There are plenty of people on both sides of this. When you get a fixture - off the internet, streets, or buildings - do you preferer to restore it, to get it as close as possible to how it looked as it left the factory; or do you leave it as is, letting each fixture show its age and character?

I'm on the latter side. I clean the loose dirt and cobwebs off the fixture and that's it. I like the look of fixtures that have clearly been is use for a long time and work perfectly regardless, a testament to their durability. A good example is my Thorn Beta 5. It had been painted white in the past, but weathering has gotten rid of most of it. I even prefer the yellowed bowl. Some may say it doesn't look as good as a factory fresh appearance, but that's why I like it. I think things are cool because they're not.

It would be great to hear what others thoughts are: which side do you stand on and why?, Is it fixture dependent or one rule fits all?

Depends on what condition the fixture is in, if the fixture just looks weathered, then I'll just leave it as it, but if a fixture has some "aftermarket" modifications done to the housing, or is otherwise damaged in some way, then I'm more likely to restore the fixture.

 For me , it depends on the fixture . My Wide-Lite F-series flood and my finned GE M-1000 with P/C both got full nut and bolt restorations back to like new condition as I felt they "deserved it"  . I have several other fixtures that got nothing more than a good cleaning and check-over to make sure they're electrically sound . The "as found" condition and general rarity of a fixture are the determining factors of weather or not I'll go the full resto route . If the fixture is in cosmetically good shape and electrically complete and sound , such as my westinghouse OV-50 700w MV , it's stays as found except for a good cleaning and check-up .

Yeah depends on the fixture really. My B2255 has a original housing, although I did replace the ballast to 400w MV from 250w HPS. My GE M-250R Crimefighter got a more extension restoration with a new paint job, replacement capacitor, and a revarnished original ballast. That being said, I do take apart all used lights in order to give them a good cleaning and I'll also scrub the glass to make them shine. I'm not a fan of having dusty and dirty lights around indoors. I suppose if I were to install them outside I'd might skimp a bit on cleaning.

I also collect older traffic lights and those are a mixed bag. Most I just clean up and replace any stuck/corroded fasteners with new. Some that were in more poor shape or had the paint in bad shape got new paint jobs. I'm considering repainting one of my signals I've had for years this summer due to the brush on paint job it currently has.

I do strive to keep most of my restorations original looking but I'll also retrofit modern features such as terminal blocks and grounding in some cases. One thing I do like to avoid using are wire nuts. Sometimes ballast designs require them but I found it's possible to hide them or avoid using them by using crimp on terminals instead. Some fixtures I'd acquired in new or NOS condition, those have minimal work done on them, usually most I do is wire them up to a cord and change ballast taps to match the voltage.

 

I guess it depends on the condition. I've only really gotten one used fixture and I mainly just wiped it down and polished up the paint a bit. If I'm using it outside it doesn't have to be perfect, in fact I'd rather have an already weather beaten fixture for that rather than have a factory new one end up getting weathered. Sometimes IMO the weathering gives it character. But if it's going to be an indoor queen then yeah, I might restore it with new paint, etc.

High intensity - aftermarket mods can be a double edges sword

Wide-lite 1000 - Everyone has that specific fixture(s) that they like above all the others. For me, it's the GoldenRay series. If I get one I may think about restoring it, or perhaps the first lantern I ever paid close attention to. But other than that, they're all uniquely aged.

Joseph_125 - All our (post 1973) traffic lights are plain black plastic. No paint to chip away, just a blast with a garden hose and the occasional wipe down once inside. I know, I have 4 of them

Cole D - That seems like a good split. I wouldn't want a brand new (looking) fixture outside either. I'd have gone to the effort of getting one new or making it look that way, I'd never want so much as a scratch on it!

For me, I always prefer the weathered look.
If I do decide to restore, repaint or alter a fixture, it's usually because of the following reasons
A - It contains hazardous materials like asbestos seals or capacitors with PCBs inside which need to be removed.
B - The paint is flaking off and making a mess.
C - The fixture is very dirty and needs cleaning/insect removal
D - Parts are missing or broken

I've never had a fixture where A or B apply. C is most of them though, especially with GRP canopies. A blast with the hose and 10 mins with a wire brush does the job. I do have a fixture where D applies, but I only replace the damaged component.

On enamal fixtures, I carefully remove the rusted spots, then protect them from rusting further. I will not paint them because that will ruin the enamel look.

I've never dealt with an enamel fixture. I'm guessing that's things like the SORA? Those fixtures you would definitely take care in cleaning.

We're not really into fixtures, apart from our two Gamma 6's and a Beta 5, but those we left them as they were. I suppose if we ever did get one that was in a really bad condition we might consider restoring it to as new condition.

I would restore my used street lamps (when i get proper equipment, of course). Then, if i got more of the same thing, i would also restore them and install them.

Here's some examples of what I keep original:
My 2 Sylvania B2222's had their cast aluminium gear housings painted dark blue to match the colour of the building they came from. The non factory paint highlights the history of how the lights have changed since leaving the factory.

What I would partially restore
One of my AJ Ferguson Zodiacs had damaged wires and lampholders that needed replacement. Everything else is still original, including most of the nuts, bolts and screws. I even left the graffiti on the diffuser as it gives the fixture some very unique character that's not possible with natural weathering.

And lastly, what I fully restore
The first streetlight I ever got was a Sylvania Roadster I found on the side of the road. It had been there for years and was covered in dirt, had an ant nest inside the gear compartment and dirty green water inside the optical chamber. The paint that was exposed to the weather was flaking and falling off, the gear was unusable due to being waterlogged and the lamp was smashed. I had to do heaps of cleaning, replace the gear, repaint the damaged area and find a new lamp.

One more thing I would like to mention is the only time I keep fixtures in factory condition is when they are NOS.

Rommie - I too don't care for fixtures parsay, but I do find what different companies do to maximise lamp output interesting. The only exceptions are the lanterns I grew up with.

HM1000 - Almost all of mine have been good to go in terms of gear. I have the mind 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

108CAM - Graffiti on the diffuser, now that's something I haven't seen before.

I prefer brand new if possible, but used is alright with me. For example, my M-400A is used from 2008 but it still looks and works great.