To repaint or not to paint - that is the question

[R. Button]

I'm now living in the northeast after years below the Mason/Dixon line where the word winter was just something seen on TV or in movies! Now I get to remember what winter is like once more AND I get a few months of "forced" time to park my Mark I.
Wen I park it, the shop has heat, so time to jack it up and really go over stuff - things like... pull the body off and installed a new wiring harness. I have a new clutch ready to bolt up to the back of the engine, and lots of ideas to fix up the interior. New low back seats are on the list as the driver seat top has slowly been pealing off. The T5 has been rebuilt but I don't like the gear ratio - overdrive is not high enough - as I prefer to be holding at about 2G when hauling down the interstate - now I'm at between 2.5 and 3G. A few of these project are on a list to budget into the winter down time for the ol'Mark I.

I had been considering the new soft top from FFR but that would require removing the older FFR top attaching pins in the body. Which means patch holes in the body. The doors are the newer style Mark III - I happened on a pair of carbon fiber doors! And with them a Mark III trunk lid too. All these have been repainted. I'd love to get ahold of a carbon fiber body but have not heard of any of those few that were built available.

Got lots of miles on my Mark I . The body shows front end chips from track events and the miles. There are other chips, nicks, cracks in the clear coat, marks on the doors from shopping market lots... all of which suggest time to get it repainted.

I have two thoughts on repainting the car.
1) if I have it repainted, it's good to look great - who is going to believe it has a lot of miles on it, to which I also think who cares.
2) There is now a trend to leave old cars with the look of rust and what is called panache. I think a car built in 1997 with all the highway miles on it may fit that class of cars.

Thus I'm wondering what others think.

[Jeff Kleiner]

You and your roadster are legendary Ralph, true survivors. My first thought is to leave it as is and wear the scars and patina that survivor status brings proudly!

Jeff

[Misterfubar]

That would be a tough decision to make. If I daily drove a Factory Five I'd probably leave the paint as is. It's earned it's "used" look. If this was a lower mileage barely driven garage queen that happened to gather a few nicks and scrapes along the way I'd probably repaint it.

[GoDadGo]

I agree with Jeff Kleiner's comment.
You & Your MK-I Are Factory Five Legends So Drive On!
Also, Your Traveler Video Really Sold Me On Factory Five!

Steve

[Gale K]

You and your miles are an inspiration. I'd be leaning towards the camp of "leave it as is." A true "original!"

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Going against the trend - I would paint it. Don't think the survivor look adds anything to the car. The fact that you even asked the question suggests you want to move on, maybe with a new color.

[Mark Dougherty]

I would repaint it
you have the time for a face lift
lets get it done
now that you are in my back yard put me in coach
I would love to come help out on it.

[steno]

Every nick and scratch is from the road is a smile for every mile! Leave them! As Kleiner says, " Not a waxer"

[Mark Dougherty]

I do love the patina thing really I do
There is only 1 fiberglass cobra I know that should not be repainted and that one is Jim's challenge car at FFR.
His paint is rock blasted right down to the fiberglass (awesome and Jim you should post a pic)
other than that take pride in your ride and paint that baby then wear it off again.
even csx 2000 was painted 1/2 dozen times

[Garry Bopp]

Ralph,

If you are spiffing up the interior, why not the exterior as well! A new paint job will hold you until the million mile mark ...

Garry

[David Hodgkins]

Save the patina for the museum.

I say freshen up the WHOLE car.

Nothing wrong with looking good!

:)

[Rootbeer Roadster]

It deserves a nice paint job after all those miles and years. Paint is considered maintenance.

[John4337]

Also, Your Traveler Video Really Sold Me On Factory Five!

Same here, you're still the inspiration.

Since you're pulling the body and doing the interior, I'm in the paint it camp.

John

[CraigS]

Is there any chance of a middle ground? Touching up the worst and leaving the rest. Success of touch up somewhat depends on color but these guys who do it that way can do some amazing work w/ a door jam spray gun.

[Yama-Bro]

I think I'd paint it.

[Avalanche325]

2) There is now a trend to leave old cars with the look of rust and what is called panache. I think a car built in 1997 with all the highway miles on it may fit that class of cars.

A survivor is on old car still in original, or very near, condition. This new trend of a worn out car being call a "survivor" is ridiculous and just something new to sell to collectors. If a car is not in #1 or #2 condition, it is not a survivor. Oh, and a ragged out car does not make it a "barn find" either, like they were trying to push at the auctions last year. Unless you are a liquored up bidder at Barrett-Jackson, of course. :) I guess I don't really "get it" when it comes to rat rods either.

That being said, my obvious opinion is.....repaint it. It will be pretty much a scuff and shoot, so won't be that expensive. Especially if you operate that piece of sandpaper yourself.

Since you are letting us spend your money.........put a MKIV body on it!!!

[R. Button]

I had briefly considered a new Mark IV body - but may now reconsider it IF it will fit on the older Mark I chassis. My carbon fiber doors and trunk are from a Mark III, which should fit ok.
Mark, may take you up on the offer and work out the details.
I'm still collecting parts that I want to change out as well as new stuff I want to add to the car.

[Jeff Kleiner]

I had briefly considered a new Mark IV body - but may now reconsider it IF it will fit on the older Mark I chassis. ..

Ralph,
After having worked through this with an owner who was retrofitting a Mk4 body to an earlier chassis I have to caution you that it requires reworking the frame tubing and sheet metal aft of the cockpit as well as some revisions to the body itself. It is not a matter of pulling the Mk1 body off and simply dropping the Mk4 body on.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Mark Dougherty]

like Jeff says
there is work to do it
I think stay with the MK1 body

[CraigS]

While I haven't done it I suspect that the frame mods to fit a MkIV body are similar to the drop butt mod. Not that hard and actually pretty easy w/ the body off. Maybe the drop butt mod would be a good choice. You get the MkIV side profile look, your trunk lid would still fit, you miss out on the rolled edges of the cockpit though. I find that the perky trunk lid is no where near as objectionable when it is 2.5 inches lower.

[Jazzman]

I vote "REPAINT"!

[charles roybal]

Ralph......the EP (sun city) cobras want to know....did you repaint?

[DaveM]

Ralph......the EP (sun city) cobras want to know....did you repaint?

Time for FF to trade you up to a MIV-the history of your car, your exploits and the mileage alone deserve special recognition with your car on a rotating display in the FF5 show room. IF there was ever a testament to FF engineering it is your car!

[weendoggy]

Do what you want. For me it was easy, I did some major body work and the paint would've been three toned or more. :) I planned to paint all along and was keeping my MKI body. Save some time and freshen it up, paint, do wiring, frame mods, etc. and do the other things and then drive the hell out of it some more. It's not like it'll be a garage queen. :)

[Springboro FFR Roadster]

Ralph:

Did you go to High School in Fort Scott, Kansas?

Why I ask, there was a Ralph Button that was a couple of grades from mine. Have often wondered if you went to school there.

By the way, how many miles on your FFR now?

Roy from Springboro

[Cody]

Ralph, I had the pleasure of meeting you and seeing your car many years ago when you came to DFW for the Texas Triathlon. I vote for new paint but to retain the original color.