I know this is going to stir the pot, but hear me out. A patina car — one with original paint that's faded and chalked over decades — tells a true story. Every scratch is documented. Every chip is honest. The car is exactly as old as it is.

A fresh restoration, done without photographic documentation, is essentially a forgery. You have no idea what's under that paint. The metal could be bondo over swiss cheese. The car could have been badly damaged and badly repaired before the fresh coat went on.

I'm not saying restorations are bad. I'm saying patina should be respected, not seen as a placeholder until you can afford to fix it.