You might be the one with twisted panties. Several people, including you, have posted pictures of rusty old cars that are not particularly valuable. That is not patina. It's unfortunate and inevitable that the term is being wildly overused to describe crap these days with the explosion of the collectible car market but it has an actual meaning and it's not rust.

In old cars or furniture, it means items that show their age and normal use but are still in good condition. Character. Paint that is far from new but still decent. Leather seats that are nicely broken-in but not cracked and dried-out. A shift knob that has been used, a car that's been driven and enjoyed. Not a POS that needs total restoration.

The reason it has so much value in something like an older 911 or 356 is that they are only original once and no restoration matches what the guys at the factory did back when it was built. Some come a lot closer than others but those are the extremely expensive jobs.

I'd personally pay more for a good original than a freshly restored 911, even if it was not perfect, any day of the week. That's not to say a crap example that has been neglected, rode hard and put away wet, etc. Some people know how to take care of their stuff and most don't. The good ones that have been driven and enjoyed but taken care of and maintained correctly are extremely rare now and would be correspondingly very expensive. :cool:

It's all subjective of course, but I would say the red Ferrari has patina, the Pontiac has patina, but is on the cusp of going around the bend to "rusted POS" status.
Were I lucky enough to own either one, I would preserve the Ferrari and repaint the Pontiac.
Just MHO.

Such huge boats back in those days.
All that wasted space and redundant weight.
Plush ride, though.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/23/259...bd1303936f.jpg

Patina ain't always great.

[QUOTE=speeder;8955741]You might be the one with twisted panties.

looks like you didn't get the joke either

patina is BS.. a stupid word meaning your car needs bodywork and a paint job.

This car has the good patina:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cpUNT-FqsoM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

yellowperil, your car is great as is but I'm pretty sure more than one fool has asked you when are you going to paint it. they just don't get it

Yeah I had a few, but most like it the way it is.

I agree with posters here that the word patina is way over used. I cringe when I hear it. They just can't get enough using it. I never use it at all. My old heap is just that, an old heap.

regards to you Johnco, I like your stuff a lot, good taste.

Some of this in Scottsdale, AZ...although this is extreme.

Like.

Another great example of what patina should be all about. This '61 Ferrari 250GT California recently sold at auction for $18.5M.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452736453.jpg

This would be way beyond patina. ;)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452737541.jpg

Maybe this 31 Chevy would be closer?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452742953.jpg

I always considered patina to be more than just decay.

To me patina tells a story of wear and tear combined with the ravages of time.

I think of a WWII war heroe's haggard face.
The grip of his service revolver
Grandpa's old train watch

A race car that bears the signs of having run the Mille Miglia.

Perhaps Churchill's old chair

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452792073.jpg


VIDEO
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jcSllxAZyEg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And the reason I love this so much, is that like those examples, my mind immediately starts imagining the storied life that the car lived, and what it might have been through

Some neat cars from a show last summer,
 

Some patina evident. These were some favourites http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452798062.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452798119.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452798175.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452798219.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452798274.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452798400.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452798454.jpg

either my olds has patina or it needs a paint job. not really sure anymore
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1452800053.jpg

faked patina sux. How long until patina wrap is available?