I hope I'm using the right terminology for the four slits in the front fenders on a 68. What was the factory paint scheme for these gills? Where they painted the same as the body color or was part painted black?

Thank you

 

The 3 front gills were open while the one at the rear of the fender was painted to look like it was.

I believe if you do a search you'll find pictures as well as the type of paint to use.

I was planning on doing mine this year but never got around to it.

 

Before I posted I searched using "gill" but must have missed the one on painting. Have any idea what the title was?

So the opened ones are all body color and the closed one is color and black?

Thanks

 

On my '68 the gills are all silver, the rear one that isn't cut out for a vent is painted black where the cutout would be to look like a cutout.
Don

 

Hi cgc,
I believe the openings are often/generally referred to as louvers... perhaps that word may have helped your search.
Regards,
Alan

 

Excellent answer. Just what I was looking for. Will do

Thanks Alan you are right again.

I did a search using louver and found what I was needing. If I had used "louver" first there would be no need for this post but I wouldn't have received the excellent answer that I received from dustin.

 

The louvers on the 'base' '68/69 Corvettes were painted body color with the "false opening" on the rear louver painted satin black. In '69 (only) there was an option for installing some (silver) metal louver surrounds on those vents.

 

Body color for all eight. Blackout in each fake rear to give the appearance of a working vent.

 

If I am not mistaken you could get the surrounds in 68 as an option, became standard in 69.

 

The louver trim was not available on the 68s, but got added to a lot of them after the 69s came out. The louver trim was an option, not standard, on the '69s. You had to chip in an extra $21.10 to get them.

 

Factory style



the rear gill is black satin or semi gloss paint to appear as functional as the front three.....

 

Mike is right, optional only in '69, but a popular retrofit to add to a '68.