Topic: 1967 GT 350 (Early 10/66) Inner Front Fender Finishing ?

[Fastback2013]

Hello,

Here are some pictures of my fender, driver side.
I took this last week off, so I didn't have the time for cleaning it up.
But I think you're getting a good idea of what it should be after washing it
I took also a closeup of the date stamp at the headlight and the upright reinforcement.
Kind regards,
Jeroen

[67gtasanjose]

Below, I have included pictures of underside of my known original, date stamp supporting, SJ final assembly date 11/02/66 example. Very IMPORTANT NOTE: This fender was originally Ivy Gold, so the darker underside of fender coloring best represents the actual color found and the lighter shades are the Ivy Gold overspray. (Repaint was dark green)

The original poster was looking for a color sample for EARLY October and this would qualify as late October, very early November. The color sample of what I earlier referred to as salmon, I suppose we can call light red oxide but I think it has a pinkish hue in person (so to me, more like salmon). On my monitor, it looks JUST LIKE the color I see in person. Photo was taken outdoors in natural light, no flash. FWIW, another fender I have dated December has much the same color on the underside, at least what you can make out of it. It is no where near as clean as the pictured examples I have included below.

I find at least 5 date stamps on every original 67 fender I have (3 originals) and only 1 (date?) stamping found (only on the fender lip) of both of the 2 Ford Service replacements I have on hand. One of the service replacements is a "used", later (1990's) black one and the other is an April of '81 shipping label dated, red oxide version, that hasn't been installed before.

[J_Speegle]

Richard - just for comparison what is the date from the fender lip of that fender?  If you please

[67gtasanjose]

Richard - just for comparison what is the date from the fender lip of that fender?  If you please

Sure.
Fender lip 10 13 3
Panel behind headlamp (pictured earlier) 10 14 D3 (backwards D)
Rear Fender Reinforce (pictured earlier) 10 11 D3 (backwards D)
Rear Fender Sideways Support 9 11 D2 (backwards D)
Headlight Panel Brace (pictured earlier) 10 8 2D

Although this thread started out about underside fender color and spray patterns, somewhere it took a turn into date codes found. I suppose all pertinent info but now things seem a bit jumbled.

In an effort to get back on track and since today I just pulled out all of my fenders again, let me explain how I got close to the correct under fender color. It begins with my floorpan paint.

After a color scan of my floorpan, I had my paint store mix me a quart to their closest match. It came in much darker than what was on the floor. I sprayed a patch of the paint on the underbody (floorpans) and sprayed some in a similar patch area onto the fender (see picture this post). You can see how much it was too dark. Since both test sprays were wrong to the same or similar extent of the original colors desired, I then took this fender to the paint store. I could not get my paint store to tweek it any better than what is seen in some paint daubs just to the left of the sprayed in patch. The tweaked color was then tested onto the floorpan prior to shooting the whole floor. It was IMHO, about the +95% same of each other. Summary: This original color seen on the underside of my known original fender was IMHO, very close to the original floorpan color. This may not be the "norm" but it is as close as I was able to get things given my location and willingness (or lack of willingness perhaps) of my paint stores.

Although the quart I bought is almost used up after shooting the floorpans last weekend (9/9/17), I am planning to use what I have left over from the floorpans to touch up 1.) where the rotisserie is attached and 2.) use what is left on the undersides of my fenders since I felt it was as close as the paint store could (or would) duplicate.

[J_Speegle]

Sure.
Fender lip 10 13 3
Panel behind headlamp (pictured earlier) 10 14 D3 (backwards D)
Rear Fender Reinforce (pictured earlier) 10 11 D3 (backwards D)
Rear Fender Sideways Support 9 11 D2 (backwards D)
Headlight Panel Brace (pictured earlier) 10 8 2D

Thanks.

How does the dates compare to the rest of the car and could this be a replacement?  Just noticed the shadow from the label  in the one picture

[67gtasanjose]

Thanks.

