65 chassis paint

[Edward H.]

I've repainted my frame trying to add a little durability along with a correct appearence. I sandblasted it, primed it with auto grey primer, sprayed it with rustoleum satin black 7777, then sprayed it with Quanta products asphalt based chassis black paint. The asphalt based chassis paint is a high gloss paint. I questioned Quanta about it and they said the paint is the OEM paint, and it is correct. Everything I read says the finish is semi gloss. I don't think the bottom coats effected the asphalt paint because we tried a little by itself and it still apears to be high gloss. I guess the difference between semi gloss and gloss is subjective but I would concider this high gloss. I just want to get it right. I'd appreciate any help.

[John M.]

Re: 65 chassis paint

Give it time, that asphalt based paint won't be that glossy for long! As the dust and dirt get on it and the water hits it a few times, it will dull right down.

Regards, John McGraw

[Michael H.]

Re: 65 chassis paint

I agree with John. In the C1 and C2 years, the original coating actually was somewhere near gloss when first applied. During the new frames trip to the St. Louis plant and then sitting outside for a while before being brought into the plant, the finish would tone down quite a bit before the car was actually completed. Then there's the trip to the dealer which could have been thousands of miles which would have added more dust/dirt. Try doing another test piece. Toss it outside for a week or two and see how it looks.

Somewhere around 1972 or 73, the formula for the coating was changed and the new produce was definitely semi gloss to begin with and dulled even more as time went by.

[Jack H.]

Re: 65 chassis paint

Without specifying the gloss factor (0-100%, 0=perfectly flat), the use of terms like medium gloss, semi gloss, flat, Etc. are very subjective....

[Edward H.]

Re: 65 chassis paint

How can you determine the gloss factor?

[Jack H.]

Re: 65 chassis paint

Only way is to have access to factory original spec's. On 'some' items, some years, the PPG data base at www.autocolorlibrary.com actually gives gloss factors here/there (e.g. interior components) in addition to the blend codes used. But, you're talking about a frame and that's NOT covered by the website and it wasn't considered an interior/exterior component...

[Dick W.]

Re: 65 chassis paint

If you are using paint to refinish your frame, I think that you will find that flattening your topcoat to "eggshell", as defined by PPG, is pretty close to the asphaltic base paint that was used.