Show me your bottom
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Waterloo Ontario
Show me your bottom
Can I see your bottom please? 
I just spent the past few weeks cleaning the underbody of the vette (27 years of grime and dirt under there... is has never been really cleaned before). So, now I want to do some painting to make it look neat and tidy. But, I am not sure what colors to paint.
I know the floor of the body should be black, but what about the frame? In some places it is silver and in others it is black. The cross member for example is black, but the frame where it connects to is silver. It doesn't look right...
If anyone has any good pics of the underside of their car, can you post, so I can get a better idea what colors different areas should be painted to make it look the best. I know... strange request
Thanks!
I just spent the past few weeks cleaning the underbody of the vette (27 years of grime and dirt under there... is has never been really cleaned before). So, now I want to do some painting to make it look neat and tidy. But, I am not sure what colors to paint.
I know the floor of the body should be black, but what about the frame? In some places it is silver and in others it is black. The cross member for example is black, but the frame where it connects to is silver. It doesn't look right...
If anyone has any good pics of the underside of their car, can you post, so I can get a better idea what colors different areas should be painted to make it look the best. I know... strange request
Thanks!
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 188
Likes: 20
From: Victoria Texas
what was your method of cleaning underneath? i need to do this to mine as well. i don't have a lift in my garage, so i guess it's jackstands for me?? got any pictures of the clean underneath?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Waterloo Ontario
I used engine degreaser in a spray can which I sprayed around, let it sit, then used the pressure washer. Did this 4-5 times before I got most of the crap off. Then did the detail work by hand. I lined the garage floor with plastic, which kept the floor pretty clean.
NOT a fun job, but it was worth it. Now to paint... Sorry, no pics (yet)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
The first question to ask your self is are you planning to get the car judged and do you want it to resemble factory production looks? If so, then I would get the judging guide (www.ncrs.org). If you just plan to drive the car and want it to look nice, then paint it whatever colors you want. There are plenty of pictures here on the forum and others wil post some of the undersides so you can get some ideas. But it matters what direction you want to take the car first.
This is my 63 (same princples) after hours of cleaning with lacquer thinner and scotch pads. I Then sanded down and painted the bracketry and then used q-tips with lacquer thinner to clean off the rivet heads. Note that this was only because I was having the car judged.
This is my 63 (same princples) after hours of cleaning with lacquer thinner and scotch pads. I Then sanded down and painted the bracketry and then used q-tips with lacquer thinner to clean off the rivet heads. Note that this was only because I was having the car judged.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 763
Likes: 0
From: Loveland Colo
OK you asked for it! CHROME!
I covered mine with self sticking foil backed duct insulation, with the idea of keeping the heat and noise out before it got into the body mass. It works well. It has been on there for several thousand miles, hot & cold weather, rain & shine, including a high-speed (85-105 MPH) 400 mile run across Wyoming. No peeling or coming loose yet: I am pleased. I ran it from the top of the footwells on the firewall to as far back above the gas tank as I could reach, all the joints sealed with chrome duct tape.
It was real bitch cleaning and prepping the underside, though. I probably lost a lot of IQ points for all the degreaser, solvent, brake cleaner fumes I huffed & absorbed through my skin, despite all my precations.
But it did make a difference in noise and especially heat. In fact, now after almost two years without it, I'm going to have to fix my heater since autumn is here!
I covered mine with self sticking foil backed duct insulation, with the idea of keeping the heat and noise out before it got into the body mass. It works well. It has been on there for several thousand miles, hot & cold weather, rain & shine, including a high-speed (85-105 MPH) 400 mile run across Wyoming. No peeling or coming loose yet: I am pleased. I ran it from the top of the footwells on the firewall to as far back above the gas tank as I could reach, all the joints sealed with chrome duct tape.
It was real bitch cleaning and prepping the underside, though. I probably lost a lot of IQ points for all the degreaser, solvent, brake cleaner fumes I huffed & absorbed through my skin, despite all my precations.
But it did make a difference in noise and especially heat. In fact, now after almost two years without it, I'm going to have to fix my heater since autumn is here!
Last edited by JPhil; Oct 25, 2007 at 07:47 PM.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 48
From: westland mi
i cleaned mine 1st w/a putty knife then lacquer thinner and scotch pads like 78vette-sa did. under the carriage i covered w/the same insulation that i used to do the interior. it is a labor of love n an obsession to do this
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Waterloo Ontario
Ok, you guys have some nice bottoms 
Thanks for the pics and I think I now know what to do. I also like the idea of highlighting some parts by painting in the body colour.
Now, time to ingest some paint fumes
Thanks for the pics and I think I now know what to do. I also like the idea of highlighting some parts by painting in the body colour.
Now, time to ingest some paint fumes
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 48
From: westland mi