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I just discovered the reality TV show "Chasing Classic Cars" in which one of the hosts said he'd prefer an original car with patina to a restored version of the same car. He said the patina added to the originality and value of the car.

This brings me to question which is preferable to a buyer/collector: an original 1938 Packard 120 hardtop coupe with patina or a restored one?

I need to specify that the guy on "Chasing Classic Cars" defined "original" as a car that is functional, not rusted, and is basically good to go.

as always
Garrett Meadows

It all depends on what you want. A restored car is better for a purchaser who want s restored car and an original car is better for the purchaser who wants original. It's like asking which car is better, a blue car or a green car.

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"Patina" is what we used to call weathering, rust and oxidized paint in desperate need of cleaning and waxing. Until we started having TV shows and auctions making up whole new meanings for what used to be simply colloquial English, "original" meant original. No hidden meaning. Original... as in unchanged from the way the factory made it.

And "restored" meant "returned to original appearance and function." NOW in this crazy world of today..."restored" means anything the person saying it wants it to mean. And the silliest, most modified stuff on earth is called "all original!!" Just recently heard someone decribing a poor prewar Packard with a "crate Chevy 350" dumped in it termed as "all original" as if this is a term rather than English language,

Nobody wants to stand up and say they have modified or rodded a car anymore. They just use buzzwords invented on TV and in auctions. And worse, there are folks like auction companies that have bank accounts and make up these long, professional-sounding descriptions of shiny thingamajigs they have messed with... and people buy them. People like SPARKLE AND SHINE. Months later they MAY figure out what they really bought.

Look at the Four Hundred on a popular auction site. Now painted in colors that Packard never used (looking at the serial tag it apparently was Corsican Black and Maltese Gray when new) but now they call it "red," It has an interior made of fabrics and colors Packard never used either. Also with a new aftermarket A/C dangling under the instrument panel, but with factory A/C doors on top and disconnected. Under the hood, an imported-looking modern compressor and the factory A/C stuff all missing (the blower port on the firewall is all blocked off with some black stuff and whole blower unit gone!). The exterior trim rings painted gold instead of plated gold... the black lines all removed from the ribbed side trim. And whatever those rear-mounted twin antennae came from-it wasn't a Packard. And the trunk is customized with carpet. Of course the incredible low miles claimed would mean it barely ever got out of the garage. So why all the presto-chango modifications, half-removed A/C and weird paint and weird interior on a virtually new car? And the write-up makes it seem like hey... might be this... might be that. One minute the history is known in great detail... the next, it's a mystery. Yet... with all this going on, looks like folks are climbing on top of one another to buy it!

Restored? Original? Those are terms that only once had meaning... but that was a long, long time ago.

And speaking of TV shows, one of my head-scratching memorable episodes is when they call a Panhard a "pan-hard"...HUH????? Wonder how many people were "taught" by that show? Important to remember... it's just TV.

It's reading well-articulated and highly informative responses such as yours that makes me feel like an absolute unequivocal rube. As such, I'm all the more appreciative that you take the time and make the effort to inform as opposed to be condemn.

You are so right about the ever-shifting sands of word-meaning as influenced by social media and contemporary TV.

Second, when I see what I personally term "pimped out" Packards in wild, loud colors, all I can do is shake my head in dismay.

as always,
Garrett M

PS: When I lived in Reno, Nevada, I used to routinely go through Davis to go visit my youngest son when he was at Berkeley.

The "problem" with chasing classic cars (ccc) is that he goes all over the country looking at stuff and 90% of the time vehicles don't bring at auction what they expect to bring. Sounds Like A losing Business proposistion to me. And then after the sale he's downplaying the sales price! It must be paying pretty good to have a TV show. I'm sure he knows his business but it doesn't make him look good.

My gripe is these guys and girls refer to an engine. As a motor.

And how can you go thru a car in 2 weeks. These shows that gives time lines to build. Something is going to be half ass d.

When I first moved to Reno, one of first stops was what is left of Bill Harrah's car collection. I heard from long-time Reno residents that Mr. Harrah had a phenomenal car collection and that remains is just a ghost of it.

I used to routinely attend the car shows in Reno and even went to a Barrett Jackson auction, although they saved the really high-end cars for the Las Vegas auction.

as always
Garrett Meadows

I, too, noticed that he never tells what he pays for cars. I rather get the idea he has money and perhaps his car-chasing is more of a hobby than anything else.

In a previous episode, he tried to buy back a 1937 Packard convertible his father once owned. He was going to pay $200,000, but got out bid. So, if a fellow has $200,000 at his disposal for a car he plans to keep, then I guess traipsing all over the country for cars is a nice way to stay busy.

we should all be so lucky.

as always
Garrett Meadows

At what point is original too far gone? I know people like patina, but original shiny paint and very nice interior is great to have. This 1953 Patrician has lots of 'patina' but it won't take a shine. The interior is shot. Yes the rocker panels and dog legs are rusty. Should it be left this way?
If I had a car with usable paint and interior, I would leave it alone and try to preserve it. If they get too far gone as in my 53 Patrician, then they should be 'freshened up' or restored.
But that's my opinion.

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