CORRECT UNDER BODY COLOR

[Dave69x33]

To: Dusk Blue Z,

Very interesting. Your underside color appears virtually identical to mine.  Excuse my pictures, but I took these with 35mm film during the restro back in 1995, and then recently tried to take a digital picture of the print.

[hotrod68]

So, can anyone explain why my '68 had red primer on the underbody instead of gray? I find this fascinating. When I stripped the crud and undercoating off the floorpans I found a red, not gray, coating, then what I assume was a black sealer on the bare metal. I know it was this way because I stripped the car myself, layer by painstaking layer with solvent, Scotchbrite and a putty knife. I'm not doubting anyone--you guys know way more than me--please don't misunderstand. But the posts imply that red primer was never used at all. Was my car built on a Monday with a hangover?

[firstgenaddict]

Are you sure it is primer? I have heard that sometimes they cleared guns by spraying out on the bottoms of bodies...

[hotrod68]

I'm assuming it was primer, 1st Gen. The car had a base black coating over the bare metal--the factory sealer?--then a layer of what looked like red primer under the accumulated gunk I scraped off. I found no gray anywhere under the car. There was a base black coating, then a topcoat of red I assume is primer from reading the posts here. It wasn't overspray because the whole floor was red. Going by this, I primed the underbody red when I stripped it. That's all I know to tell you. And I appreciate each and every post about this. Thanks to everyone! I'm just a rookie in over his head on this thing and trying to learn. 

[Dave69x33]

AMEN hotrog68!!

Welcome to the "CART" club....Camaro Anal Retentive Technicians.....trying to do the best and accurate resto jobs we can on our Camaros.  Most all of us are rookies but that is why I really like websites like CRG to learn and SEE (.....keep the pics of original and survivor Camaros and parts coming...with assy date codes please....)

I now understand and appreciate what Corvette owners/restorers must have gone thru years ahead of us Camaro Guys and Gals, restoring their cars!  With increasing values of our cars, we Camaro owners/restores are following in their footsteps.  All this stuff is what makes our hobby very enjoyable, yet sometime very frustrating and confusing!

Keep the faith...and Happy Holidays…hopefully with some time in the garage!!

[GaryL]

Just a side note, but I like to see that original shifter with the molded rubber bushings. Is that self locking nut original?

To: Dusk Blue Z,

Very interesting. Your underside color appears virtually identical to mine.  Excuse my pictures, but I took these with 35mm film during the restro back in 1995, and then recently tried to take a digital picture of the print.

[Dave69x33]

Gary L

That is a unique shape shifter adjuster nut.  Check out page 324 in the 69 AIM. It calls out nut P/N-9791886 for SB, or nut P/N-3955770 for BB’s.  The nut pockets within the contour of the shifter bracket and has pushed up spike or grippers (like course sand paper) to help it bite into the bracket.

Heartbeat City, www.heartbeatcity.com, has very nice reproductions. Item #TRN-1271 for $5.95 is for small blocks.  They are black phosphate but the originals I have seen were more of a silver cad color.  I painted mine with Eastwood's Silver Cad paint that looks very close to the original color.

I have "an" original shifter (not sure if it is the original) in my 69Z that I have questions about.  I will start a new post to cover shifters in more detail.

[GaryL]

Gary L

That is a unique shape shifter adjuster nut.  Check out page 324 in the 69 AIM. It calls out nut P/N-9791886 for SB, or nut P/N-3955770 for BB’s.  The nut pockets within the contour of the shifter bracket and has pushed up spike or grippers (like course sand paper) to help it bite into the bracket.

Heartbeat City, www.heartbeatcity.com, has very nice reproductions. Item #TRN-1271 for $5.95 is for small blocks.  They are black phosphate but the originals I have seen were more of a silver cad color.  I painted mine with Eastwood's Silver Cad paint that looks very close to the original color.

I have "an" original shifter (not sure if it is the original) in my 69Z that I have questions about.  I will start a new post to cover shifters in more detail.

Sorry, I was refering to the self-locking nut on the 3-4 rod.

[rich69rs]

The primer process as applied resulted in what looks like a 30 degree gloss which is what you are all saying. The overspray issue is another dimension and I completely agree on the amount and variation car ot car.

Currently I am in the process of detailing out the underside of my '69 RS coupe from the trans tunnel back.  Rear end, springs, gas tank are out of the car.  The underside of my car has dealer applied undercoating which was applied very uniformly over the bottom of the car.  It has held up very well for the past 39 yrs.  The undecoating also covers the rear frame rails.  Original body color was Dover White.  When I dropped the gas tank, the area of the underbody, directly above the gas tank had a lot of white body color overspray, to the point that it almost looks like that section had intentionally been painted white.  As I have stripped off the undercoating, I've also found a lot of white body color (very thickly applied) on the rear frame rails.

[redge]

Hi , i have just paint my underside , i am not sure if i am 100% correct , the gray primer seems white on the picture but it is gray ,