@Luis Navarro did you mean there are two things - patina and rat? @Baysearcher Is my van a rat? I would say not but it is scruffy.
I'd call it patina as I've done nothing to it. I parked next to a fake early the other day. It had been blue, then painted red and rubbed through in all the wrong places. It looked alright despite that, the blue/red thing works.
Yeah I would definitely class them as different things. Patina to me is a well timeworn and naturally weathered look, whereas rat is more often than not taking a shabby vehicle and making it a 'thing' by making it even more shabby lol
Finally, with loads of compression, cropping, settings and a little whisky, I've managed to upload a pic. I did say it was a mess...... Definitely a survivor and showing his scars. The original tempest blue is just showing on the worn bits at the panel joins and under the gutters. Fix and re-spray? Sand it back to a risky patina/faux rat? or continue to say "**** you I don't care what you think"?
I like it. Definitely this, whatever you do to it. Probably a good idea to get some paint on the primer though. Brushed on rustoleum, tractor enamel etc. probably better than letting it rust. It's on my to-do list too...
Difficult to retain a careworn look when you replace panels and doors. It would be more trouble than making it into a shiney one. I sold my shiney buses (after having to restore them) and bought a naturally battered one. It's ironic that the battered camper freedom rose tinted carefree dream so often ends with the dreamer in posession of a shiney minter, worrying that someone will nick it.
99% T-Total actually, not had a drink since techenders. You think about these things as you turn rusty buses with character into shiney new looking ones.
It's a tough one. I'm more comfortable in a scruffy vehicle but a respray would probably add £5K to my bus... Still, currently leaning towards brush painting some parts in slightly the wrong shade (what's in the shed) to preserve it for as long as I can get away with it. I know, I'm jealous.