Topic: 70 Dearborn Underside Floor Color?

[rcgt350]

I’ve got a Dearborn 70’ Boss 302 that’s ready to shoot the bottom of the car, it’s the dark gray that looks like it’s grey/purple , same on the outside of the shock towers and aprons, doesn’t appear to be any red oxide underneath. Have others found this on theirs? Mid March 70 build too. I have a few other loose parts pieces , rear LH floor section, front 69’ clip and complete 69’ floor, there all sprayed in the same color, no Red Oxide.

Randy

[J_Speegle]

First it would be helpful if we had an idea of when the car was built at Dearborn. Without at least the month or approx date there are variables that we are likely going to miss or something done during another period could get included.

I little late ( will revisit this again tomorrow) to post a wordy explanation and too likely I will misspell every other word or leave something out in the effort

I'm guessing you didn't use the search feature on the site or didn't find enough information in the two earlier threads I found on the subject though they do not provide enough confirmation or details. Used the words "70 Dearborn front wheel wells"

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=9374.msg55719#msg55719

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=9704.msg57242#msg57242

[ExportMach]

Here are a couple of pics of the bottom side of the seat pedestals for my mid-March Dearborn-built Mach. You can see the slop gray over spray that come though the seat bolt access holes in the floorpan.

[rcgt350]

Jeff, I had wrote mid March/70, it’ actually  March 12/70 build date
GG Boss 302

I’m not frequent to this site, but will likely be more now, thanks for the threads provided.
I’m not doing the work myself, but trying to provide good info for the job.

Randy

[cobrajet_carl]

I have several Dearborn 70's and have never seen any red oxide visible underneath. None even in the radius arm brackets or shock towers. Most of the batch paint I have discovered have been greenish/bluish greys. My March 24th has a more bluish tint and my January 27th has a more greenish tint.

[J_Speegle]

Jeff, I had wrote mid March/70, it’ actually  March 12/70 build date....

Missed that at that time of night. And the mentioned reason I didn't think it was the time to do an in-depth response at the moment

.........I’m not doing the work myself, but trying to provide good info for the job.

Yes this seems to be the typical practice we often see today in many examples. The owner doing the research for shops not able (time or effort) to do it themselves.

So looking at March 70 at Dearborn  I don't have any examples of red oxide use originally form covering the front frame nor the main floor section. Its great that you do have examples of the original colors still visible in your car. So many erase these and only realize too late that we can not provide exactly what you car was painted with only what other cars around your car came with.

There appears from reports and pictures, that there were small periods when red oxide was used likely due to a supply or mechanical issue with the normal batch paint process or plumbing. As mentioned in the earlier threads the matching or using the same source for both firewall forward and the main floor may be the results of replumbing of the supply lines for the paint guns and sprayers at both stations rather than the earlier separate sources. 


Also as a results of the brighter colors available in 70 and allot of fine overspray the visible final look of the main floors (away from the heavy spray of body color out towards the pinch welds) and the hidden area in the drive line tunnel can look very different from the base and the combination of the two can produce some interesting colors and in turn result in three basic colors. One from the body color, one from the base first coat and the combination of both

Bottom line it appears you off to a good start we invite follow up and new questions so that you can get the foundation of the car that fits your pan. Everything after this step is bolt on and much easier to correct or fix while choices here can drive or eliminate possibilities in the future

Good luck with you choices

[rcgt350]

This is the colour of it showing up into the tunnel prior to work starting.
Thanks for the conformation, it’s amazing how many 69/70 cars I’ve seen in red oxide.

[J_Speegle]

..................it’s amazing how many 69/70 cars I’ve seen in red oxide.

Believe you will find that those are either copying someone else's choice or owners/shops building cars to rules that allow not just the original finishes but a collect - multiple choices. Have asked many owners what their original floor color was and then as a follow up, why did they then paint it red oxide only to get "well it won't cost me any points and "it looked better" or "they liked it better" Often these are the people that choose not to reapply over spray, mask off the pinch welds or (on certain models) not reapply sound deadener as it was originally on the floor sections

Of course this just leads other people to copy rather than research unoriginal finishes.