1960s 1961 vent panel correct paint scheme

[MidModCad]

My vent panel is currently all chrome (pls check pic). The body color paint (green for me) that surrounds the grill has vanished or rubbed off over the years.  Not surprising as the factory sprayed over chrome.  My question is, how much area was originally painted?  Just the border area around the grill, or did they paint the front facing portion that right angles down to the mounting bolts? Much as I hate to sand chrome, it seems that's the only way to get primer (epoxy?) to stick.  What say the Caddy mavens?

[Clewisiii]

They painted all the way to mounting bolts.

[quadfins]

Carl is correct.

[Big Fins]

My '59 cowl grill was the same way. Painted black all the way down. Just the tops of the 'rails' were cleaned off so they would shine.

[MidModCad]

Thanks all!  Took a closer look and spotted some tiny flecks of original paint confirming your posts.  Now if I can just get the paint to stick to chrome...

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The panel on my '60 had been fully painted, and I just removed the paint from the top of the piece to reveal the chrome with a sharp blade.   Then a wipe over with a thinners-dampened rag to clean up.   Worked beautifully.

Bruce.

[David Greenburg]

Haven't had to do anything to my '61 in this area, but on my '60 I went the OCD route, and taped the exposed chrome off, trimming it with an exacto knife. I then sprayed the exposed chrome with an "adhesion promoter" before taking it to my painter. That was 8 years ago and it still looks great.

[MidModCad]

That's it, huh?  I was going to sand, epoxy prime and surface prime before shooting. I redid those narrow black dashboard panels a few years ago, which are over chrome, and used etching primer before painting.  Worked great, but then they aren't exposed to the elements.

[David Greenburg]

While mine has held up well, the car is pretty pampered and not exposed to the elements. While it is driven at least weekly, it is otherwise always garaged, never driven in rain, and only washed every 2-3 years (I use waterless wash in the interim).