Black Out

[Patrick H.]

Re: Black Out pic

Believe it or not, I don't have a picture of that in my collection. Hard to say whether it's from muffler painting or from _____.

You mean you don't remember it from the times you've been under my car?

Patrick

[Terry M.]

Nope *NM*

[John H.]

Re: Black Out pic

Greg -

The muffler blackout operation was performed JUST prior to body drop, in the last station on the Chassis Line; it was sprayed from the side, and overspray on the side of the spare tire tub was common. The exhaust system was loose-installed on the chassis prior to engine/trans drop, and was buttoned-up to the exhaust manifolds after engine/trans drop.

[Terry M.]

Re: Black Out pic

So at this point the chassis was already right side up?

[George C.]

Re: Black Out pic

Page 69 of the book "Birthplace of Legends" by Pete Licastro shows a 1969 Corvette at the body drop area of chassis line. Muffler from the exhaust end to curve in rear is completely blacked out. I'm sure Licastro has even better pictures of the inside by spare tire carrier.

[John H.]

Re: Black Out pic

Terry -

Yes, the chassis was flipped right-side-up by a turnover device at the end of the Frame Line, where it was transferred to the Chassis Line. Photo below shows a frame just about to index into the turnover device. All the frame had on it at that point was the front and rear suspension, steering linkage, and the spare tire tub; everything else was installed on the Chassis Line with the frame right-side up. If you look closely at the very bottom of the photo you can see the links on one side of the chain-on-edge Chassis Line conveyor.

[Terry M.]

Re: Black Out pic

I see the hooks that grab the frame rails also. Now I'll have to go look at my collection to see if I can find that muffler with the paint runs going toward the top.

That picture sure looks a lot different than what they do at Bowling Green today, but the Corvette isn't a body-on-frame any more either. We've come a long long way.