Bumble Bee Stripe

[l78396hp]

I need a little help. I have a 67 SS L78 (396 375hp). I'm having it painted the original Bolero Red and have a question about the Bumble Bee Front Stripe. Was it painted from the factory or was it a decal? Also, was the rear cowl area around the gas cap painted matte black from the factory?

[1968RSZ28]

I need a little help. I have a 67 SS L78 (396 375hp). I'm having it painted the original Bolero Red and have a question about the Bumble Bee Front Stripe. Was it painted from the factory or was it a decal?

Painted.

Also, was the rear cowl area around the gas cap painted matte black from the factory?

Read this...  http://www.camaros.org/exterior.shtml#BlackoutPaint

Paul

[x77-69z28]

i got mine from stencils and stripes. it worked great. it is reproduced from an original gm stripe kit.
buddy

[william]

That info may be dated. Survivor cars have glossy black rear body panels and rockers.

[bertfam]

Sorry Bill, but I (respectfully) disagree.

 

I too am in the "semi-gloss" camp. Especially from looking at original documentation like the picture attached (Scanned in from the original 68 Dealer Sales Album, page 97). I also remember my next door neighbor coming home with a brand new 68 396 Camaro around Easter, 1968 and commenting on the black tail pan. I "remember" it as being semi-gloss.

Ed



And a higher resolution scan of just the tail pan:

[tom]

Ed, As somebody else mentioned in a similar post, what started as a semi gloss after 40 years of polishing could very easily now appear to be glossy. Count me in the semi gloss camp.

Tom

[jdv69z]

Panel was definitely not glossy orginally. Saw too many of these back when they were new. 396 SS Chevelles too. They were everywhere, or so it seemed.

Jimmy V.

[sdkar]

I have a question that may seem stupid.  But why did Chevrolet paint the rear panels on the Camaros semi-gloss black?  I understand that small block cars were not painted and that a semi-gloss tail panel means BB under the hood...but why?  I have heard that the semi-gloss and flat black paint on the hood was to reduce glare while racing.  Ford and Mopar were big on the blacked out hoods, but I don't think GM did this...did they?  But what purpose would blacking out the tail panel do?  I like the blacked out tail panel only because it represents a BB car.  But to be honest, it's kinda ugly and I would prefer a nice glossy paint job.  Was blacking out the tail panel the thing to do back then?  If so, where did this trend begin?  Who was the first to black out the tail pan and say...that's cool?  Was this something done by the racers that somehow had utiliity and crossed over to the street cars?  (Kinda like fake hood scoops).  Anyway, just wondering.  If anyone has an idea of why, when and how this trend started, I would be interested to say the least.

Steve

[tom]

I can't say who was first, or how it started, but I recall a number of cars had blacked out tail panels. This Big block Chevy's, and also some fords, and I can't recall for shore, but I think also an early Cuda a friend had back in the day.

[l78396hp]

Thanks everyone for your input. From reading the posts & CRG link I have another question now. I'll go with the black semi-gloss tail panel but what are the semi-gloss rockers that are referred to? 
Also, I was told by the second owner of my car that the bumble bee stripe was originally white. Was there a standard that GM used for different color cars?

[lakeholme]

Also, I was told by the second owner of my car that the bumble bee stripe was originally white. Was there a standard that GM used for different color cars?

Look here: http://www.camaros.org/numbers.shtml#ExteriorColors

If anyone has an idea of why, when and how this trend started, I would be interested to say the least.

Why?  JohnZ's statement applies, "To sell cars..."  If it had a real purpose (other than a cool way to advertize BB, like the literature of the day said), then COPO cars would have had it.  But no, they are "plain jane" --which was also cool. 

[tom]

Rocker photo from Carlile 2007.  Black out below the trim below the door.

[JoeC]

the SS also had a blacked out grill. To use a 60s word, it was to make it look "mean"