Topic: '71 Convertible Paint Codes and Finishes Reference

[Mike.Griese]

I am in the middle of restoring a '71 convertible.  The original engine is long gone, so it will never be a numbers-matching car.  Even so, the body has been taken back to bare metal and all (I mean ALL) rust has been addressed.  Since I can't take it back to original condition, I am building the car optioned the way I want vs what is on the build sheet.  This will be built as if it was something that Ford would have built in 1971.  I would like to put a concours paint job on the car and was wondering if there are any references I could use for paint codes and application techniques to obtain the appropriate finishes.

[J_Speegle]

I am in the middle of restoring a '71 convertible.  .......... I would like to put a concours paint job on the car and was wondering if there are any references I could use for paint codes and application techniques to obtain the appropriate finishes.

As for paint codes and finishes are you painting the car yourself or sending it out?

Paint codes will differ depending on what brands are available in your area, if the reformulated paints for that company have been recalulated for the old colors and things like that.

As for finishes it depends on where you are located and what is available/legal in your area. In some areas you just IMHO can't do restoration quality anymore since the legal products will not allow you to reproduce what you need.

If your reproducing the original paint look you will need to have the car to the unibody level with doors, trunk lid, rear valance and end caps in place. Overpray will reach across the floor pans (bottom side) about mid way, inward from the rockers. Things like rear wheelwells and part of the front wheelwells will get body color also over the paints, sealers and sound deadener applied before that.

As for exterior your looking for a even consistent level of orange peel across all sufaces

Hope this get the ball rolling for you

[Mike.Griese]

Thanks Jeff - This is a big help.  The car is being painted by a shop in Wykoff, Minnesota, which has some pretty "relaxed" requirements as far as painting goes, so we should be able to get pretty close.

One other question - was the underbody done in red oxide or black?

[J_Speegle]

..............
One other question - was the underbody done in red oxide or black?

Neither

It would have been a combination of a base (likely a gray epoxy primer) with ALOT of left over body color dumped in so that the primer would be a small percentage of the total finished product.

Color could be a ugly greenish, to purplish or towards a dark gray typically - just depends on the day.

This is why its important to examine and document the car when it comes apart - before its stripped

[Mike.Griese]

That explains why we didn't see any black or red oxide when the car was stripped.  There was a lot of grey.