should I paint?

[Ent73]

i have a 73 (original owner). Nothing has ever been done to this car...well to be honest I have replaced the muffler, tires, top and generator.

my question is this. should i repaint it? it spent its time behind a motorhome, so it has some chips on the front, and the "THE THING" decal is starting to get brittle. the paint is not too bad, but it looks like it is 30+ years old. I am torn between the survivor look and the clean new look. What should I do?

[TimGud]

I use mine so painting it is out of the question. Nothing wrong with a few rock chips if you can live with it.

[Patmus]

While OG and "Patina" are all the rage I think the question you need to ask yourself is how much your beloved VW is at risk for rusting out with it's paint in it's current state. If you live in a dry climate and your paint is intact enough then let your sense of style be your guide. If you live in a wet area then at the very least you need to watch out for rust bubbles in the areas prone to rust and in the spots with the most wear of the paint. Paint it now or weld it later!

Good Luck,
-Pat