Color of Paint underside

[Plajoie]

I am restoring a 66 GT350H and under the chassis in the driveshaft tunnel is painted Gold is this something that you have seen?  The rest of the underside in the front is black the rear is black and the left and right sides are a light gray.

[J_Speegle]

Have you seen this before?  No never, except when a prior owner gets under there trying to "clean up" the area by repainting or overcoating and or getting creative.


Have a fair number of pictures of undercarriages and colors from unrestored 66 San Jose cars from all production periods. If you provided approximately when the car was finished at San Jose we can even look at other cars from the period. Looking at your previous posts it appears that you have an earlier car.

The black and gold colors on a Hertz makes it even more likely its not original  Have you sanded through all the layers, assuming that the original colors are still there, to the original floor metal?

[Plajoie]

Jeff Thank you for responding this is 6S521 and was shipped on 12/23/65.  It is very possible that someone painted this I was just making sure it was not a factory thing.

[Bob Gaines]

Jeff Thank you for responding this is 6S521 and was shipped on 12/23/65.  It is very possible that someone painted this I was just making sure it was not a factory thing.

I was not able to open the file you posted however even without seeing the picture I have the highest confidence level what you sy you are seeing (gold) is not a factory thing. Move on past it would be my advice. Best of luck with your restoration.The collective we will be here to help. 

[67_1183]

Picture changed to jpg format and attached.

[gt350hr]

    The tunnel in 6S477 is the same color as the above picture. Gold is not a color I have ever seen on an underside. It is consistent with all of the other '66s I have owned with original underbody paint. It often has metallic in it too.
     Randy

[Bob Gaines]

Picture changed to jpg format and attached.

Thank you. The color portrayed in the picture is not gold but a varent of the typical red oxide color.

[J_Speegle]

Picture changed to jpg format and attached.

Looks like someone sprayed black over the original red oxide in the picture as suspected. You might want to check out the following thread for additional information

http://www.saacforum.com/index.php?topic=380.msg1914#msg1914


Here are a few examples of the variation of tones I've found in the same general period as your car for comparison




Visible overspray from body color application

[rraceme]

to continue on this subject........  what about paint to duplicate this original primer color? I dont want to use traditional red oxide primer, rather use a single stage paint with strength and durability in mind and mimic the original color. Does anyone knew of paint already available? does PPG, DuPont, Sherwin Williams, ect........  offer this paint? or another paint vendors?  thanks Fred

[Plajoie]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

[J_Speegle]

to continue on this subject........  what about paint to duplicate this original primer color? I dont want to use traditional red oxide primer, rather use a single stage paint with strength and durability in mind and mimic the original color. Does anyone knew of paint already available? does PPG, DuPont, Sherwin Williams, ect........  offer this paint? or another paint vendors?  thanks Fred

Just to make a point the "primer" was not an open "normal" primer in the way many remember from the period but  an epoxy based primer sealer. Much different from the open/flat finish and lack of protective layer that many think of when they think of when thinking "primer"

You can have anything matched up in a paint but can't think of many auto applications that were a brick red or mud sort of color was used and you would want to add some flatteners - not allot. 25 years ago when I had a great auto paint store locally it took us 36 attempts (sort of playing around) before I was happy, to match a section of floor I needed for a project. Started with a red oxide PPG base with exterior toners.

Also consider that your looking for, in most cases, two different colors/tints of the based color for the two applications. More if your going to get away from all the red oxide applications like the back sides of valances, fenders, and other separate body pieces that had exposed red oxide finishes on a finished car in area. 

[rraceme]

Jeff- Thanks for giving me so much to think about. You are correct - Ive assumed what was sprayed under the car was the same primer used on inner fenders and inside valances. Did not know it was actually a primer sealer-this is what I love about this forum!  Now on my current\past restoration projects I use a PPG single stage paint i had custom matched to duplicate the original color. You are correct again, it is really hard to find the correct shade and tint paint.  Up until now what I've used is OK. When I start on my GT350 in a few months OK is no longer good enough.

I was hoping someone in this forum had a custom formula or establish paint code which I could use? 2nd question - typically I paint the inner fenders and valances same color of the car. Mainly because it looks better. Is that a No No for GT350's? I realize to each their own and personal preferences matter but I want to do it right. ( yes I know right means something different to a purest )  would I have variations of primer on valances and inner fenders compared to floor pan? or would it be "ok" to use the same color primer on those parts?

Thank you for your thoughts-Fred

[J_Speegle]

Jeff- Thanks for giving me so much to think about. You are correct - Ive assumed what was sprayed under the car was the same primer used on inner fenders and inside valances. Did not know it was actually a primer sealer-this is what I love about this forum!  Now on my current\past restoration projects I use a PPG single stage paint i had custom matched to duplicate the original color. You are correct again, it is really hard to find the correct shade and tint paint.  Up until now what I've used is OK. When I start on my GT350 in a few months OK is no longer good enough.

Firstly all of the different primer applications would have been done at different times and often the individual parts such as fenders, and valances would have been painted in different locations and factories. So you get different formulas, brands and mixes. 

The floor (firewall rearward) and the frame forward appear to be more inconsistent and may have had other things added into the mixes to extend the volume and save money as they did with the batch odd ball colors at other plants. Many will used at least three different tints and finishes since in many of the surfaces there will be a mix of heavy to little/fine to no overspray over the surface depending on where on the back side you look. This will affect the look of the base color and often not make it as noticeable as a non-coated finish would be

I was hoping someone in this forum had a custom formula or establish paint code which I could use?

We can all hope but there are few easy buttons or wish fulfilling fairies to make things easy. If there were everyone would be doing in and the achievement would mean less to many of the participants

2nd question - typically I paint the inner fenders and valances same color of the car. Mainly because it looks better. Is that a No No for GT350's? I realize to each their own and personal preferences matter but I want to do it right. ( yes I know right means something different to a purest )  would I have variations of primer on valances and inner fenders compared to floor pan? or would it be "ok" to use the same color primer on those parts?

Not that its not allowed but if your restoring a car that is the goal - to replicate what was done originally - not what looks neat, pretty or always to your liking. I would not use a floor color that was also used on the main floor for the back sides of individual body panels. Most would be way too dark and muddy or too light and the surface finish IMHO would not match either though the rough texture the overspray adds on some of the surface would deaden it somewhat - in places. Your trying to make it easy again  

[CharlesTurner]

Bolt on parts red-oxide was fairly consistent, much more than the undercarriage.  I would not use the same color primer as the undercarriage on those, the typical dp-74lf red-oxide is usually close enough for bolt-on parts.

Also, I didn't read the thread completely, but it's common for there to be a different color/shade of red-oxide up under the front frame rails extending to a line perpendicular with the face of the firewall.  The thought on this is the automated spray jets were not used for that part since the middle ones would have blown up through the engine bay opening.  It's something that most have never noticed or duplicated.  On some 65 cars with black primer on the belly, the front frame rails were sprayed red-oxide... further reinforcing the thought about the spray jets not turned on for the front part of the car.

[rraceme]

Thank you all for your insight and advise. When i read these SAAC forums, I find the level of information helpful and with incredible detail.
But in the future, if someone reads these postings about color of the undercarriage or other red oxide covered undercarriage body parts and would like to share a custom paint formula with me i would appreciate it (or others SAAC members interested). Im not trying to make my restoration less challenging rather color match as accurate as possible. 

For those DIY hobbyist out here (like me) - if you have a paint code or formula for a single stage paint simulating  the variations of red oxide primer, please share. As always, a genuine Thank you, Fred