I have noticed that the underside of the hood on a 1970 is typically painted black in the center section. Is this correct, and if so what color black? Thanks
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Re: C3 Paint
Not just the center section, but the entire underside of the hood including the hinges is "semi-gloss to semi-flat (low gloss) black". Most engine compartments appear flatter than semi-gloss, but I believe the paint they used was actually closer to semi-gloss when applied fresh without contamination. The flat outside bottom edge of the hood is body color. Outside of the hinges ususally also had some body color overspray; masking in the hinge area was not too precise. -
Re: C3 Paint - More Detail
The outside face of the "perimeter beam" around the outside of the hood should be black, while the flat bottom edge of the hood outside of the beam should be body color. The separation between the body color and the black-out should not be a sharp edge like you get with masking tape; it should have an edge that is a little "fuzzy" or indistinct because the masking was done with cardboard or something held loosely against the surface.Comment
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Re: C3 Paint - More Detail
they painted the black after the body paint ws done, just laid some type of cover on the painted surfaces and shot the black..
johnnyComment
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Re: C3 Paint - More Detail
Hi Roberto. Actually, John Hinckley is the one that can correct any faulty thinking, mine or yours, and I would welcome his comments.
My opinion is that the engine compartment was blacked out before the body was painted because of the way the outside of the hinge usually shows body color but, to my knowledge, not blackout. Given the sloppy way the masking was done in the hinge area, I would expect to see considerable black on the outside of the hinge if the blackout was done after body paint. Other black out, such as the wheel wells, would have been done at the same time as the engine compartment in my opinion.
There is one inconsistency in my theory: Having a black out operation before body paint would require more than one black out operation which doesn't make sense from a production standpoint. I KNOW that the windshield frame area was blacked out behind the interior moldings AFTER body paint, and before any interior or glass was installed. This was obvious as I stripped the black paint off my pillars: there was body color under the black.
The black used on the windshield frame, however, was a higher gloss (semi-gloss) than that used in the engine compartment, so the windshield frame and cowl could have been done at a different time. On the other hand, it is hard to say that the difference in gloss isn't due to the interior black out being protected from the engine compartment elements. I personally believe that GM only used one black paint in the assembly plants, Part No 1050104 (one gallon). Different gloss levels of black paint on supplied parts resulted from differing paint processes of vendors.
If my thinking is faulty, I would really appreciate being told how it really happened.Comment
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Re: C3 Paint - More Detail
Oops, my bad. I must not have attended enough judging schools.
You are correct, Roberto. Check out the 70-72 TIM&JG:
"Check underside of hood, inner fenders and firewall for color and finish. The vertical portion of the fire wall is painted with black-out, as is the fire wall area around the brake cylinder or booster...The brackets that support the wiring and vacuum hose harnesses are installed before black-out. They may be turned for installation of the harness, exposing an area of body color over spray or an area without paint."
This doesn't change the answer to Don's question, but the fine points could make his black out (and mine) more authentic.Comment
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Thanks to all *NM*
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