Topic: 1966 Paint Color Codes

[Pete Bush]

Right now I'm focused on 1966 - for a couple of reasons:

1. My car is a '66 Sprint, and the catalyst for this line of research has been to learn a little more about it and, by extension, the model year.

2. A large contributing factor in the 1966 decoding process has been Charles' 1966 Punchcard and Order Sheet - because of them I was able to start decoding. However, these two documents do not translate the entire build sheet. I'll need several more samples before I can begin to see patterns in the codes. For now, I've started with posts about some of the easier items. Although, the paint codes turned out to be a little more difficult because of the extra research I put in to provide PPG equivalents.

3. As I begin to build in-roads to the '66 codes, and become comfortable with that, I'd like to extend my research backwards to the '65 and '64-1/2 model years. I've got six 1965 build sheets right now, but I'll need more of those as well.

If you, or anyone reading this, has a build sheet that they'd like to share, it'd go a long way in moving the research along.

Thanks,
Pete

[J_Speegle]

Pete I'll look through my files when I get back from the Judges Meeting. Believe I have a 64-55 buildsheet decoder that someone assembled and sent me a number of years ago. Might help

[Pete Bush]

Thanks, Jeff! That just might help a bunch.

Pete

[yelostang]

Pete........Interesting read. With the 66 colors, as an example, any mentions of 67 colors being added to the mix, like dark moss green.

[Pete Bush]

Yes, It's code Y7 in the paint code chart on my blog:

http://mustangcodex.blogspot.com/2010/10/paint.html

[Road Reptile]

Hi Pete and all,
First off let me say nice work so far! The color really makes the car, and this helps the question(s) that are often asked about color availabiltiy.The subject jumps around a little so I will stay on the paint topic only.The car was/is built on paper first so to keep production in high gear they usually timed the line to large batches (a typical fleet is considered 6 or more)of the same color.This has not drastically changed and is still a similar process (grouping) keep in mind all paint in 66 would be single stage and was baked for flow.This is done to allow the minimum amount of paint to cover the largest area.Small parts were dipped and spun to recover the excess paint (wheels and pulleys,certain brackets are done this way.)The plant or production manager would be able to explain how or why things were organized the way they were/are when it is a special order color.Each plant may have different procedures-some did the specials only when they were caught up or ahead of schedule,Jeff will let us know after he interviews.
         Regards R.R.

[Pete Bush]

Thanks, R.R.

Bob Fria, in his new book Mustang Genesis (excellent by the way) describes the primer paint on early Mustangs. It seems that Ford painted pre-production and some early Mustangs with their own brand of light-gray primer, but the adhesion of the lighter body colors suffered as a result and they soon evolved to a “rust-colored” primer (red-oxide?) from an outside source. (pg. 152)

Do you happen to know what vendor(s) Ford used for their primer and finish paint needs? Or if they used their own mix?

Also, can you add any details about the coordination and process of painting the interior body colors (which were different than the exterior colors). Did they shoot the exterior first, and then the interior? Was this a separate baking process? Where did the engine compartment black paint fall within the painting sequence?

Pete

[Pete Bush]

Additional research is turning up the following details:

’66 cars were painted with single stage Ditzler Delstar Acrylic Enamel (PPG bought Ditzler), and TCP GLOBAL sells as close to the original Ditzler acrylic enamel as is currently made. The big difference is the old formula had lead in it. The acrylic enamel had a slight texture (“orange peel”) to it and was very glossy, but not a “wet” look. Modern base coat – clear coat technology was not used.

The factory paint process, in chronological order:

1.   Primer
a.   The underside of the car was sprayed with gun fixtures first, then the rest of the car was hand done where necessary. After that, sealer primer (usually gray) was used on all exterior facing surfaces, all pot metal pieces were only primed with sealer primer.
2.   Interior Color (dash, A-pillars and doors)
3.   Exterior Color
a.   Doors, trunk lid and rear valence were in place when exterior painted. Valence would have a couple, up to all of the top screws installed prior to paint depending on the assembly plant. Some cars had the quarter extensions installed prior to paint.
b.   Light colored, and some darker colored cars had the pinch weld blackout. What is a pinch weld? The pinch weld is the part of the rocker panel where it is spot welded to the inner rockers and floor pans. It’s the piece that sticks down below the car, and if it is not painted black, makes the car look unfinished as it contrasts to the darkness under the car. It is not just the pinch weld that gets painted but some of the rocker next to it as well.
The pinch weld was blacked out prior to the front fenders going on.
4.   Engine Bay

[NEFaurora]

I have more of those factory Negative arrays.  I posted them like two years ago. They were originally found on a 1960's website dealing with pictures of Detroit in the 1960's.  I remember looking at the whole website, and then downloading all of the Dearborn pictures.

