Clear coat Patina or new paint for C101

[t_furl43 78]

So my question is should I leave the paint the way it is and just clear coat it or should I strip it and paint it with new paint, I’m gonna be selling this not keeping it, just wanted to know what other peoples opinions were. tia Fellas 

[WHX?? 49,493]

Keep it as is.. would be worth more to me as is and not with someone else's  paint on it. 

[8ntruck 7,184]

 I agree.  If you are going to pass it on, leave it for the next guy to decide.

 

Then again, that is my personal preference.   They are only original once, and their condition/appearance is a story about their history. 

[ebinmaine 68,889]

We could go either way. 

 

To out it to a practical place. 

 

Leave it. 

 

To properly disassemble and paint it will take dozens of hours. 

That's an investment of your time better spent elsewhere. 

 

Also, clear coat may not be the best option. 

A wet sand and application of a preservative.   

 

[JoeM 7,874]

A good bath would add the most value. 

 

I like getting them like that and not having to deal with used paint jobs or oily patina applications. (the latter makes for tough paint prep if restoring) That machine looks like it has nice metal and not been beat up.

 

It is real hard to get any money on these machines to compensate for your time if your not going to keep and use them.

Got one I started working on just to get running, got in deep and decided to restore, now I want to move to something else and sell it. Got hundreds in parts, and way north of 100 hours of time, in a $800 tractor........but it is a hobby. Some people collect baseball cards!

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 26,157]

All good points about a nice solid tractor. But… At the end of the day, it’s yours…. Do what you want to do with it!

 

Typically won’t get your money back on a full restoration if you include your time, in my opinion, and a new paint job may turn many  buyers off…

 

[ri702bill 8,564]

Since the game plan is to sell it, a good clean up (bath) and attention to any mechanical issues is all I would do. Here's an idea - list it with 2 different prices - one as-is and a second with new paint & decals - for about $900 more. I'm leaning towards it goes out the door as-is because someone is going to figure they can do the paint & decals for a lot less...NOT!

Bill

Edited March 15, 2022 by ri702bill

[Ed Kennell 39,233]

If your plan is to flip the tractor for a profit,  get it running and sell it as is.         You can never make a profit on a complete proper restoration....even if you work for free.

 

If you are looking for a project you can be proud of and are not planning to make a profit,   restore it.     After it's finished, you may decide to keep it.

[Handy Don 12,663]

Are there any practical, non-oily preservative options that are worth investigating?

What surface prep do they require?

 

I'd prefer not to invest a ton of time in cosmetics (I will paint the wheels, though) and the "shows its history" look is appealing but I'm also anxious to prevent any severe deterioration.

 

[JoeM 7,874]

The before powder coat machines are the ones I just sand and prime before paint. I have painted over powder coat but seems tough to get all the loose stuff off without sandblasting. 

I hear some have used paste wax and elbow grease over patina. I am not sure if this is a substitute for oils.

I know I have had paint lift in areas of metal that we saturated in oils or gas in their past. 

Bondo tractors are nice to look at, but just seems a little unnatural to have all the metal so perfect when they rolled out new with painted over defects. 

I like them all. I guess that is why I keep tinkering with this hobby.