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(Note: the infamous Earl Scheib company ceased national operations on July 16, 2010. There are a few independent Earl Scheib locations still around. This post is not meant as a commentary on the quality of their work)
THE SET-UP: A show quality paint and body job can consume thousands of hours and dollars. And a pro-quality refinish on a vehicle is too often the prelude to pampered "trailer queen" status. Few Bangshifters who invest in top-notch paint work will risk it in the slings and arrows of daily driving.
Hence the rise of "Patina" (DF's fancy way of saying pockmarked with surface rust).
Running a "rusto-rod" is a quick, cheap, and dirty alternative to the pristine finishes favored by the traditional lawn-chair-n-trailers set. Patina fits the budgets of many bucks-down Bangshifters. There's much less risk to a ratty ride in daily commuting or parking lots than an ISCA wannabe. And with the rise of "Faux-tina," even a few well-funded builders are hopping on the aged finish bandwagon.
However, a common alternative to the dullness of au natural ginger oxide decay was "Earl Scheib" -- the quickie paint job.
Scheib started in Los Angeles in 1937. According to some critics, "Scheib's policy of one-day service and production line techniques flew directly into the face of state-of-the-art professional Auto Body standards." Scheib reportedly demanded its painters spray as many as five cars a day. Thus, runs, drips and errors were often unwanted accessories of the "quickie" respray.
Many old school Bangshifters in times past relied on cheap "one day" paint . . . either home-applied or hosed by any number of "budget" refinishers, including Scheib. Such "production" paint and body work added a little flash to homebuilt rods and supercars without breaking the bank. These rides were often derided as "twenty-footers" by the show-car snobs. But they were (and still are) more often seen "takin' care of business" on the "mean streets" than their flawless rivals.
In recent times, the "Rustoleum Roller" and other dirt-cheap paint techniques have become alternatives to the "Patina" of ratty rusto rodding.
THE QUESTION: If you're building a low-buck performance car for actual road use, which is most bitchin, "Patina" or "Earl Scheib?"
THE SET-UP: A show quality paint and body job can consume thousands of hours and dollars. And a pro-quality refinish on a vehicle is too often the prelude to pampered "trailer queen" status. Few Bangshifters who invest in top-notch paint work will risk it in the slings and arrows of daily driving.
Hence the rise of "Patina" (DF's fancy way of saying pockmarked with surface rust).
Running a "rusto-rod" is a quick, cheap, and dirty alternative to the pristine finishes favored by the traditional lawn-chair-n-trailers set. Patina fits the budgets of many bucks-down Bangshifters. There's much less risk to a ratty ride in daily commuting or parking lots than an ISCA wannabe. And with the rise of "Faux-tina," even a few well-funded builders are hopping on the aged finish bandwagon.
However, a common alternative to the dullness of au natural ginger oxide decay was "Earl Scheib" -- the quickie paint job.
Scheib started in Los Angeles in 1937. According to some critics, "Scheib's policy of one-day service and production line techniques flew directly into the face of state-of-the-art professional Auto Body standards." Scheib reportedly demanded its painters spray as many as five cars a day. Thus, runs, drips and errors were often unwanted accessories of the "quickie" respray.
Many old school Bangshifters in times past relied on cheap "one day" paint . . . either home-applied or hosed by any number of "budget" refinishers, including Scheib. Such "production" paint and body work added a little flash to homebuilt rods and supercars without breaking the bank. These rides were often derided as "twenty-footers" by the show-car snobs. But they were (and still are) more often seen "takin' care of business" on the "mean streets" than their flawless rivals.
In recent times, the "Rustoleum Roller" and other dirt-cheap paint techniques have become alternatives to the "Patina" of ratty rusto rodding.
THE QUESTION: If you're building a low-buck performance car for actual road use, which is most bitchin, "Patina" or "Earl Scheib?"
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