Topic: Trunk lid position during exterior paint application

[Skyway65]

Look at 24:15 of this video.  The deck lid is the down position and just as the scene is cut you can see the guy reaching for the hold down wire to, presumably, release it and paint the underside.  Mystery solved?

It is at the Rouge plant a few years before Mustangs were being produced.  Probably the same guys and equipment that built a lot of our Mustangs!

[J_Speegle]

Look at 24:15 of this video.  The deck lid is the down position and just as the scene is cut you can see the guy reaching for the hold down wire to, presumably, release it and paint the underside.  Mystery solved?

IMHO it's more likely - given the film and the other pictures we have- that the worker may be releasing the trunk to open so that the paint in the trunk gets baked evenly after the paint station. Notice in the space between the quarter panel and the trunk lid that the finish on the back side of the trunk lid is reflecting the light from the sides and above unlike the unpainted/primered quarter panel and top of trunk lid - at least until the top surface of the trunk lid is painted then it's very similar in the amount of reflection produced between the different surfaces.

It is interesting to note that if what we are seeing is common practice the trunk is being opened before the rest of the cars exterior is being finished. This would eliminate the possibility of a shadow being produced by the hold down


Guess this could suggest on these cars in early 60's the bottom of trunk lid was painted, top of trunk lid was then painted then the interior or trunk and exterior was painted. Sure seems to be an extra step or two doing it that way - so that might not be the answer


If the trunk was painted last you have the overspray onto the exterior issue to deal with as mentioned. Trunk painting when quickly with not enough paint in some areas and too much (big hanging curtains/runs) elsewhere. Also painting the interior of the trunk would push overspray and paint through openings like taillights and side marker lights. We do have examples on later cars (some 69-73) where then the trunk was painted a color different than the exterior the marker light and taillight openings were masked off to eliminate that problem, Think that trunk first a more likely scenario viewing the film and other information.

IMHO we always must guard about taking everything at face value  the film does show a different line and year with possible other practices ( example the describe coating before the primer) that may not apply to our cars

A capture from the film just before it cuts away

[67gtasanjose]

"Baked" painting processes at the assembly are more than likely completely different than what we can reproduce in the field. Using the photograph of the Falcon (cut from the film "The Rouge"), we can see the jam areas of the trunk do not yet have body color on them, yet we also know that there would be no way of getting complete coverage onto the jam area if the trunk were to be tied down as pictured. This being said to say that, going by this image, it would almost indicate the top of the deck lid up through the package tray, would be shot first, trunk opened and then inside the trunk and quarters, taillight panel next, (possibly tie the trunk down again?) and move forward down the sides & top of the car next.

Keep in mind that this whole process took a worker (more likely two workers) only about two minutes to shoot the whole car, then it actually went into the oven within a few more minutes (I'd say like 5 minutes total, start spray to entering the oven), this would include a few minutes for possibly another set of eyes to view the quality (touch up if needed) before getting baked where the oven baking process would flow out any "fogging" that might have occured with any overspray and/or touchups.  (I agree with Jeff, likely they popped the trunk open again as part of the inspection process before getting baked)

IMHO, we simply cannot shoot a car with a garden hose style spray gun and get it to an oven as fast as these workers did PERIOD. Trying to "exact the process" to me seems like a mute point. Understanding how it was done in the day is one thing but in reality, trying to duplicate the results is the best we can hope for.

Materials used to paint a car these days and the environments individually available to any of us out here in the "real world" simply put, prevent us from doing it the "same way".

[Hawkeye]

Going to be interesting driving the car with nothing applied to those surfaces.

The trunk was blasted down to bare metal and prepped and painted (black) a couple years ago when it was being sorta redone.  Really haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary when I've been driving it.  I'll have to do some checking on what to use and see if adding it changes anything.  I should be able to apply the deadener in my garage I would guess.
I'll have to do a before and after drive for comparison.

[mtinkham]

Mystery solved for securing the trunk lid....thank you for the link to that video.

"before getting baked where the oven baking process would flow out any "fogging" that might have occured with any overspray and/or touchups.  (I agree with Jeff, likely they popped the trunk open again as part of the inspection process before getting baked)"

So the primary reason that painters jamb vehicles (like the trunk area) is to minimize fogging from overspray?

I would guess a secondary reason for jambing would be to paint the less critical areas first (trunk area, underside of trunk lid, underside of hood, trailing edges of front fenders, mounting flanges of front fenders, door openings, and leading edges of doors...for example)...once these areas are painted, the painter simply focusses on the more visible exterior surfaces.

Thanks for all of your input.

Mark

[J_Speegle]

..........
I would guess a secondary reason for jambing would be to paint the less critical areas first (trunk area, underside of trunk lid, underside of hood, trailing edges of front fenders, mounting flanges of front fenders, door openings, and leading edges of doors...for example)...once these areas are painted, the painter simply focusses on the more visible exterior surfaces.

Correct the inspectors were focused on the exterior (door jambs counted but just not as much finish since that is what the customer would see. Runs in the engine compartment and trunk - or lack of paint in the trunk do not appear to have been as important. Have a fair number of travelers (inspection) sheets where resprays were done due to dust and other imperfections in the exterior finish.

Remembering the pictures I have, though this is not common, I recall a few half painted trunk areas or big nasty runs across the bottom of the trunk lid.

[1969 Cale II]

I like how one guy is wearing his mask on his face, one on his forehead and the other not at all. Notice the writing on the front of the passenger side core support?

[mtinkham]

Did you notice the guy with no mask has tape around his wrists and ankles?  More concerned with the exterior than the interior...my how things don't change!

[mtinkham]

Follow-up question...

With the deck lid installed (67 coupe), what methods are employed to get paint into the front well (the surface that the weather-strip seals against) of the trunk surround? With the gravity feed gun that I have, it is very difficult to get coverage in that area. Any advice would be appreciated.

On a related topic, I fabricated a deck lid closing tool...if anyone is interested I can take pictures.