Slope Gray painted parts

[aboss4tg]

Need to confirm what was painted slope gray on the car in the engine bay area. Brackets, shock tower caps etc.

Just started the 1969 GT350 on Thursday for the first time in Five years after a major rebuild of the whole car and motor was smooth and ran perfect. Will try and post pictures of the process.

[Special Ed]

fastback or vert

[aboss4tg]

fastback

[Special Ed]

main difference is the fastback package tray (if not fold down seat) & convertible lower frame brace all other front end parts are the same.

[Bill]

Need to confirm what was painted slope gray on the car in the engine bay area. Brackets, shock tower caps etc.

Just started the 1969 GT350 on Thursday for the first time in Five years after a major rebuild of the whole car and motor was smooth and ran perfect. Will try and post pictures of the process.

Can't speak about the rest of the detailing in the attached picture being 100% concours correct or not (Ed/Bob?), but the following major parts are painted slop gray, at least on 1584 when done lightly steam cleaning the original engine compartment.

Shock tower to firewall braces
Front brace/bracket (can't think of the proper name this AM) for the hood latch

Do not try and match the color to the picture, as the "tone" of slop gray changed from day to day. My advice if you want 100% correct would be to find an unrestored car built the same day as yours and try to match that version of slop gray as close as you can.



PS: Yes, in that picture, two bolts/screws are missing from the hood tie down brackets to radiator support, they are there now 

[Special Ed]

1969 shelby fastback slop grey parts  metal package tray (if non fold down seat) battery tray,pair shock tower braces, pair outer coil spring snubber braces,hood latch support,pair small lower fender channel outer braces.  NPD sells slop paint in a can.

[Bob Gaines]

Need to confirm what was painted slope gray on the car in the engine bay area. Brackets, shock tower caps etc.

Just started the 1969 GT350 on Thursday for the first time in Five years after a major rebuild of the whole car and motor was smooth and ran perfect. Will try and post pictures of the process.

Can't speak about the rest of the detailing in the attached picture being 100% concours correct or not (Ed/Bob?), but the following major parts are painted slop gray, at least on 1584 when done lightly steam cleaning the original engine compartment.

Shock tower to firewall braces
Front brace/bracket (can't think of the proper name this AM) for the hood latch

Do not try and match the color to the picture, as the "tone" of slop gray changed from day to day. My advice if you want 100% correct would be to find an unrestored car built the same day as yours and try to match that version of slop gray as close as you can.



PS: Yes, in that picture, two bolts/screws are missing from the hood tie down brackets to radiator support, they are there now 

On a fastback add to the list battery tray, spring cover shields and channel shaped supports from front frame rail to lower forward part of front fender.

[aboss4tg]

I appreciate all the input. Colored matched the parts from the original slope gray on my floor pans before restoration. I cut out a large floor pan section during restoration. Only piece I need to change based on your information is the shock tower caps, paint them Black based on what everyone has said.

[Coralsnake]

I hate to be that guy, but the color is usually referred to as batch paint or slop gray. "Slop" is a slang for the ugly colors made when left over body color was mixed with primer. The color was not always gray. I would describe the color on my 1969 as dark army green. So knowing the build date is important. Ford did this for cost savings.

[Ldouble619]

I hate to be that guy, but the color is usually referred to as batch paint or slop gray. "Slop" is a slang for the ugly colors made when left over body color was mixed with primer. The color was not always gray. I would describe the color on my 1969 as dark army green. So knowing the build date is important. Ford did this for cost savings.

So you are saying there is no rise over run?

[polyglas]

1969 shelby fastback slop grey parts  metal package tray (if non fold down seat) battery tray,pair shock tower braces, pair outer coil spring snubber braces,hood latch support,pair small lower fender channel outer braces.  NPD sells slop paint in a can.

The above items were dipped rather than spayed for correct original appearance.

[Bob Gaines]

I appreciate all the input. Colored matched the parts from the original slope gray on my floor pans before restoration. I cut out a large floor pan section during restoration. Only piece I need to change based on your information is the shock tower caps, paint them Black based on what everyone has said.

The parts were most likely painted from different mixture batch's then the floor pans (darker , lighter, different shade etc.) and so it would be extremely unlikely the different parts would match the floor pans exactly. I wouldn't want everything the same tint and would to tint the parts lighter or darker from your floor pans but not exact if it were me. In any event I doubt you will have people comparing.   Also even though floor pan batch paint typically had Gray was a predominate ingredient, all other colors of the rainbow of the waste paint were added to the mixture . I have seen dark maroon variation for instance .That is for the floor pans. The other parts varied somewhat in shade but not the extreme like the floor pans . The parts batch paint varied but typically had gray as the predominate ingredient with a blue green tint mixed in . If you are off a little one way or the other it would be hard for someone to cry foul given the range typically seen. At least that is what I have seen over many years . Others may have a different take on the subject.   

[rhjanes]

Concur with Mr Gaines. 
When I did my 1970 Dearborn Mach, the floor pans are mostly grey, but lots of other colors are in there.   My restoration expert at the time said "well.....the good thing is there isn't any right or wrong on this.  Your car and the next few cars on the assembly line, would be the same.  But the same line, the same day, 4 hours different and the shade will be different because of whatever color paints got dumped in".  My paint store did the ID on it and came up with a base of some industrial grey.  He handed me some pint cups with some blue, some green in it.   I could even see some metallic in my floor pans.  I took it all home and played with it for an hour until I had the closest I could get to what was actually on those floor pans.