Factory paint line question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 355
Likes: 18
From: Corona Ca
Factory paint line question
Seeing as how Corvettes being restored are often times painted with the doors off and separate has led my thinking to ask the following question:
Were Corvette bodies painted fully assembled, nose to tail with doors hung?
Or were the bodies assembled, but doors not fitted?
Or like other production GM steel bodied cars of the era, the front clip (maybe with hood?) was an assembled unit, followed by the body with mounted doors, and all of this was assembled before body drop?
I have seen a lot of shots of restoration cars being painted with the doors off, but no factory production line pics. What did they do?
Thank you for any insight,
Tom
Were Corvette bodies painted fully assembled, nose to tail with doors hung?
Or were the bodies assembled, but doors not fitted?
Or like other production GM steel bodied cars of the era, the front clip (maybe with hood?) was an assembled unit, followed by the body with mounted doors, and all of this was assembled before body drop?
I have seen a lot of shots of restoration cars being painted with the doors off, but no factory production line pics. What did they do?
Thank you for any insight,
Tom
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
I believe that the bodies, doors, hoods and T-top panels would have been painted as separate components and NOT as assembled to the frame. All would have been married together later. This was the standard GM paint method. If the St. Louis plant operated differently, I will stand corrected.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,317
Likes: 292
From: Ocala FL
All the pictures I have seen, and when I was in the plant on tours, the bodies were the same way, had the main parts of the bodies together for the painting.
If you paint panels separately, it is too easy to have doors not match fenders and so on.
I don't know what the story is here, but this looks like the door was painted separately from the fenders. Or maybe it is just my computer. Either way, the door looks darker to me.
If you paint panels separately, it is too easy to have doors not match fenders and so on.
I don't know what the story is here, but this looks like the door was painted separately from the fenders. Or maybe it is just my computer. Either way, the door looks darker to me.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Yes, bodies were painted essentially fully assembled. Doors and hood were on; t-tops and headlights were with the car. Tops rode above the windshield but were not actually in place. Early years had headlight bucket assemblies painted separately, then installed, but later years have the headlights installed at time of paint. Fuel doors were painted seaparately. Optional hardtops traveled with the cars as far as the paint shop but were painted separately.
FWIW: ralley wheels were painted at the assembly plant.
