1968 Smashed Special

Scott · May 8, 2009

sorry, I'm a builder. We call electricians sparky - just slang. My mate that runs an Auto Electrical shop here is actually quite a long way beyond an electrician and I should not be so familiar. His is a 65 fastback in aussie green with gold le mans stripes! So patriotic, if it wasn't for the American car of course... but there I go being familiar again. Lucky he shares my sense of humour.

Scott · Jul 8, 2009

Started the motor on Tuesday! Spine tingled to hear and feel that agian. Admittedly there are no fenders, fluids in transmission or radiator and no trim at all but it was a milestone regardless. Just need to get the new crash pad to fit now - looks like some fool set it up for the instruments to mount on the left hand side!

Scott · Aug 18, 2009

CANDY APPLE... something completely different

Time for another update now that the paint is on. Did six coats of PPG's opinion of what candy apple red looks like. You can see from the rear shot of the prepped car what colour it was previously so it is completely different now. I think I like it!

Need some advice from the traditionalists... Is it too early to ask if I should leave the stripes off? I am tempted to leave the back seat out - it weighs a tonne!

rvrtrash · Aug 18, 2009

1) I like the stripes. They catch the eye and draw it to the car.

2) In 1965, Shelby had a fiberglass tray where the back seat was in the GT350R models. In about 1995 there was a limited run of R models that had a tray instead of the back seat. I think something like that would be cool, as long as it doesn't look like you just removed the back seat.

Steve

franklinair · Aug 18, 2009

The rear shot looks like it was Royal Maroon! Definitely darker than the new paint, But I too like the new color.
Prev photos show the engine bay was red. Are you going to keep that, or put it back to the original Satin Black?

Neil

robert campbell · Aug 18, 2009

I vote for stripes and I would keep the engine compartment the candy apple red. Satin black is a pain to keep up in my opinion. If I was repainting my car again I would paint the engine compartment the same as the car.

But Rob is not a purist

tomcwarren · Aug 18, 2009

Here's the Shelby panel Steve was talking about. Used in fastbacks, so some mods for the coupe would be called for. Shelby mounted the spare tire, there, too. (this pic's from California Muscle Parts, aka California Mustang):

franklinair · Aug 18, 2009

I cannot paint the engine bay body color - I'm afraid someone would mistake it for a GM.

Neil:grin:

Scott · Aug 18, 2009

Engine bay is satin black... have painted the interior in the same finish. Is that entirely correct?

I think it was about 1/2 way between royal maroon and candy apple previously.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Reckon we've even got a theory on how to fit the crash pad back to front.

franklinair · Aug 18, 2009

Scott;
Engine bay= Satin Black.
Interior= Body color.

Thanks for making an old man happy!!

Neil

Scott · Aug 18, 2009

No worries Neil,

Should clarify I meant the black painted bits for the deluxe black interior- -should they be flat black like the engine bay or glossier?

franklinair · Aug 18, 2009

The engine bay shouldn't be flat black. 'Satin' is the politically correct description. Kind of a semi flat or semi gloss, depending on your interpretation.
The interior (floor, interior structure) should be body color, but in all practicality it's all covered up with the interior components (carpet, quarter trim panels, headliner, etc.).
I'm going to convert my C/S interior to Deluxe. It's already black, so I'll add the Deluxe components. As far as the metal interior parts: dash, doors, quarter trim panels, the 'correct' color is "Charcoal Black Metalic" (NPD# AP-4464).I've found the best way to do this color is to apply a Black basecoat, and then the Charcoal color. It will give you the best results that way.
Hope this helps.

Neil

Mosesatm · Aug 19, 2009

franklinair said:
Scott;
Engine bay= Satin Black.
Interior= Body color.

Thanks for making an old man happy!!

Neil

Neil, why do say the interior should be the body color?

robert campbell · Aug 19, 2009

Depends on the cars interior trim package. Most black interior cars got black dash, door, and rear quarter trim panels in black. Black carpet. Lots of body color interior trim packages that matched the exterior color, got the exterior paint of the car on the dash and so on. Amy's pebble beige car had a pebble beige colored dash when I removed the head light switch, you could see it.

but never say never. I bet some weird things were ordered.....

Rob

franklinair · Aug 19, 2009

Truth be known, I've seen many variations in interior colors. Some, it depended on the plant (Dearborn, Metuchen, San Jose). Some were body color, some were interior color. Restorers seem to use their own guidelines, be it body color, interior color, or even the red oxide (I prefer black- POR-15 or Rustoleum). My undisturbed '68 Conv (Metuchen) was/is the body color of Sunlit Gold, not the interior Nugget Gold. Kinda doubt if any of the factories had any hardset policy on this- just whatever was convenient. I honestly don't know if Concourse cars are inspected for this.
That's my story, and I'm sticking with it!!

Neil

Mosesatm · Aug 19, 2009

I thought you meant interior parts like doors, A-pillars, lower dash, etc. Anyone who paints those items body color should have terrible things done to them.

franklinair · Aug 19, 2009

No. I was referring to the buried surfaces (floorpans, etc.), not the finished interior colors.

Neil

Scott · Aug 19, 2009

well, I'm not sure what colour that paint would turn out... how would you describe the finish though - is the interior in a balck car satin like the engine bay or flatter than that?

Mosesatm · Aug 20, 2009

Scott said:
well, I'm not sure what colour that paint would turn out... how would you describe the finish though - is the interior in a balck car satin like the engine bay or flatter than that?

The exposed parts or the hidden parts?

franklinair · Aug 20, 2009

The exposed interior parts (whatever color the interior trim code specifies) should be of a satin sheen.
For the Black interior, as I described above (post# 32), the best results I've gotten was to put a base coat of any black semi gloss or satin followed by NPD# AP-4464 Charcoal Black Metallic. This will dry as a semi gloss of the correct hue.
As for the buried or covered surfaces (floorpans, interior structure parts) I use a rust inhibitor paint. Color choice is your option- no one's going to see it when the interior is done. I prefer black for this application, but that's just me. If you want to be an absolute purist, then use body color (as is done on the backside of fenders, quarter panels, and trunk) on top of the rust inhibitor paint.
Hope this helps.

Neil

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