaudette3]

I have been known to restore cars to better than new condition. As I accumulate more circuits around the sun I'm finding that my sensibilities are changing a bit. I find that I'm starting to really like patina.

I was at a friend's house the other day. He's an avid 356 enthusiast with a number of cars. He tends to own them for a long time and he cares for them with a great deal of skill and attentiveness - which includes driving them often.

A couple have been restored fairly recently and they look great with fresh paint, fresh plating and all the rest. They sit amongst a few others cars that he restored 15-20 years ago. They have the slight patina of age. The paint on them doesn't have the same surface luster, but it's deeper and richer. Same with the chrome. Those cars really appeal to me.

I've doing a bit of research on the idea of refurbishing as opposed to restoring. I found this video that exemplifies what I'm talking about:

http://youtu.be/fWcqaLdWrTE

I guess it's an Old World sensibility, but it's starting to resonate more and more with me as old becomes more personal.

BTW, I'm not engaging in dichotomous thinking here. It's not patina good, restored perfection bad. I know how hard it is to get things to perfect and I have great respect for the craftsmen in our Porsche world who are able to attain it. In a perfect world I would own both types of cars.

John

[StephenAcworth]

Interesting videos... and a great definition of refurbishment versus restore... I always look at "better than new" and appreciate the effort that has gone into the work, but always prefer patina... i guess it is something to do with growing up in old manses surrounded by dark oak furniture from the C16th and C17th... that would never be made to look like new as it would destroy the value inherent in patina... same for bronzes...

[70SATMan]

As I gain "Patina" I find I appreciate the mileage driven to acquire it more and more.

[JCR]

Wabi-Sabi...

"Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent."

[CurtEgerer]

Wabi-sabi, I like it!

Conservation vs restoration: Conserving a Legend - 67 Le Mans Winning Mk IV

[jaudette3]

I've restored a few cars to level 1 and driven them back to level 2+. I liked them both ways, but I was most comfortable driving them once they broke below the #1 level.

I do enjoy taking old crummy original parts back to #1. But, especially with a material such as leather, I'm increasingly interested in preserving the patina.

Patina is in the eye of the beholder. Perfection is not. Perfection is perfection. And when you strive for it, it is the number one enemy of excellent. I can't even count the number of times I have had something at excellent, went backwards striving for perfection, and have had to start over. I have very high regard for the restorers on this forum and elsewhere who are able to achieve it on a scale much larger than I work at.

John

[9er]

I hadn't seen Wabi-Sabi defined before, although I assumed I knew what it meant. It is very much something I embrace.

[t6dpilot]

It is a good thing that patina is the new "black" since most of my stuff has plenty of patina. I too prefer a well kept and maintained or refurbished original part to repro. Assuming that a factory part can be found and is not made of unobtanium.

[Cal]

I've restored a few cars to level 1 and driven them back to level 2+. I liked them both ways, but I was most comfortable driving them once they broke below the #1 level.

I do enjoy taking old crummy original parts back to #1. But, especially with a material such as leather, I'm increasingly interested in preserving the patina.

Patina is in the eye of the beholder. Perfection is not. Perfection is perfection. And when you strive for it, it is the number one enemy of excellent. I can't even count the number of times I have had something at excellent, went backwards striving for perfection, and have had to start over. I have very high regard for the restorers on this forum and elsewhere who are able to achieve it on a scale much larger than I work at.

John

'Perfection is the enemy of good' is a very true statement.

The older I get the more I value originally....weather it's in classic cars, historic houses or vintage watches. There's something very appealing with an original item that's been maintained and cared for over the years that has just the right amount of patina.

[beh911]

The Wabi Sabi post was the best one of the week. I share the philosophy. I've never really liked new anything for many of the reasons it seems to espouse