Undercarriage

[case12]

OK - so my weekend project has been the start of scrubbing my undercarriage. I got a lot of good ideas from another thread I started on the subject. I chose to use Greased Lightning - it works great. I am finding primer and overspray under those 40 years of road dirt. See pic attached - I also found a black paint strip just around and underneath the rocker panel. In most concours restorations, I dont think I have seen this before. It definitely appears original. In the pic you are looking at the rail, and in the foreground is the black strip of paint. Anyone else have this, or know why it is there? My undercarriage is bonestock original - 40 years in Pasadena - so I dont know why anyone would have added just this strip later??? Thanks, Casey

 

[somethingspecial]

The black strip on the pinch weld is factory applied on lighter colored cars. It helped hide the pinch weld and made it blend with the black asphault better. Darker cars did not need this strip. My Diamond Blue car has it as well. It is a J code coupe. Mike

 

[franklinair]

Correct. All 'pastel' colored cars had the pinch weld seam area painted black. I re-did it to my Meadowlark, as when it was repainted, it had been neglected.

Neil

 

[case12]

Wow! Thanks for the answer. Now that is a new bit of restoration information that I have never heard or seen before. I feel like an archealogist finding all this stuff under the years of dirt. Many thanks! Casey

 

[J_Speegle]

As mentioned this is just overspray (often heavy to the point of many runs in this area) from the pinch weld black out. This was applied from the front wheelwell to the rear valance (not normally pulled in at this point on 68's at SJ)

Take note that the black was applied before the front fender was installed and the over spray would be lighter on the floor pans (typically not reaching in as far as the body color due to lower gun pressure) and heavier on any panel that stuck down such as the rear spring mount, rear frame rail behind wheel well and things like seat support.

At the same time many (but not all the car) received some of the same black over the body color in the rear wheel well to hide it.

Hope this helps