Topic: 69 Shelby Grill Area Colors

[Bob Zink]

I am installing the OEM headlight buckets, front valence, and a correct reproduction fog light support on my convertible.  As this car is just a driver, I am doing this project with the fenders attached to the car.  However, I am trying to do it as close to original as possible.  Through researching many sources, I've created the below list of paint colors for various front end parts.  Please make any corrections for colors/info I have wrong.  I am trying to get this right the first time.  Thanks. 

Argent:
Screws holding headlight bucket to fender bracket.
Screws holding mesh grill to fender bracket.
Fender bracket.
Front of headlight buckets, mesh grill and support
Top of foglight support

Semi gloss black:
Hood twist hold downs
Paint line on fender between eyebrow and radiator support
Underside of foglight support
Back side of mesh grill
Inside of front valence

Unpainted:
bolts of hood twist hold downs.
bolts, washers, spacers holding headlight buckets to radiator support

Body color with incomplete coverage:
Bottom and back side of headlight buckets.
Some body color shows through on underside of headlight buckets below eyebrow. 

[Coralsnake]

Maybe the factory pictures will help a little?

http://www.thecoralsnake.com/1969Plantpics

[Bob Zink]

Making progress on this project.  It took me a lot of time to get the headlight buckets and eyebrows to fit correctly.  I have a new appreciation for the 69 shelby fiberglass front end after assembling one. 

[Bob Gaines]

Making progress on this project.  It took me a lot of time to get the headlight buckets and eyebrows to fit correctly.  I have a new appreciation for the 69 shelby fiberglass front end after assembling one. 

Remember for a authentic factory look all of the white nylon inserts would be painted the gray during the process also.  You can still see some of them if unpainted when looking at the headlight /grill area.

[Bob Zink]

Thanks Bob.  I will correct that.  Did I get the black out around the turn signal correct?  The paint was wet in the below photo.   Let me know if anyone sees anything else I overlooked. 

I got it back together and drove it tonight.  It was a bigger project than I anticipated. 

[Bob Gaines]

The paint on the valance looks too glossy it should be a semigloss. I am hoping that the gloss is from the flash. The bumper arms of the chrome front Shelby bumper were blacked out also.

[Bob Gaines]

 Factory front shocks were blue up to around April 69 when they changed to white (and a different engineering number).

[specialed]

hood latch supportbracket had the upper( regular mustang) center grill bracket hole clip left in the hole even thou it was unused.

[Bob Zink]

Thanks Bob and Ed.  I never noticed the unused clip on the hood latch support before.  I will put one on.  I need to find some phosphate paint for my hood latch - mine is black. 

Here are the old repro parts I took off the car.  They bothered me for years.  Once my hood is done being restored, I will get it on the car and it will have all original glass once again. 

[carm]

I’m at this stage on my Shelby but I’m assembling and painting the front clip and then installing onto the car.
So I’ve forgotten where and which bolt goes where. This post was helpful and I thank you.
However I have a guestion about the paint line at the inner front side of each fender. Should this paint line not be dark argent, Why would it be semi gloss black?
Did they not do this detail when they masked off the front clip to apply the dark argent?

[J_Speegle]

However I have a guestion about the paint line at the inner front side of each fender. Should this paint line not be dark argent, Why would it be semi gloss black?

Likely due to an earlier repaint where that choose black rather than the gray

Did they not do this detail when they masked off the front clip to apply the dark argent?

Yes as shown in other threads and factory pictures posted on the site

"69 and 70 pictures of AO Smith and its holding yard" in the Shelby - A O Smith Location section of the The Assembly Line part of the site

as well as threads I posted of the 69 restoration a number of years back and the original cars in the photo galleries

[penmanb]

Does anyone have the paint number or codes for the Argent paint?
Please and thanks

[specialed]

its not argent  i have a spray can of correct paint i matched from a grill that came from aosmith that was never installed and the paint is a 68 ford color used on another ford car line. I recently did 2 70 shelby grills for our 5oth  1970 show recently and had it color matched   and i got a can extra if u need it

[penmanb]

Thanks!  But I’m up in Canada and the cost of shipping would be through the roof!  I am hoping to get a paint code so I can get it mixed up here!

Thanks
Bruce

[ninedrvr]

its not argent  i have a spray can of correct paint i matched from a grill that came from aosmith that was never installed and the paint is a 68 ford color used on another ford car line. I recently did 2 70 shelby grills for our 5oth  1970 show recently and had it color matched   and i got a can extra if u need it

What other 68 ford color? Oxford Gray?