Topic: Proper Color For Panel Below Tail Light Panel?

[kkupec02]

What is the proper color for the panel below the tail light panel in the attached pictures. Mine is all surface rust except for some color at each of the ends. Not sure if panel should be body color for protection, semi-gloss black for protection or left plain metal. Also, the underside of the quarter panel drop down in the pictures. Body color then I believe the lower rear valance covers most of it.

[67gta289]

My understanding is that there was the potential for the same paint material (slop red oxide for your year and assy plant most likely) used under the vehicle to have been applied to this area, but since it is at the tail end of the vehicle, I suspect that it would typically have little to in some cases no coverage.  That would depend on when the spray was commanded to stop in relation to the vehicle position.  The next opportunity would be when the valance panel was left hanging by two screws followed by body color.  Some of the body color would be seen as overspray on the ends, since the panel was hanging, and through the backup light holes, and some as well across the bottom, but the latter would be diffused quite a bit due to downdraft.   That is my understanding for the Mustang, which I think would apply to Shelby as well. 

[J_Speegle]

Good response 67gta289

The rear cross member would have received some red oxide from painting the exterior of the car but no typical effort to get paint behind the lower lip of the  tail light panel so there would be a shadow of a no paint area behind and above that edge at San Jose . This would have been cover over when the light gray was applied before the rear valance was attached at the upper edge. Often some body color would make its way through the back up light holes - creating a paint dot on the rear surface of the rear cross members rear face and a bit as the exterior color entered the area between the gap of the rear quarter panel and the hanging valance.

Typically primer sealer was applied to this panel from the floor application since the system was designed to turn off the jets before they reached the rear edge of the car - also the bottom edge would have created a shadow inside the pocket the form or the rear cross member creates. After all these years the rear cross member and about 4-5 inches forward of that on the rear floors and frame rails will show surface rust due to no or very light overspray from any of the paint operations

Believe this is the reason in many years these cross members were galvanized as were certain other panels that made up the body

[Bossbill]

When I read Jeff's write-up on SJ cars in the Library I decided  that this would be how I would paint this area. It's a restatement of both Richard's and Jeff's post, but in my favorite bullet style.

- Paint the floor red oxide (stopping as above or using bare metal paint).
- Leave off any/all parts at rear (except for bumperette support parts) and paint primer gray.
- Install rear valance which has been primered offsite with 2 screws.
- Apply color which will put paint on the body around the outside edges of the valance as well as through the back-up lights and dual exhaust cutouts (if applicable).