When Are Ya Gonna Finish It?

The following is an excerpt from the Preserving Surface Rust thread on the HAMB forums. This 6 year-old post has drawn a lot of heat from the traditional hot rod guys and purists who believe that no old car should have rust on it. They down on the 'patina' or 'fauxtina' craze that Rat Rodders have made popular, and I understand their point of view. However, what about people like Toddzilla, owner of this fine example of a 1947 International KB-1 Pickup? He's chosen to preserve the original US Forestry Service finish on his truck with Ospho and wax, and currently uses it to haul home other projects. He spoke up on the HAMB about why some people choose to do this, rather than strip it down to bare metal and refinish their cars & trucks with a high dollar paint job. It all boils down to $ money $.

Toddzilla's KB-1 before  Photo Credit: HAMB

After Ospho, wax, and heart transplant. Photo Credit: HAMB

These pictures were shared, along with a defense of preservation, rather than a full-blown restoration. That didn't seem to go over so well with many, who see something like this International and a cobbled-together rat rod as being one in the same. Some hobbyists claim rust was "never traditional" and "not something anyone ever wanted on their car back in the day".

Now here's a guy who's got a young family, several other cars, and works as a diesel tech and is trying to make ends meet while still enjoying his old KB-1. The shockwaves are still coming after Toddzilla's posts about preserving the original finish. So I snagged the link to his text and posted it here for analysis.

Read his comments below and judge for yourself if he's 'out of touch' or not.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9164692&postcount=72


Well, what did you think? I may be a little biased, but in all fairness I can see both sides. Is the patina  thing played out? or is it okay to have a rusty ride?

 
The real questions are...

1. What harm does it do to keep a vehicle's appearance "original"? 

2. If someone puts an old car or truck back on the road but doesn't paint it, is that worse or better than just leaving it off the road? 

3. Is a truck like Toddzilla's the same as a "rat rod"? 

4. Who cares what someone else does with their stuff?

5. What would an alternative be for enthusiasts on a budget?

-D