'65 battery access panel

[Barbara S.]

I'm trying to figure out if the battery access panel for '65 A/C and L78 cars were in place during engine black out.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Tony

[Keith B.]

Re: '65 battery access panel

Tony,

Here is my observation and opinion. The paint on the two surfaces (panel and fender) are very consistent. In addition, there is black paint on the heads of the bolts in the inner fender. The lowest bolt on my car has been put on after the lower weather strip was added. They both have paint on them. If your going to spray I would attach and spray.

Keith

[Wayne W.]

Re: '65 battery access panel

My observations are these. The body was built up and the access hole was cut out. I am not sure exactly what point the cut was done, but it appears that the undercoating was already done or at least done just after that point. See the picture below. It shows the undercoating where the panel overlap occurs. It also shows the unpainted panel and the weatherstrip. Note the weatherstrip has the imprint of the undercoating on it. The access panel appears to be unpainted up until the point that it is installed, except that some time in the process some undercoating was also applied to the wheel side of it. Engine compartment blackout would have been applied to the engine compartment area. This would have covered the upper regions of the panel but probably not the lower areas. So the bolts are likely to have some black on top, but little or none at the bottom.

[Barbara S.]

Thanks! *NM*