Topic: 65 NJ - Uni-Body Paint Process

[racincast]

After some reflexion on the subject I intend (as I don't have 3 guys painting) to after
1. primer red oxide
2. paint doors interior(visible interior) and dash (black in this case) and then mask them to avoid overspray
3. trunk interior, doors, windscreen, rear glass, sills surrounds with overspray to interior (some visible overspray)
3.5 not decide if here or on 5.
4. body exterior with overspray to underneath, doors exterior and trunk lid  (carefull to not spoil all surround body areas already painted)
5. Engine bay on black with overspray only to underneath
6. all other parts painted off the car
Always not sure I'm doing it correctly but...
PS: on my ?65 convertible and fastback door front area (looking from front fender) is not painted just primer and overspray, have you the same?
 

[J_Speegle]

Split the post above from an earlier thread since we have migrated away from the original focus and intent of that thread


racincast Let me have a little time to get some pictures together and then I'll response to your list

[racincast]

Hi Jeff,
did you find those photos? very usefull to me...
Thanks in advance

[J_Speegle]

Wow this thread got overlooked and forgotten.

Lots to cover so we'll have to do it in bites

- Red oxide would be what was used on the main unibody. There were areas that were not painted but the plan was to cover those bare areas with other pain during the whole process though sometimes small areas got missed due to the speed of the line and limited time for each car.

Either before or after this stage (65 can be different than other years) sound deadener was applied in certain areas to the panels inside the interior, trunk and rear wheel wells.

- Unibody included the doors and hinges, trunk lid and hinges, rear valance with all upper screws install but left to hang at the bottom corners. Front fender rear brackets (just in front of the A pillar) and the rear valance/rear bumper guard brackets were in place before exterior paint was applied.

- Seam sealers for joints in the trunk, A pillars and drip well was applied.

- For the exterior of the upper body a coat of gray primer was applied. It was not applied far enough down the sides that any noticeable overspray got on the undercarriage and only minimal in the rear wheel wells or forward of the cowl

- Dash and interior door surfaces were painted

- Dash and interior painted surfaces were masked off. Door edges did not follow the weather strip on all three sides.

- Exterior as well as door jambs and trunk were painted. Overspray or direct spray was introduced into the interior cabin though the process of painting the exterior, door jambs as well as entry through the window openings and painting of the trunk area. While painting the exterior surfaces paint application extended onto the floors and exposed frame rails from the size as a by product of attempting to fully cover the rocker panels and rear quarter panel lower edge. While painting the quarter panels flowing paint guns painted the rear wheel lip and passed over the rear wheel well opens applying direct paint to the already applied sound deadener in those area and to the exposed rear frame rail in those openings

- Panels not attached to the unibody were painted on another line from the same paint source as the unibody

- Black paint was applied from the radiator support and cross member forward surface back to the cowl over body color overspray from painting the main uni-body. The transition from black to body color produced a fairly sharp edge on the top of each rear inner fender panel.

Front wheel wells were also painted with the same paint at the same station

Black paint was also applied over the rocker to floor pinchwelds from the front edge to the rear of the car. Stopping and starting at the rear wheel well normally produced small areas of overspray in the rear wheel well or onto the exposed rear frame rail in those areas


Likely missed or over looked something but that is a start.

This the most helpful pictures will be of how the doors were masked. Don't have allot of pictures of 65-66 NJ cars since they are typically in worst shape than cars from the other two plants. If there is something specific that you need explained or pictures of let me know and I'll respond.

[J_Speegle]

65 NJ door masking and paint lines. Some of these have been published and share here before

Of course ignore the white repaint. The black and then the red applied over the black is the focal point for these example s

Hinge end of a door. Notice that a small area of exterior color would have shown between the weather strip and the interior black





At the rear and top of the door edge





Bottom



Another member (sorry forget who it was) shared this measurement from their original paint car