English Howie

Been thinking about a respray. I'm in the UK, so don't see to many Silver Anniversary cars around, so I'd be grateful for a bit of advice about the original / best way to tackle the stripes etc.
The kits include the stripes, but how his the edge of the gray masked below the stripe, is this all part of the kit? Was the vinyl stripes lacquered over at the factory? I see Phoenix do a kit -any good?
I'de be grateful for any info please!

Easy Mike

No. The graphics package was applied after paint. There was no clear coat at St. Louis

To my knowledge, Phoenix Graphics makes the only SA kit.

hunt4cleanair

To add to Easy Mike's contributions...

Phoenix specializes in auto graphics. I interviewed one of the managers a few years back for this article on 1978 Pace Car graphics and we dug into the technology of today's graphics. They quality of materials are far superior to that used in 1978 and no need to clear coat over (or lacquer over for that matter). Some persist in doing so though!

Pace Car Decals

English Howie

Thanks guys. Can you tell me how the dark grey edge is created? Does the kit include a s/a mask to paint up to, or how is the edge accurately achieved?

Easy Mike

It's a paint line. The top lighter silver was masked along the belt line and the lower darker silver was sprayed.

I believe the kit only includes the graphics.

English Howie

Jeez, sounds like some pretty nifty scalpel work would be required to mask it and remain parallel to, and follow, the contours of the vinyl pinstripe, particularly round the arches!

0Willcox Corvette

I own a low mileage SA car and have the ability to make the stripes for this car but I've not pushed it foward. We've gone to the trouble of pulling stencils from my car but it's just been sitting on the drawing board.

Maybe I should move forward with this I'm not sure but PG already makes a this so I'm hesitant to enter this market. (considering the cost maybe I should).

To mask and paint would be a huge task for sure. But if you decide to do this I can get you some pics of an original car if needed. Better yet maybe I should talk to my graphics guy and move forward with a decal set.

Willcox

hunt4cleanair

Call Phoenix and ask but I doubt it.

The 1978 AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual) offers some hints and suggestions how the two-tone paint was completed at the factory. One note on page 563 (below) indicates a GMAD tool (mask) for the wheel wells. The other document is the decal application that offers reference points.

I suspect painters today interpret this guidance and determine the "sight line" when mating the two paint colors. Also, pictures before paint prep also help to re-establish that sight line.

Also, this link to an article on the Pace Car Final Process Final Process shows a photo of painters at the factory painting the silver on the bottom. It shows the "sight line" captured with paper and tape before painting began...back then.

Hope this helps!

AIM_B2Z_Paint Guidance.pdf

AIM_B2Z_Reference Sheets.pdf

English Howie

Wow, that would be good!

My SA paint is not bad, but not perfect. The car was bought on the fly (a beer bid on ebay, actually!!). Never had a Vette before, but like it sooooo much, we're thinking of bringing it up to the standard we have in other cars. I've got a great paint and body guy, but I think it would be very demanding to expect that dark grey edge to be perfect and parallel to the grey pinstripe. Slightly not quite right, and I'll be wishing I'd left it alone or painted it red!

I'm surprised PG's kit doesn't include masks.

Or maybe it's easier to do than I envisage.

I'd be very grateful if you can keep me posted on whether you're developing this Mr Willcox!

Stephen Irons

Howie, whereabouts in the UK are you? If you're in the south, you could contact MechSpray (in Rochester). Pete has done hundreds of Vettes and would do a fab job I'm sure.

Also, contact EMC Performance.....

But if your '78s paint is "OK", couldn't the painter use the current paint lines as his guide? A few '78s have been re-painted in the UK so it must be possible to do well.

KapsSA

The actual paint application is silver with the gray applied OVER it on the bottom, no stripe detail when paint applied. The seam between the two colors has to be correct.
The vinyl stripe has gray on top and silver on the bottom and covers the paint seam.
The stripe is two-tone.
No part of the stripe is actually paint.

English Howie

- that's a big help, thanks very much. Although it shows that it's not straightforward, it's a good guide for getting the job right! I'm going to study further...

English Howie

Hi Stephen, I'm up in the north. I've used APR Bodyworks in Hull for two other cars, and he's done a great job, and he says that's what he can do. I just worry for getting those grey edges correct, particularly though those compound curves, so was wondering if there's any 'aftermarket provision'.... (Your car looks great in red!)

jim in oregon

The references above give factory references to paint color and height of various components..IF one is a stickler for perfection....The door jams and sills were painted the silver..
The SA stripe kit is complete and great quality and truly sets off a good paint job..I bought a kit from them that contains a prep wipe and two other items to smooth the decal strips on and a final wipe down when done..Any good paint shop should be able to do the body-paint/prep..Usually, the have a subcontractor they bring in to apply pinstripe-decals..Jim

English Howie

Thank Jim. Incidentally, the mesh in the fender brake vent, is that OE? (sorry for nube question, but I'm in England and don't get to see many SA vettes!!)

Easy Mike

No.

Stephen Irons

Mike, I like the look of those inserts, but a quick glance at Zip and they are $66! Ouch. Assuming you bought them, (not a home manufactured set) were they easy to fit?

Stephen Irons

Thanks! I think if APR know their stuff they should mange the division. A new paint job certainly lifts the SA paint - the original always seems a tad "flat" to me.

jim in oregon

Howie, no..I installed them because I liked the way they look..Jim

English Howie

-well, it looks good, perhaps they should have done that at the factory too. I've a Cobra replica, and I did the same thing to its equivalent vents.