What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

[Christopher J. Bunsey]

What is blackout paint for the muffler? The Judging guide says the muffler had this on it. Where do you find it, and is the whole muffler painted? What is a NCRS correct paint job? Is it painted on or off the car? The guide is vague for my 1976 L-83?

Thanks!

Chris

[Chuck S.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

The guide is vague because blacking out the mufflers was a subjective task dependent on the operator...the specifics varied from car to car. If you look at your 76 from the rear, you will note that the mufflers slope up toward the rear of the car, showing a broad expanse of shiny galvanized steel to the viewer...not unlike being "mooned" by your car.

Black out paint was applied to the bottoms, and maybe to some of the rear of the muffler to reduce their visibility and to help blend them into the bottom of the chassis. Experienced judges can give you more more details. Any flat black paint should be suitable...use high temp flat black paint, say BBQ black, if you want it to stay.

[Harmon C.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

As Chuck said just hit the bottoms and the sides and back about half way up should be good enough. Don't try to make it too neat. I use a heavy paper to keep the paint off the body and use BBQ black.
Lyle

[Joe L.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

Christopher------

As Chuck mentioned, "barbeque black" will work perfectly for muffler blackout----it's just about the right degree of gloss and it has higher heat capability without the need for very high heat to cure it (as VERY high heat paints require). It's practically the "perfect solution". I've used it for years.

As far as wheteher the mufflers were completely painted or just painted on the bottom, I believe that by 1976, and probably well prior to that time, the mufflers were delivered to St. Louis completely painted black. As such, no black-out at St. Louis would have been necessary. I'm not 100% sure about this, though, and would defer to someone with a car with original mufflers that might indicate otherwise.

[Christopher J. Bunsey]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

Were the tail pipes painted too? I will use the BBQ Paint!!!!

[Joe L.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

Christopher-----

If you are referring to the short extensions attached to the rear of the mufflers (which are, indeed, the tailpipes), yes, they are painted black.

If you are referring to the pipes from the catalytic converter to the mufflers, they were not painted, although they may have received some blackout here-and-there.

[Patrick H.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

Joe,

The more low mileage original exhaust cars I see (and there aren't many out there) the more examples I see with portions of black paint extending all the way forward from the mufflers to the transmission crossmember. Now, I only judge 70-72, and after 30+ years there isn't much paint left on any of them, but the only way I can explain it is if the original tailpipe/muffler pieces were, in their entirety, painted black at least to some degree.

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

Patrick-----

If so, I would say that the black paint must have been part of the black-out operation perfromed on the cars. I've never seen a GM exhaust pipe that was painted, including SERVICE pipes (where I would expect them to be supplied painted to mitigate the rust that otherwise forms on these things while they're in storage in the GM and dealer warehouses).

[Robert Willis]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

While working as a Mechanic and later as a Partsman at a G.M. Dealership I saw lots of service exhaust pipes in stock that were painted Black and there were some painted Gray. Back in those days parts didn't move back and forth between Canada and the U.S. like they do today so it may have been a Canadian Supplier.

Bob

[Patrick H.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

Joe,

I would have said the same thing until I'd seen some recent low mileage cars. I didn't have my present digital camera at te time so I don't have any pictures, but two happened to be at the Indiana Regional this past spring. But, based on the location of the paint (inner side of pipe in center tunnel) I don't think it was chassis blackout.

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: What is Blackout Paint? (C3)

Patrick and Bob------

It may well be that 73 or later Corvette exhaust pipes were painted, PRODUCTION and/or SERVICE. I can't say that I've looked at very many of those, although the ones I have seen were not painted. However, as far as 63-72 pipes go (the ones I've looked at, BY FAR, the most), I've never seen any that appeared to have been painted. Even the very last ones of these available from GM were bare metal.