What color primers for what years? (early cars)

[Norris W.]

I know a '59 that had grey primer under it's original paint and a '67 that had red primer. I'm pretty sure my '63's were red and THINK the '62 was grey, but can't remember for sure.

Starting with late 50's up through '70 what colors were used and did it vary any depending on topcoat color? I've stripped original paint off of almost every year in that span but can't remember most of 'em now.

[Wayne W.]

Re: What color primers for what years? (early cars)

I know a '59 that had grey primer under it's original paint and a '67 that had red primer. I'm pretty sure my '63's were red and THINK the '62 was grey, but can't remember for sure.

Starting with late 50's up through '70 what colors were used and did it vary any depending on topcoat color? I've stripped original paint off of almost every year in that span but can't remember most of 'em now.

The gray (dark almost black) primer was common up untill sometime in 63 when it changed to red oxide. That red oxide had a sealer of dark gray with various amounts of coverage. Some cars and or parts of cars seem to have little on none, but in general it had the sealer. I am not sure of the cut off in the later years but the red seems to go at least through the polyester period. Once SMC became in common use the primers changed again. I have seen no indication that primers that changed with the exterior color.