Misc. Keep the Paint Original or Body Work and Repaint? '81 CJ5 Laredo

[dtmirizzi]

Hey all,

I have been thinking about this for a little and I thought it would be best to pose this question to you guys. I am a new jeep owner and new to this forum so be easy on me.

Full context on the Jeep, Its fairly clean '81. It's a 304 and the engine was recently rebuilt. The paint is currently original as well as the decals (Laredo lettering fell off). There are only a few points of rust on the Jeep currently, on the passenger quarter panel, windshield frame (completely rotten through), and bubbling on the hood. Most of the interior is clean, with only a few bubbles of rust on the passenger floor pan.

I get most of my bodywork and paint for "free" as I have a bodyshop owner in the family (I would have to pay for materials, and work at the shop to pay off the labor). The repaint would only be the exterior, and it would be a matching color, and new reapplied decals.

My only reason really for keeping it original is that I have had a lot of people saying that I should, and I am unsure if a repaint would drastically decrease this jeeps value.

 

[WHATROAD]

Jut my humble opinion, clean it, paint it, make it look better. There are enough beat up, old looking, rust dotted cjs in the world. Forty one years on a vehicle have a way of making it look 141 years old. We get to do what we want with these things and many of us have changed the original product drastically. I'd rather not drive around in a worn out looking "old" jeep. The value can't go down by making it better. If you are thinking that its value comes from resale maybe you haven't been off road in it enough. In any case, get rid of the rust. It will only continue to spread. You will probably fine more when you start looking. If you can get a repaint for less than the rest of us then do it. Like any other vehicle, keep it clean and use it as intended. Welcome to the Jeep world

 

[dtmirizzi]

Yeah I should probably say that it is used as a beach cruiser.

 

[TSB8C]

Hey, mods are what it's all about. You restoring or customizing? Lifts, LED lights, winches, larger tires, different gearing, modified roll bars/cages, different seats, different axles, tranny swap, change the fenders and/or flares - what's a different paint color? My rig has been repainted, although with the original color. But that's the only remaining original thing on it, and I plan to change that eventually. New engine, tranny, and every thing else I listed. IMO, stock on a Jeep is boring. And BTW - the only thing that drops a Jeep's value is rust. If it runs good and stuff works, it won't go down.

 

[Bondo]

The paint is currently original as well as the decals (Laredo lettering fell off). There are only a few points of rust on the Jeep currently, on the passenger quarter panel, windshield frame (completely rotten through), and bubbling on the hood. Most of the interior is clean, with only a few bubbles of rust on the passenger floor pan.

Ayuh,.... With the Rat Rod thing that's been goin' on for the last 10 years or so, they just clearcoat over whatever came outa the field, 'n call it good,.....
You could just fix the rust, 'n bubblin', prime it, 'n clearcoat as such to be in vogue,......

I just picked up a '63 CJ 5, that had a glass body put on it 3 owners ago, who painted it(Everything) red,....
There's some fadin', 'n scratches where you can see the white gelcoat under the paint,....
I was gonna paint, atleast the outside of it a light teal,....
Too much work to spray the inside, 'n under the hood,....
'n light teal, 'n red go together ok,.... think boats,......

In the mean time, I'm gonna just grab my polisher, 'n rub, 'n buff out the ole faded chipped red paint,......