To paint or not to paint?
Writing regularly about our own cars for Classics
Monthly puts us in a very privileged position. It gives us the chance to share our experiences with the wider readership, but as I was reminded this month, also people who may have a particular interest in the cars; their previous owners.
Ted Smith was the second owner of my Austin 1800 (I’m the fourth) and was responsible for a lot of the recommissioning work that was done on it in the early 2000s. He’d seen my last report and wanted to let me know that I shouldn’t feel too bad about having to replace the battery. It turns out it had been fitted in 2002 as part of getting the car back on the road. I think 14 years counts as pretty good service.
The message from Ted couldn’t have been better timed. He said, “I am pleased that she is still on the road as it was always my thought that she had the potential to last forever in the right sympathetic hands. (But would probably always remain somewhat shabby!)” And that’s where I’ve been with the 1800 over the last few weeks, pondering what to do about its down-at-heel cosmetics.
Since the Landcrab came into my stewardship in April 2009,
If I strip the Landcrab now, when can I realistically hope to have it back on the road?
the paintwork has always been a bit of an issue. The paint along the tops of the nearside doors and rear wing had failed and started to come off in flakes. There was also the odd rust bubble, and some micro blistering on the roof.
I knew the car would need some work, so I repaired where needed and did makeshift touch-ins, just to stop the rot re-establishing itself. I suppose in the back of my mind was the idea that when I had worked my way round the car, I’d either respray it myself or if I was feeling flush, get someone who actually knew what they were doing to lay some paint on.
Those who have read the magazine for a while may remember that I was for a while, a two Landcrab man. James, the deputy editor at the time, fell for the charms of the 1800 and found himself a tidy Morris 1800 in bronze metallic. It was a very smart example, and I asked for first refusal should he ever consider selling it. I eventually bought the car, but never warmed to it. It was just too nice for me, and I remained loyal to the old Cosmic Blue bus. It stayed and the bronze car was ultimately sold on.
So that brings me up to date, pacing round the Landcrab in the lockup, picking at the paint and taking stock. It’s enjoyed dry storage in all the time I’ve owned it so the condition has actually barely deteriorated. There are a few more touchedin areas of paint, but the question I keep asking myself is that if I’m going to go to the trouble of having some Cosmic Blue paint mixed to spray in the various repairs, wouldn’t it be better to just bite the bullet and have the whole car repainted? And if I do that, won’t I be exactly where I was with the bronze car? And finally, if I strip the car now, when can I realistically hope to have it done? Odds on, it won’t be before the current MoT expires.
So the conclusion I’ve come to is that I’m going to live with the scruffiness, for at least another year. The summer’s coming, and all I really want to do is drive the car. It won’t win any beauty pageants, but it’ll always put a smile on my face.