Topic: SJ hood bezel painting

[ruppstang]

I have long thought the hood vent bezels were painted off the hood with the other small parts.
I am working on a unrestored 1968 SJ High Country Special coupe and removed a hood bezel for cleaning and discovered that the bezels had been painted on the hood. The hood is original to the car because there is a inspectors stamp.

I am not sure if this was a assembly plant thing or just a anomaly. It also has the lower outer nuts painted. I have seen this on other SJ cars too and though it was how kept the wire hook while painting but it must have been used to keep it in the hood while painting.

I pulled out some old bezels to see if they were painted in the same manor and the dark blue one a 67 SJ car had little paint around the edges. It has had one repaint. The light blue was fully painted but I do not know where it came from.

Has anyone else seen this?

[67gta289]

I think that the primary source for the thinking that they were painted off the hood is based on the Life magazine shoot pictures that showed that situation.

[J_Speegle]

..............The hood is original to the car because there is a inspectors stamp.

Marty the fact that the inspector mark is still present only would suggest that the bottom side of the hood or that area had not been painted though the top may have been.

Though we had an earlier thread focusing on the mounting nut finish that would surely related to this subject.  Not sure if we should automatically mix both years together since there could be production/practices differences so will focus only on 68 San Jose.  (NOTE did check the 67 SJ again and had a dozen examples where the mounting nuts were unpainted.)

Will gather and point some pictures

[ruppstang]

I believe this may be a SJ plant practice in 68 and possibly part of 67. The 67 bezel was from a latter SJ 67 so will wait for your pictures to see if there was a pattern The paint on top of the hood is original. I spoke with another restorer today that has seen this on other SJ cars.

[J_Speegle]

I believe this may be a SJ plant practice in 68 and possibly part of 67. The 67 bezel was from a latter SJ 67 so will wait for your pictures to see if there was a pattern .............

Latest I have is 7R23263x Mid July.  So are you referring to later than July production?



Far right bottom nut appears to have exterior color on it for some reason.

[J_Speegle]

Marty of course I can only view pictures of these details from below the hood and have few to none from the top with the turn indicator bezels removed.  Based on this let me offer the following. It appears to me that San Jose likely, like the rear quarter panel extensions (end caps) installed the bezels in the hood and spaced them away from the hood some what with one nut installed. After painting the lens, wiring, removed what ever they were using as a spacer and the rest of the retaining hardware was installed and tightened into place.

As mentioned this would reflect what was being one and had been done elsewhere on the car and would result in having one retaining nut painted body color. Normally the rear outer one.  Looking closely many of my pictures show this pattern.  The next question would be when this started so back to the 67 pictures

[ruppstang]

Latest I have is 7R23263x Mid July.  So are you referring to later than July production?

 The blue 67 SJ bezel was from a April 67 car.
I will have to look at the studs on the quarter extensions of this 68 to see if they were painted.

[J_Speegle]

The blue 67 SJ bezel was from a April 67 car.
I will have to look at the studs on the quarter extensions of this 68 to see if they were painted.

Thanks - The end caps is another discussion. Have allot of examples to demonstrate that practice for all fo the production years at San Jose.

As for the idea of the bezels being in place with one nut I offer the following evidence. Have some others but the hardware is so rusty that any paint that would have been there is long gone since the plating is

Some of the clearer examples. Had over looked this details when we've discussed and posted pictures of the wiring and hardware in earlier threads



8R10129x





8R12471x





8R12673x





8R13919x

[ruppstang]

The white hood in my first post is the 27K mile SJ white fastback in Kevin Marti's show room. It was a 12-67 build 68 and a very untouched car.

[67gta289]

Very interesting thus far.  I have a few to add.

7R01C157828 unrestored original paint car, with final rotation number found in the front corner.  I don't have a picture showing all seven nuts, but this one with six has painted studs, but notice the push nuts on the grills are unpainted.  I'm assuming as a result that the hood, bezel, and vent pieces were painted separately and then assembled.  It has the unpainted area where the hood was hung with hooks, as expected.  I'll throw in the pictures of the marks and rotation number for posterity.  The first three pictures are of this car.  I took these pictures myself.

7R01C1918** appears to be original paint.  I ripped this picture from somewhere but the resolution is such that to me it is really hard to tell if one of the nuts is painted or not.  I'm including it for those that might have better eyes.  This is picture #4.

7R01S1486**  Picture#5.  Not sure if original paint, I don't see hook shadow marks so might not be.  I don't see any paint on the hood insert nuts.

7R02S154*** Picture #6.  Looks like original paint, no paint on hood insert nuts.

[J_Speegle]

The white hood in my first post is the 27K mile SJ white fastback in Kevin Marti's show room. It was a 12-67 build 68 and a very untouched car.

8R02C1097xx I believe. Had some pictures in my unlabeled section. Not as nice under as most Calif cars but a nice example all the same