I will post all of them when I get back home..

Tony K.

[J_Speegle]

....................
The factory paint process, in chronological order:

Pete what plant are you describing? The process IMHO, as you listed, is not correct for all plants.

1.   Primer
a.   The underside of the car was sprayed with gun fixtures first, then the rest of the car was hand done where necessary. After that, sealer primer.............

You mention a gray sealer primer - The primer sealer was the epoxy red oxide color, the gray was a simple primer used to fill minor defects/. Referred to by some as a primer surfacer.

a.   Doors, trunk lid and rear valence were in place when exterior painted. Valence would have a couple, up to all of the top screws installed prior to paint depending on the assembly plant. Some cars had the quarter extensions installed prior to paint.

What cars didn't have their quarter panel extensions? 


As for Bob Fria's book comment - that comment does not match what we find on all 64/5's cars built after the very early ones. Not sure where he got the info but allot of Deaborn built 65-66's used batch colors for the purpose

[Pete Bush]

Pete what plant are you describing? The process IMHO, as you listed, is not correct for all plants.

Jeff, The chronology was taken from Charles' comments at the Paint Sequence thread on the HiPo site:
http://www.hipomustang.com/hpmx/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8817

Since it stood uncorrected, I assumed it served for all plants. But now that you mention it, it does conflict with the description of the Dearborn process that Bob Fria gives in his book Mustang Genesis. On pg. 152 he describes the paint process beginning with the engine compartment's black paint, then the light gray body primer (which was only used on the very, very early and pre-production cars. It was discontinued soon after initial use in favor of the red oxide, which matches your statement), lastly the exterior body color. There was no mention of when the interior paint was applied.

Mr. Fria explains that the gray primer sealer was changed to red oxide after a "number of early cars" were built. It was determined that the gray didn't provide for the proper adhesion with the lighter colors of the new formula acrylic enamel paints due to an ultra-violet sunlight interaction. It's my understanding that the "first" Mustangs were painted with M30J (Non acrylic) Enamel, and this is indicated by the black background on the door tag. After 12/28/64, Ford made the switch to M32J Acrylic Enamel, and changed the door tag to a gray background to signify the different paint (Marti's Tagbook pg. 24). In 1966, the year I'm currently dealing with in my blog, the door tag once again returned to the black background, and it signified the Acrylic Enamel. I'm not sure however, when the color of the primer sealer was changed. Was it changed right at the beginning of the 1966 transition to acrylic enamel, or did it follow sometime after that when Ford began exposing the newly painted cars to the sunlight?

You mention a gray sealer primer - The primer sealer was the epoxy red oxide color, the gray was a simple primer used to fill minor defects/. Referred to by some as a primer surfacer.

Charles made no distinction between a primer sealer and primer surfacer, but he did say that the sealer primer was "usually gray" (which it was, I suppose, up until January of 1965 - since there would have been no reason for Ford to change it until the newer acrylic enamel became their finish choice). Of course, that was his comment on December of 2008, and his (and your) understanding could have changed to the present red oxide. This is another reason why I've decided to refresh this understanding on my blog, and verify things with y'all. 

It sounds, from your comments, that the paint chronological process differed in respect to the plants it was performed at. Might you explain the differences?

[CharlesTurner]

Seen plenty of examples of cars past Jan '65 that have gray primer used on outer facing surfaces.  I believe it was used as a sealer coat to cover any minor surface defects and help create a consistent paint match throughout the car.  Only recall ever seeing gray primer on factory die cast parts, but would keep this to 65-66 at this point.

It's tough to detect the gray primer, even on an original paint car.

Dearborn and SJ definitely installed rear quarter extensions, most likely held off with washers or something.  Seems I recall some Metuchen cars having paint behind the extensions.