Acceptable signs of use, or, if it's perfect, it lacks personality..... Options

[1970 Neun vierzehn]

personality, or in today's vernacular, "patina".

If it's too perfect, too original, too clean, too showroom perfect, it loses something that "use" imparts......the current operative word these days being "patina".

Some imperfections, or flaws, I would personally loathe. Door dings imparted on the side of my 914 by careless, lazy, or spiteful people would really piss me off. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

Minor stone chips on the nose and/or valence, or on wheel well openings, while not desired, do show use of the vehicle.

Similarly, modest wear of interior components (not tears, rips, cracking, etc.) point to a car that is driven and used, rather than put on a pedestal as an icon.

What precipitates this thread is my decision to forego any further pursuit to abolish my 914s' individuality, while yet still embracing the (mostly) EOM ethic.

Examples that will remain as-is as signs of use.

[Tom_T]

Hey Paul - I hear ya on that one, since the perfection monster keeps eating at ya as you go along on the car - any older car!

I'm debating how much to redo vs. just "clean-up" & maintain on my 73 2L, & if something needs to be taken down completely, then do it right. This inevitably leads to "scope creep" - "...well, since I'm doing this, then I may as well do that, & that, & this, & etc...."!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

IN total I have 4 cars under my care which ostensibly qualify as "classics" - 2 `88's, 1 `85, & my `73 914-2.0 - all will be (914 again) or currently are driven & the other 3 "non-914's" are current family DD's. So I try to rationalize what is upkeep/maintenance vs. pretty looks, then definitely do the former & some of the pretty-up stuff that makes sense. One factor which my working on the resto/repair of the 914 has taught me, it to get the parts needed on the other 3 cars now - before they go NLA &/or jack-up the price to cost a mint!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

In your 914's case, if it were me - I'd repaint the seat handles & dipstick handle to prevent any future deterioration &/or rust on those parts, but might not be so anal as to change the steering wheel & might just touch-up the gauge rings with a black marker to not offend the CW eye! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

Of course, you & Pat go back a long way, & he hasn't weighed in yet, so I think I feel a lecture coming! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)