How does the dates compare to the rest of the car and could this be a replacement?  Just noticed the shadow from the label  in the one picture

Dates about two weeks before actual build date. Absolutely original to car. The spot you might think is  a label must be the test spray area. Read my earlier message. It is explained in detail

...After a color scan of my floorpan, I had my paint store mix me a quart to their closest match. It came in much darker than what was on the floor. I sprayed a patch of the paint on the underbody (floorpans) and sprayed some in a similar patch area onto the fender (see picture this post). You can see how much it was too dark. Since both test sprays were wrong to the same or similar extent of the original colors desired, I then took this fender to the paint store. I could not get my paint store to tweek it any better than what is seen in some paint daubs just to the left of the sprayed in patch. The tweaked color was then tested onto the floorpan prior to shooting the whole floor. It was IMHO, about the +95% same of each other. Summary: This original color seen on the underside of my known original fender was IMHO, very close to the original floorpan color. This may not be the "norm" but it is as close as I was able to get things given my location and willingness (or lack of willingness perhaps) of my paint stores.

Although the quart I bought is almost used up after shooting the floorpans last weekend (9/9/17), I am planning to use what I have left over from the floorpans to touch up 1.) where the rotisserie is attached and 2.) use what is left on the undersides of my fenders since I felt it was as close as the paint store could (or would) duplicate.

[J_Speegle]

Dates about two weeks before actual build date. Absolutely original to car. The spot you might think is  a label must be the test spray area. Read my earlier message. It is explained in detail

Thanks

[Bossbill]

Finishing my tangent on date codes, all of the supports and other pieces in the fender all have dates within approximately 6 weeks prior to the fender lip date. A dip did not result in any resolution on the one fender, missing its month date of 1.

Although this is an early March SJ car, here is a pic of the complete underside:
[select any pic to be taken to Flickr, where another click will zoom in]



Please note the car was undercoated sometime in its life.

In case you wonder how well the dip process works, I very pleased to have this result:



DP74LP will be sloshed around on surfaces not visible.

[CharlesTurner]

If you haven't done so already, you might consider using a pressure washer on the seams or where 2 pieces of metal are spot welded together.  I've had parts dipped in the past, only to have paint ruined later because the stripping chemical came out of the seams.

[J_Speegle]

If you haven't done so already, you might consider using a pressure washer on the seams or where 2 pieces of metal are spot welded together.  I've had parts dipped in the past, only to have paint ruined later because the stripping chemical came out of the seams.

Chemical creep can be a very real issue. Did one car that was chemically dipped. IMHO won't do it again but just me

[Bossbill]

This place has been doing dipping for decades. It specializes in full car dipping.
But it doesn't just dip and send you home. That can cause problems, as you are aware.

* They dip in a hot bath (of unknown, maybe caustic soda)  at over 200 degrees for 2 days
* High Pressure water cleaning
* Acid tank submersion for 2 days. Neutralizes the previous hot bath solution and treats the rust. The rust issues in certain places is why I decided on this method. Mostly in the headlight bucket (rear or vertical) area
* High Pressure water cleaning
* Rust inhibitor bath
* Force Air dry

They laugh when the 'other guys' methods are mentioned. They don't have creep or subsequent paint issues.

[67gtasanjose]

FWIW, I stripped my original October date-stamped fender and found this "light red oxide", pinkish-colored, salmon colored, whatever you wish to call it, it was everywhere on this fender, outside, under original body color, underneath on the bottom (as mentioned earlier).

The stripping layers went as follows (including outside):
1.) Top layers were 3 re-paints (removed with 1st and 2nd stripping)
2.) black primer (applied under 1st re-paint)
(below is original paint removal)
3.) original ivy-gold body color
4.) light grey primer (outside of fender only)
5.) salmon color (or whatever you wish to call it) sealer coat over all of the inside & outside surfaces

The color of the factory sealer coating (in my opinion), is much the same as the original underbody color, perhaps a few shades lighter but very close.

[J_Speegle]

Thanks Richard - supports what we've seen on other cars