Topic: 1968 San Jose GT 390 Fastback inner fenders paint sequence

[bullitt68]

I am looking to confirm if I should paint red oxide in the inner wheel well area or just use a regular epoxy primer. I have seen various photos and used my car for reference but since my car appears to have been stripped to bare metal I am unsure of the correct paint sequence and how to apply the body color if any around the saddlebags (the area between where the doors mount up to the inner fender skirts) and also the inside of the fenders. My fenders are red oxide on the inside. Any help in setting me straight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[J_Speegle]

For the cowl sides or lower A pillars - basically the area between the rear splash guard and the edge of the door opening

Door, hinges and rear fender bracket installed
Seam sealer- Seams (Rear and lower) hinge, between sides and top cowl and over fender bracket at attachment
Red oxide
Gray primer surfaces
Body color
Black spray sealant applied over interior wire loom retainers on drivers side

[J_Speegle]

Fender

Red oxide inside and out - same product
Light gray primer surfacer on exterior. Not much or any in the inside of the fender. If so most of the time it would come off when back side was lightly cleaned

Body color on the outer surface, fender lip, surface that attaches to valance, head light bucket area, fender lip and rear back edge and supports facing the door opening. With this either a lighter overspray from these applications onto logical - inline surfaces (things like back side of head light bucket area) or the painter just threw a bunch of body color on the back side somewhat blindly to cover surfaces without trying (on purpose) to cover everything. More often than not IMHO it was on the lighter side with nice coats on the rear and headlight bucket (on the back side) surfaces.

Typical nice paint application on the visible rear inner fender brace




An example of a logical overspray pattern

Top of headlight bucket area direct paint from painting the fender lip on top (red arrow). As you can see some of the paint has been removed during cleaning 
Lighter indirect spray pattern (yellow arrow) from painting the lower lip of the opening (green arrow)

Other years and sometimes these years also the back side of the head light bucket area will have body color also from running the spray gun around wheel well opening painting the lip section



A little or more sound deadener much later in the build process would follow later


Hope this helps

[bullitt68]

Thanks Jeff all of this is great stuff and really helpful. I am really curious to see how others interpret all off this on a restored car. While it is a great reference too see original examples, I can't help but wonder what restored examples look like that are following the procedures and sequence etc.

[J_Speegle]

Often they miss the mark since many painters want to control everything and do it in two stages and because of this the restored are an "interpretation" rather than a reproduction of that was there. 

Maybe someone has taken pictures of their 68 San Jose fender's backside before they bolted them onto their car.

[bullitt68]

That is true Jeff. But I would still like to find examples of restored cars, as some things must present a problem ie the way they nozzle sprayed the seam sealer and sound deadener. I am going to assume that some cars get over restored and perhaps do not follow correct assembly line procedures. I would very much like to see examples of cars that are respected that have been done to faithfully represent correct assembly line procedures.

[WT8095]

The back end of the driver's side fender from my 2/68 SJ. Ignore the red overspray from a repaint. The aqua is the original color (Rainbow car). The entire portion that would be visible from the driver's seat when the door is open has a nice finish-quality coating of paint. The wheel well area does not.

[bullitt68]

The back end of the driver's side fender from my 2/68 SJ. Ignore the red overspray from a repaint. The aqua is the original color (Rainbow car). The entire portion that would be visible from the driver's seat when the door is open has a nice finish-quality coating of paint. The wheel well area does not.

Thanks Dave I take it that the inner wheel well/ fender was all red oxide primer