"To Paint or not to Paint"
 

What's up guys!

Here is my next dilema/decision. I am considering a repaint on my SSP. The factory paint still looks very good, but is not quite up to my level of perfection. I have a trusted body man of 25 years that can do the job RIGHT. This would include stripping the car down to bare metal, removing all trim, hood, bumper covers, rear quarter windows, door handles etc. The tape would be "rolled" to look like the car has never been painted and all body panel decal would remain intact.

I am a firm believer of keeping factory paint but cannot get the desired outcome I am striving for. If painted, I like the current concept of keeoing it like the 1993 Brochure car.

I will be into this car for more than what it is worth, but I don't plan on selling it.

Please let me know your thoughts as I am really torn on what would be best.

THANKS!

based on previous ownership as it looks-i would put it back in the Winter Park PD livery.

just my 2 cents

what did it look like when it was a Winterpark car.

You aren't happy with it the way it is, so I say paint it. :)

I agree with Bret on the Winter Park comment, but there again, it's your car and I think you have to do what makes you happy.

+3

I have been leaning toward that route. As a matter of fact, I contacted Winterpark PD Monday and the officer who dove the vehicle still works there. He has photo's he is forwarding to me. The fleet manager remembers the car and is looking for the service records.

I agree with getting back to "in service" stock. It seems more like the right thing to do.

+4 Anyways, one can always turn a non SSP coupe into the brochure car.

Decision Time
 

The "jury has spoke". I will be painting the car this Spring (as my body man is that good and booked until then) and putting back to the Winterpark PD in service specifications.

Thanks for the input!!

Barry

:2thumbs:

Leave the original paint and enjoy the car. If you decide to return the car to Winter Park livery I would still try to leave the original paint if removal of the current livery will allow you to do so. There are NOW and will be in the FUTURE LOTS of restored SSP Mustangs but very few original paint cars of any official livery.

I am at that crossroads with the EVOC car. John had to paint the car given the poor condition of the original paint. The rest of the car is in very good condition or will clean and be very nice. Perfect no, but very nice!

I have decided at this point that I will "preserve" the car rather than "restore" the car. That means heavy cleaning and detailing, not a spray can rebuild! I will be recovering the package tray and rear seat belts retractor covers since the felt has sun faded however all the seats, carpet door panels, headliner and rest of the interior will remain original. I will be cleaning and detailing the engine compartment and undercarriage but not repainting. The EVOC still has all the spring tags and other markings that magically appeared after pressure washing. I will run original General XP Pursuit tires with the NOS rims that came with the car. Since I now have lots of 10 holes I will refinish another set with new high performance aftermarket tires for extended street driving or track events.

I would give this decision of whether to paint the car very careful consideration before I jumped at painting the car. If you are not happy with the current condition of the car then by all means paint. It's your car and YOU need to be the one that's happy and to Hell with the rest of us and our opinions.

I find the idea of potentially returning the car to Winter Park livery to be interesting. However Winter Park would have to VERY different and unique, as most "local" jurdictions have very blaw, plain or down right UGLY looking livery packages. I would certainly not "back up" and make the car much more plain if the Winter Park package is plain. The current livery of your car is very neat and unique.

Given the current prices at which you can buy a superb/restored SSP car versus what it will cost to paint your current car, I would go shop for another SSP that meets your standards and buy another car. A proper paint job for your car will cost $5,000 or more. Then consider what you have originally paid for your car and the paint decision is hard to justify. Why not go spend $15,000 for the nicest restored SSP you can find. Yes, you will spend $10,000extra over what you would spend for a paint job on your currentl car but also have 2 superb SSP cars instead of one SSP that's STILL all apart in BODY SHOP PRISON!!!!!!

In regards to the CHP EVOC car, I highly applaud your decision. I had a couple of excellent opportunities to buy this one when it was still out west and had I done so, my intentions were to do the highest degree of preservation rather than restoration on the car. They are only original once and I agree that the whole car collector hobby is gravitating toward valuing preserved units much higher than restored ones and for good reason.

Likewise, I also would put it back out in it's element (track events) as much as possible as that is where I think it would show the best and be the most fun to own. I would, however, be DAMN careful with it!

Tough call on the Winter Park car. If the original livery was bland, I'd lean toward using the current highly interesting scheme, repaint or not.

One other thought to consider, since preservation has been mentioned a couple of times:

It's a rare car, and even more so since you've been able to find the original officer that drove it. That's a big plus, and very few people have been fortunate enough to be in your situation.

The brochure theme, while really nice, is not what the car was originally, and it's really just a clone.

Bottom line, it's your car and I think you should do what makes you happiest with it. It's nice as-is, and will be nice if you repaint it, too.

I dont care if the WPPD colors were teal and pink with purple lights, it wouldn't stay like it is, if it were mine.

Decisions
 

I agree with all the responses and believe there is not one correct decsion. If you saw the car everyone would probable hesitate to repaint. Being a collector, the originality was ALWAYS most importnant to me. I don't know what the future holds for these cars.

I am hopefully going to receive the pictures of Winterpark livery soon. Lets hope the stripes are not hot pink and electic blue.

What I am going to do is remove the stripes of the "brochure" car and see how the paint looks. While I like the concept of the car currently, I believe it should be in exact livery when in service. I certainly DO NOT like the black moldings as they were painted. They will be going back to white.

Regarding the money invested, I am over what the car is worth. I know this and NEVER do this. I don't want to sound like an a*s, but this is also a passion and hobby, and I am not concerned with being a few grand up side down in this car as I don't plan on selling it.

I have owned over 40 cars and have done much research. These cars will go up substantially in value over the next ten years as cumulative production numbers are very low and most have been wrecked or turned into race cars.

Let's see if these decals have done any damage upon removal. WE, can pool the jury again.

Thanks for the input guys. Keep in coming.

Best

Good point.

Hate to see the brochure car go away though. Would be nice if some owner of a white '93 with an unknown pedigree steps up and recreates another one.