Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Proper painting a visible pump

i have a GB 176 that I'm planning to do in Sunoco and put out in the yard. According to Jack Sims, the pump was made between June of 1931 and December of 1938. I have no intention of making a piece of jewelry. I just want to get the lighting working and make it look like it would have in say, 1939 if still in use and was repainted.
It has this crazy cracked up patina so I'm not sure what to expect, but I think I'm going to brush paint it. It is very likely that's how it would have been done back in the day.
I also have a crusty reproduction globe frame I've been rusting up for a couple years and set of repop lenses.