C2 Hood Pins

[William L.]

Should the male hood pins on a 67 St Louis car have over spray from black out, or were they installed after black out? I know that the JM says that they should have some over spray. I have an original 67 and I cant see any over spray on the hood pins?
Thanks Bill

[Jack H.]

Re: C2 Hood Pins

Judges typically expect to see a small ring of black out paint surrounding the 'lip' of the hood catch (where it abutts the hood). It's thought St. Louis built bodies had the catch installed when the underside of the hood was blacked out and a 'mask' (akin to a paper cup) was placed over the main portion of the catch. It's felt AO Smith cars were blacked out, shipped to St. Louis and the hood hardware (including catches) was installed there (after black out).

I can tell you, on original St. Louis bodied cars, I've observed raw fiberglass under the hood catches while AO Smith cars had black out paint there.

[William L.]

Thanks Jack *NM*

[John H.]

Re: C2 Hood Pins

A.O. Smith bodies had all the hood latches, strikers, pins, cross-cable, and release cable installed at Ionia, after paint; without all that hardware being present, the hoods would have been destroyed during rail shipment.