Clear coat over original paint....thoughts??

[Wishmeluck]

84 Bronco still has the original paint job (see picture). Its got its share of little rock chips, the roof is pretty fugly and has some light surface rust, and the hood is a mix of primer and paint.

Part of me wants to have it repainted in the original red/white victoria tru tone scheme so it looks nice and shiny, but thats gonna be speeeeeen-dy!The other part of me is kind of likes all those little imperfections and badges of honor its acquired over its years, so I'm debating keeping them and just clear coating the entire thing as is.

Has anyone ever clear coated over the original enamel, chips, and exposed spots before? Would you do it again? Is is possible to clear over the rusty areas once they're tended too? Am I crazy for even considering this??

 

[Tiha]

I haven't but you see it all the time on different car resto shows. So it is possible. No idea how it holds up or anything like that.

But it can be done.

Kind of a tough decision but it is totally about what you want. Probably won't affect the value of the vehicle any.

 

[L\Bronco]

Hey Wishmeluck
I am maintaining the patina on my 79 (as best I can) I will be doing a bit of painting and blending (fautina) to fix an area where the previous owner started sanding the hood for some reason.
My experience with clearcoating over old paint is limited.
Ive seen a couple and both looked a bit like a gazed donut.
Just sayin.
It is hard to get a long lasting result without proper surface prep as well.
Not sure if I helped.
I am in the same scenario with my frankenbronci. For now, I dont drive it in the winter and keep it as clean as a functional 4x4 can be.
Cheers