Topic: Front valance paint application - 69 Dearborn

[ruger]

Was it standard practice to paint the inner side of the front valance the body color?  Going over my pictures from almost four years ago I see Silver Jade all over the inside of the front valance.  Thanks
I also want to add,  when removing the black from the firewall forward the engine compartment was also Silver Jade.  Previous owner did a rattle can job on the engine compartment so I stripped it to re paint.  Was surprised to find Silver Jade underneath.  No signs of and accident requiring a re paint to the areas.  The Silver Jade was all over.  I just wanna return it to the way it left the factory.  This is a Dearborn Nov. 1968 build.

[Armond]

Go with what you find is my opinion and great to have the pictures to reference back to.  I have seen some front valances with more color and some with less, but they always had over spray.  The cowl up until around feb 69 as I remember was body color.   I have a driver 69 dearborn car that was built early march and it was blacked out.  My Dec 68 car was body color.  So Nov would be body color on your cowl!

[J_Speegle]

Agreed - if you have pictures of the original paint taken of these parts just reproduce what you found. Often the application could produce shadows on the back side from the edge details (mounting tabs and such) while other times the painter got more carried away and applied more paint

For others that may pull this thread up in a search here are some examples. Though some of the pictures may be from 70 also or from a different plant (labeled to indicate) they all work to show the variables and applications that can result

From a 69 Dearborn



70 Dearborn Notice the spray shadows produced






69 NJ





As for the cowl it would normally have body color along the firewall to cowl area up. As Armond mentioned each plant at a point started applying engine compartment black above that seam/edge so don't be surprised by the body color and look towards when the car was finished and use that as a guide as to painting or not painting black above that point

At this point a November Dearborn car would typically be body color there as mentioned above

[ruger]

Something I just noticed also was after pulling some bolts from the firewall behind the bolts was the batch gray paint.  Is this also typical? 

Just off center above the brake line I have pulled a bolt and revealed batch gray.
Also here is a picture of my buck tag.  Shows the Silver Jade had been applied at some point.  No signs of ever being hit and repainted.    Looks like a factory job.  I feel as though Ford painted the engine bay Silver Jade as I removed it from every nook and cranny of the engine compartment.  No signs of black under it. 
When previous owner painted the car yellow he also painted the engine compartment and trunk compartment rattle can black. 
I'm not saying that Ford did paint this entirely Silver Jade however this is a different car than any others.  Body code is 63D and on the build sheet I found it has a number  4  in the special promotion box.  I am just on a fact finding mission, just looking at my car and trying to determine. 
On a side note,  I talked to Ralph Arning at Ford.  He was around when the Mustang E' was produced.  Told me that many engineers were involved with the design and blueprint.  Couldn't get specifics from him as it was a long time ago. Also couldn't find any info on his end.  Told me it was very unique in the Mustang world.  This is why I am considering all different angles while putting it back together. 

[J_Speegle]

Something I just noticed also was after pulling some bolts from the firewall behind the bolts was the batch gray paint.  Is this also typical? 

Depends on where your referring to. If at the cowl/firewall pinch its possible a results of transfer from the shock tower supports

Just off center above the brake line I have pulled a bolt and revealed batch gray.

Have you determined the firewall forward color that was applied? I would guess that you will find that its a similar color to what was under the engine compartment black. This would not be a big surprise IMHO if that painter got a little carried away that time as we've seen the exterior paint guy based on what you have offered

Also here is a picture of my buck tag.  Shows the Silver Jade had been applied at some point.  No signs of ever being hit and repainted.    Looks like a factory job.  I feel as though Ford painted the engine bay Silver Jade as I removed it from every nook and cranny of the engine compartment.  No signs of black under it. 

First there would normally not be any engine compartment black under the buck tag. It was applied before any of the exterior paint or primer was applied.  Its not common to find body color that far forward (waste of product and time) though it happened from time to time as we've seen on other examples.