Barn finds / dance son jus / barnfinds and patina. Nights dreamed about that and about twenty years ago we made everything bare and tight, and spraying, we now find 'unrestored' classics the height of beauty.
Patina or instant weathering
The market has even jumped in on it by giving classics an instant calm look. But that is more for people who see the now-present tendency as 'trend' or 'lifestyle thingy'. The 'aging' of a classic in this way seems to be cheaper than a regular spray job. For reassurance: The beetle in the photos is so 'done' that it can easily be returned to its original paint. And the result of that 'aging' is evidence of craftsmanship.
But of course there is little new under the sun. Such an 20-25 years ago you could hand in your ZGAN Range Rover, Laro or Mercedes G Class to professionally slap some dents and butches. Skew the bumper. Spray off with dredge where it was tough and then fix the dredge with matte-white paint.
Overrated romance
In the aforementioned cases you know what you have. With a real 'barn find' that is often the question. Dead burnt varnish and superficial rust, which means true durability, is usually found in classics from dry, hot regions. And those cars often have an interior that has been totally crushed by years of exposure to UV light and desert sand. Then we no longer talk about patina, but about loss of life. Pakweg 30 + year of downtime is also not something that does the technology and the wiring well. Doing a 'barn-find' can make your entire vacation good. Making such a thing good to drive again? You can run off financially and end up as a confused lonely man (or woman).
In the case of finds from less hot areas, it is generally added that rustworms have done their job mercilessly. And if the find has slept in an area where ground fog is fairly common, then the bottom plate including the sills is usually lost.
But we keep dreaming
That of course does not mean that we have to stop dreaming. And we have to stay awake. For example, an AMK reader who got lost in the South of France found a Peugeot 203 'barnfind' in his first paint this summer. The car had been in the family for three generations, but had slept the last 15 years. The AMK reader drove by when the barn doors opened after 15 years because the barn was going to be cleared to make it into a holiday home. The entire purchasing process took an afternoon, a lunch, an afternoon and a joint dinner. But with a final toast, the deal was completed. And our newly baked Peugeot owner promised the ex owners to come along next year with the refurbished 203 and then rent the summer house for two weeks where his Peugeot 15 had been waiting for him for years.
And yes: the Peugeot is in order. But he remains 'dans son jus', he keeps his patina. Because if it were made more beautiful, it would only make it less beautiful.
A reflection remains that we heard along the margin: "What would Patricia Paay have been a pretty older lady if she had not been restored".
vw photos Frans Mandigers RustLook
