Hi,
I'm getting my 59 Series 62 ready for the Grand National and need some help with engine compartment details.
1) What color should be along the side of the front fenders (between the hood hinge and front windshield)? See picture 1. At first, I thought it should be a shade of black (semi or satin), but as I sanded it, I see there was original red body color underneath.
2) Extending toward the center of the windshield, what color paint should be underneath the chrome windshield wiper grille? Is that area blacked out? If so, semi-gloss? Or is it body color down there? See picture 2.
3) According to the 57-58 Authenticity Manual, the inner wheel housings, in the engine compartment, should be semi-gloss black. Would you guess that's the same for a 59?
4) Lastly, before I spray the inner wheel housings, I'm adding new A-Arm dust shields. Should I add those first (with new staples), and then paint? Or were the dust shields added last during production, and therefore the staples should be left unpainted?
Thanks very much for the help! :)
-Ivan
I'm not 100% sure, but the red paint you see is in fact the primer. The factory then sprayed black paint on this area.
Last I knew they '59 authenticity manual has not been published.
You can contact any of the class judges for any details.
I don't think you'll find new staples, nor a way to apply them for the weather shields. I've been down that road.
opinion; It's impossible to know what history your car had.
If you sanded the area, it's probably what Roger said, you went down to primer, which was typically red oxide in this period. I don't believe the inner panels that were painted semi black were primered typically. Primer was usually under the finish coat. Those panels would be exterior color. Those that were undercoated or not visible were in primer.
Staples are available from Steele Rubber. But you have to install manually
I believe your entire firewall should be body color,. My opinion. I don't know if they would have masked off seperatly in the plant to paint that area another color. Inside of the cowl I believe that is a similar material to the spray undercoating. So it would be a black.
If the paint code is for a red car, it will mean that the black paint was applied at the factory. Not so complicated and cheaper to do than body color.
The cowl bracket to which the body tag is riveted should be painted low gloss black. That is red oxide primer as others suggested. I wouldn't think the staples nor the splash guard materials should be painted with anything more than a mist of "incidental" overspray.
I'm not certain whether the chrome grille intake should be semi gloss or gloss. All the ones I've seen appear semi gloss but it might be that it was gloss that had simply become weathered over time. I doubt either would incur a penalty in CLC GN judging since the matter has yet to be settled officially.
Semi gloss for the underhood fender shields, braces etc.