Deck lid latch SS recever catch on body?

[Dick G.]

When your midyear corvette was painted, were the decklid SS latch catches on body in place and masked off, or did you install after the body was painted? I think I will install before paint and mask. Were your headlight assys. installed prior to painting. I was not going to paint on car, but the potential of damaging during install might change my mind. I think I could paint the headlight openings on the body, only and prior to the complete body paint and install headlight assys. after paint is applied to openings. I believe the headlight assys. were painted at the factory installed on the body, but paint coverage was probably limited on the inside of the openings. How have you seen this done? I want to imitate factory to a point, but I want full coverage. Any personal experiences on these procedures appreciated. Thank You! Dick Gutman

[John H.]

Re: Deck lid latch SS recever catch on body?

Dick -

I'm not positive, but as I recall, the stainless plates were installed in the Body Shop; all the latch and striker hardware was in place, and if the plates were not there, the latches would have damaged the body flange when closing the deck lid.

The headlight buckets were in place when the body was painted, but the headlights and attaching hardware were not; lots of photos in Noland's book that show them free-swiveling in the Body Shop and Paint Shop.