Correct finishes for headlight assembly

[Jon Fairbairn]

Hello, I am restoring a 1970 454 Corvette Roadster in Ontario orange (poly bronze.) I am attempting to restore the car to NCRS specs as best as I can. I am an eighteen year-old student from southwestern Ontario, and have been restoring this car for four years, with help from my dad. The car is loaded with options (I think the only options it does not have that were offered that year are telescopic steering and burglerly alarm.) My question is regarding the correct factory finishes for the headlight assmebly:

1. The most important question is whether the headlight assembly mechanisms are visible, partially visible or not visible at all from the NCRSs' judge's perspective, (time and effort need not be spent on something that will not be noticed)
2. Then, for the parts that are visible and to-be-judged, does anybody know the correct finishes of these linkages, brackets, hardware, vacuum actuators etc? and, if/where there is body overspray? (I've read in one of my books that a factory linesmen would shoot semi-gloss black on the underside of the car and that theres suppose to be black overshot on the vacuum actuator?)
3. Any pertinent information or tidbits that I may need to know or may be helpful when restoring the headlight assembly

Cheers, Jon
staysmooth@hotmail.com

[Chuck S.]

Re: Correct finishes for headlight assembly

Which finishes?

I believe the headlight doors would have been painted installed on the body in the retracted position without the bezels. On the underside of the cast aluminum parts, you will have in order of application: green zinc chromate primer, possible slight overspray of red oxide, gray sealer, or body color.

When painted, the bodies didn't have any grill or bumper components in place, so it was easy to get overspray. Headlight door linkage will typically also have slight overspray and judges will look for this attribute. The best bet is not to try and figure out what the judges can see in this area, but to invest the time and effort to restore it to what the factory would produce.