69 trunk "splatter" paint process..and floor plugs

[Tommy_Mathison]

Any of you with original cars or knowledge... What was installed before the paint was applied, what was installed after? What got coated, and how much? Some of the things I am refering to are:

tail light housings
marker light housings
rear wiring
shock threads & hardware

Any pics would be awesome!!

Also, were original floor plugs galvinized or bare steel?

Thanks!
Tommy M.

[JohnZ]

Drain plugs were originally galvanized, and were installed on the sealer deck, after the first prime oven. Trunk spatter paint was sprayed at Fisher Body, in the blackout booth just prior to the final color reflow oven. The car was nothing but a painted body shell at that point, with no trim or hardware installed; all the items you mentioned (except the upper shock brackets) were installed after paint in the Fisher Body Trim Shop. The upper shock brackets were installed later by Chevrolet. There's a complete raw stampings-to-finished car article on the 1st-Gen assembly process I authored at the CRG site (www.camaros.org); just click on the "CRG Research Reports" button at the top of the home page and you'll see it listed - it's LOONG!

[Charley Lillard]

So I believe what you are saying is the drain plugs were installed after primer but before paint.

[Tommy_Mathison]

From what I have seen, the trunk latch was installed before the splatter paint was applied so it should have overspray on it.. is this correct? Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks!

Tommy M.

[Lynn]

Pretty sure the trunk latch was installed even before color. I know mine had black paint on it (10 10 car) when I started and the car had never been painted.

Haven't looked at JohnZ's article in CRG but believe the underside of the trunk lid was painted while on the car, then closed, and the top side painted. Trunk springs (torsion type) were already installed, that is why they have body color on them, and the trunk mounting bolts are always sealed under paint on original cars. So the latch would have to have been installed or the trunk would not have stayed closed to paint the top side. Same with the front doors.

Lynn

Lynn

[Kurt S]

Lynn,
They had wire hooks to hold body panels open. You wouldn't want the decklid closed the whole way when painting.

Notice how this LA decklid's latch is galvanized, it was installed after paint. NOR's were painted.
(Thanks Jonesy for use of the pic!)

[nuch_ss396]

Kurt,

How "painted" were the Norwood trunk latches? Was it
overspray, or completely painted? Anyone got any images
of an original Norwood painted latch?

Steve

[Tommy_Mathison]

Kurt, I am refering to the lower trunk latch. Was it installed during body paint and trunk paint? Thanks!

Tommy M.

[Lynn]

Thanks Kurt. On a Norwood car, was the lower latch also painted?

Lynn

[RamAirDave]

The original paint cars I've come across, the lower latch was painted body color, but later had the spatter over them for the most part.

dave