So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Okay guys, time to vote :)

I am really on the fence with this project. Many of you know I have restored numerous cars. I have enjoyed each and every one of those projects.
This one?
Not sure I have the heart to restore it. It is a super well-preserved car making it a great candidate for restoration.

So, vote will ya?
Poll option#1) leave it as it appears but make very road worthy.
Poll option#2) do one of my crazy full restorations.

Thanks for your opinions (in advance).

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

It's only original once, but on the other hand there can't be many really nice 1936 Sedan Deliveries around and you do amazing restoration work so it would be one of the best for sure.
If you leave it at is is and make it very road worthy, it can still be restored at a later date.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Its much more fun to drive an unrestored car and not worry about every scratch or dent. Just concentrate on dependability.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I have done 2 of them. Both were mild hot rods about an inch away from being cut up for scrap. Both were saved.Make it safe to drive and reliable and have fun with it is my vote.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Option 1 !

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

One.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Option 1. You get much more fun for the effort spent.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

You already know the answer. Authentic originals deserve all the admiration they get. Restored versions of history are handsome, but lose something in the process.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I would go with #1...drive and enjoy.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Why not save yourself a lot of work and frustration. Sell it. To me!! LOL

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

When I took my EMT class almost 50 years ago (ee gads! that long!) one of the major points brought up was from the teachings of Hippocrates: "physician, first do no harm". I think that concept may be relevant here. Kube, you are unsure of what direction to take at this time. If you paint it now it will surely look better... but it looks fine now (and has "desirable" character which you will surely lose with new paint. If you think new paint now is needed to stop the clock of aging or by your desire, by all means paint it. If you can preserve the car with patina and enjoy it, paint can always come later.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

One

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I sincerely appreciate all of the opinions thus far. The poll goes for two weeks.

I do recall clearly one (of a zillion) things my grandfather taught me. That was when in doubt, don't do it.
I am attempting to eliminate that doubt one way or the other.
Ya know, I asked for a poll. Methinks I'll go for what you, the voters decide.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Leave unrestored

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Kube, original only happens once. I'm trying to keep my '36 3W as original as I can.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

i would choose original

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

One and done

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Things usually look better in pictures. You would know better than us...who haven't seen it up close. The current "patina" craze, is kinda mind boggling.

Who wouldn't want a nice straight original vehicle, but looking around Al's web we see the dealers want 25k for a 10k 60's pickup because it has surface rust on the hood.

In this case, that thing really looks good. I'm sure you will find some areas that don't qualify to you standards, but there are methods to match the patina for a few areas.

Imagine that, a guy with life long history of painting 100 point cars...needs to learn how to paint again!

GB knows the tricks. Whats the back story, that thing surely lived inside all its life

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

There are two kinds of old original cars. Some exist because they have had continuous maintenance and care and are absolutely beautiful. At the other end of the scale are original cars thar are all original because they have never had any care other than that needed to keep them running. They usually look quite rough. In between these two extremes there is a range of condition.

So Kube, you get to choose if the novelty of an unrestored car is appealing leave it alone. Maybe you can help it enough to appear well cared for. If it remains a display of serious neglect I am for restoration.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Hi Kube, I dont post very often, but your dilemma called to me. I am the proud owner of an “unrestored “ 1948 Mercury Convertible.
When I bought it , I heart ached for some time over it. Eventually I restored it mechanically, plus the upholstery which had been eaten by rodents over 40 years. I left the body as is, but I did replace the fender welts and the rubber body mounts.
Since completion ,I have attended National meets in Australia and several Spring Tours. I get many positive comments and the inevidable “when are you going to paint it?”
But to me its a time capsule, last registered in 1965, it is a glimpse into the heady days of school etc. So ,if you have a vehicle that is road worthy and unrestored, it is irreplaceable. Dont pull it apart and make it pristine, you have done that many times before.
Just my 5 cents worth - Dave h

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Make it a dependable driver and run the wheels off! I vote for option #1. dw

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Leave it "as is".
I think there is a growing trend to keep old cars in their original "as found" condition.
It adds to their provenance.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I vote 1, I did a lengthy restoration on a truck that turned out great, but I miss the patina, the door signage, the character that it lost by restoration.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

If the delivery could talk; I think it say that would rather continue on in it's current life. So #1.

I know it's not for this venue; but there is a third choice that would both increase it's utility and value.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

A little "history" for those that may be interested.
This car came originally from Massachusetts. It was purchased by the fellow I bought it from in 1964. From what I have been able to figure out, it was then placed in storage and very little was ever done with it other than the collection of a ton of NOS parts for its eventual restoration.
The odometer shows 34,000 miles which I tend to believe.

The "here and now": This car has been on my bucket list for as long as I may recall. Acquiring it was a dream come true for me.
I am in the process of sorting it out now, reassembling it, etc. I felt this may be a prudent direction for me as I have never restored a sedan delivery and as such, well, I don't know what I don't know. Also, even though I have longed for this model / year, I have heard numerous times these are terrible in traffic. Read: huge blind spots. Thus, I want to see how I like it before committing to a possible full-blown restoration.

