C2 - 63 - Clarification on Dashboard "Tabs"

[Collin MacDonald]

I am refering to the portion of the dash board that attaches to the door jamb and is held in by five or six rivets. My question is this, what color?

I have read the 63 JM and it states the if a car has a contrasting color the instrument panel (Dashboard) tabs will be the same color as the external body color.

Now I have taken many photos of original cars over the past 5 years for reference when doing my 63. I also reference Nolan's book page 99. This states the dash was added after the body was painted and the tabs remained the color of the dash, but later production some where painted.

I left mine black (as the dashboard) and the car is Sebring Silver. I got marked down on judging because these tabs were not the same color as the car.

I told the judge my experiences seeing cars in the December - January time frame and those cars had the tabs same color as the dash, NOT the exterior color of the car. I also referenced Nolan's book, and still got marked as it did not agree with the JM...

OK I accept this, but WHO IS RIGHT? I will take the points, but I want to be right, I also am willing to paint it the color of the exterior, but I want to be right...CAN ANYBODY SHED LIGHT ON THIS SUBJECT... FYI I know in later years it was different, I am talking a car built 24 Jan 63.

PLEASE HELP>>>>>>

[Michael H.]

Re: C2 - 63 - Clarification on Dashboard "Tabs"

Collin,

The 63 JG is... well, partially correct, I suppose. In 63, ALL dash end tabs were painted body color, using exterior body type gloss paint, no matter what the combo of interior/exterior colors. The instrument panel was indeed installed long after body paint and after installation, the end tabs were masked and the tabs painted, including the rivets. Again, the interior/exterior colors had nothing at all to do with this process. Every 63, and 64, had gloss body color tabs. (well, possibly not VERY late 64?) There are usually traces of body color on the end of the dash pad near the dash tab. This is a resuly of a poor fitting mask.

Starting in 65, or somewhere near SOP of the 65 model run, someone decided that if the interior and exterior colors matched, there was no need to mask and repaint the dash tabs as they would already be close to a match to the door jamb/exterior body color. This left the tab in it's original semi gloss interior color, different than the exterior high gloss level. Because the tabs in matching int/ext color units were not repainted, the black rivet heads were left unpainted. In 65-67 cars with NON matching int/ext colors, the same process that was used in 63-64 was continued, and the tab/rivets would be gloss body color. This system continued through the end of the 65-67 series.

I think a lot of people are confused on this issue as I've heard a similar mistake exists in one of the 65-67 JG's also.

This..... you can take to the bank. It's exactly how it happened.

[John H.]

Re: C2 - 63 - Clarification on Dashboard "Tabs"

The "tabs" on units with contrasting interior/exterior colors were painted in Final Paint Repair, after the car came off the line; that's one of the (many) reasons Final Paint Repair had about 125% capacity vs. the production rate on the main line.

[Kenneth S.]

Re: C2 - 63 - Clarification on Dashboard "Tabs"

The ’63-4 Judging Guide says: “When the body color and the dash panel are the same color, the end tabs are the color of the dash panel and the rivet heads have a black or natural aluminum finish.” My car is red/red and the original rivets were painted red. When I restored the car I left the rivets black to avoid an argument with the judges but if I’m reading your reply correctly the ’64-4 Judging Guide is incorrect.
Ken Schurr

[Michael H.]

Re: C2 - 63 - Clarification on Dashboard "Tabs"

Yes Ken, the JG is incorrect, if that's what it states. Every last rivet in every 63, all 215,130 of them, were painted body color along with the dash panel end tabs, no matter what the color combination of the car. (possible some/all of the 25 pilot run cars were not done this way though) Your original paint tabs/rivets were just one more to add to the huge number of originals that still have their original paint in this area. I would change the wording in my JG to "all tabs and rivets ARE body color" for 63-64. I think most of the 63-64 judges that know what they're doing are aware of this error and judge expecting to see gloss body color tabs/rivets.

It was the 65-67 with matching int/ext colors that changed the process.