It is in amazingly good condition with zero modifications other than a couple of holes in the rear bumper and the installation of cast iron heads. The rear fenders are beautiful as is the body where they mount. Rear door and panel below that door are beautiful as are the doors.
The floors will require some work. I am puzzled by why they are rusted when the remainder of the car is rust free. My theory (good as any I suppose) is this was used by delivery folks that often got in with wet feet. I thought perhaps it was a leaking windshield, but that area is solid as a rock.
I do believe the plated windshield frame to be incorrect. From my research it should be painted.
The body paint is original as is the pin stripe.
The top insert is without damage.
Door panels, all three, are tattered but there.
The headliner is about 60% missing.
Even the original floor mats are there although quite brittle.
There were a few pieces (hot air heater heat exchanger (thank you Mr. Driskell), optional right tail lamp bracket (thank you Mr. Wescott) and a couple of front bumper arms missing that I was able to locate. I am still searching for aluminum heads.
The engine appears to have been rebuilt in the very distant past and used very little. It is super clean inside with no measurable cylinder wear (+.060" bore).

So, guys, that's about it in a nutshell.
I am so enjoying your comments / opinions thus far and would appreciate it if they kept coming.
As I'd mentioned in my (#13) post, unlike our politicians, I will do as you guys vote. Fair is fair :)

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

The delivery has earned its worn look. As a preservation oriented V8er, I would like to see the car remain as it is. The truth is that a restored car is no longer original and somehow looses the spirit and character that only a survivor retains. My experience is that even the general public responds to an unrestored driving early Ford. Restored cars are invisible to them. For example my 32 Cabriolet gets 10x the attention as the restored 39. Every time I drive an unrestored V8 the car feels alive and you can sense the history earned by the passage of time. The restored cars are nice but are lacking in the vibe. The few younger guys who are into the old Fords are ambivalent to restored cars, they prefer cars that have earned the look of years of use.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I've been watching this thread for a while and have refrained from commenting as my skills and experience are not on a par which is the norm here. However, I have decided to come down on the "don't restore" side. If you can leave something alone with the skill and panache' you have shown on your high-point restorations, it will without doubt, be a winner.

Don't go for it!:D

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I have an old Chevy coupe that I used to drive 7 days 52 weeks a year. And, then it sat in a garage for a long time. I dragged it out, took the body off, refurbished the running gear and put the body back on with shot paint and dirt in the fender wells. Some people tell me to paint but way more tell me keep it as is.

Now I'm building an A roadster with a XXX V8 from parts and I want to wind up with it lookiig nice and shiny when it's done (if ever.)

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I agree with what others have said.

A survivor as nice as this should be preserved as a survivor. Not restored.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Jeepers creepers!! What a thrill it would be to pilot that 32 for a couple hours. I am way past the days of lusting for a woman but that "honey" has got me old heart a pumpin!!!

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Keep the patina, make her very road worthy, and "refresh" the interior to include a headliner and drive it man ! I had a friend with a 41 sedan delivery and you learn to deal with the blind spots. He drove it to Hershey and all around. Ohio, never an accident. I loved driving it too.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I bet it would look pretty good after a thorough washing and buffing. Another thing to think about if it matters to you is what it is worth when you are done restoring it.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I voted to leave it as much original as possible and enjoy it!

Back in 1972 I bought my 36 Ford 5W Coupe as a $200.00 shell and frame and it needed so much work, I did not have an option to leave it original. Only 30 years later it was completed and I could not have been happier with the results.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Did you remove the front fenders and grille as a unit? Is that what I see in the background of the drivers interior door photo?
If so, a gentleman by the name of Nacewicz once told me he had documentation that Ford assembled passenger vehicle front sheet metal as one piece at the assembly plant and then mounted it on the chassis. Think about it. For all of us who have spent hours aligning the grille, radiator and front fenders-- the assembly plant would not have taken the time to do that.
The bad news is that I never got a copy of that documention before Roy passed.
Without the documentation, it maybe just a rumor, but it does make a lot of sense.

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Kube, My 38 Zephyr ,42 half ton and my 41 half ton were all drivetrain restoration only, and my all time faves out of over twenty pre 1969 rides most of which got the full resoration. Tim {no matter what , keepem rollin}

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

When I first bought my '39 Delivery I had considered restoring it, it's a pretty nice vehicle, parked in 1948. it had a few major issues where the shed roof had leaked on it. In the end I've just patched in what was needed to make it solid and pretty much left it alone otherwise. I did add my own letting and aged that to match the paint. I've slowly been making it pretty reliable. I drove it quite a bit, locally, this year. Even averaged 20mpg using it as my only transportation for 2 weeks.
I know you do beautiful restoration work which is beyond my skill level and that may be playing a part for me, but there is something that can't be explained about getting in a vehicle that is pretty much just a time capsule. It seems a higher number of people that see mine seem to really appreciate it for being as it is. I think if it were in pristine fresh condition it would lose some of its charm for me. It seems the value would likely drop also if selling in the current market.

I also like old furniture and other items that you can tell have been lived with. There is a Japanese term called "Wabi-Sabi" that I have really related with my feelings towards this old stuff.

Good luck with whichever direction you decide to take it, but if it were mine, I would surely leave it alone.

Zach

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...3&d=1763290610

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...4&d=1763290610

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...5&d=1763290610

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

I’m in the #1 group…..and not that I think you would…..but, please don’t clear coat it…..
IMHO that makes a survivor vehicle look fake and just awful……Mark

Re: So, my '36 sedan delivery: restore or leave the patina POLL
 

Good eye!
Yes, I did remove the front clip as one unit. It's quite nice. I believe the horn covers are incorrect and should be painted, not stainless as they are.