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Paint and seam sealer

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Old Aug 9, 2011 | 10:18 PM
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Default Paint and seam sealer

I have a 73 corvette coupe I am restoring that was altered in many ways that I am trying to bring back from near death. The interior was color changed by using a spray bomb paint can all over it. To bring it back, I had to strip all paint off the body and interior, re-do the entire body off the frame. I am now thisclose to spraying it correctly with quality paint, it's in epoxy primer now. I have a few questions to do this right:
How much of the A pillar is painted in color around the windshield area of the cage? Is the base of the windshield metal cage, where it meets the windshield wiper box, painted in color or black?

Is there seam sealer used in the gap between fender fiberglass in the door jamb, to the metal door hinge mount at the A pillar? How about under the lower door hinge where fiberglass meets the cage metal?

Is there seam sealer used on the door jamb fiberglass that is riveted to the door hinge metal, where the trim tag is? Is the whole thing sealed from the top edge at the windshield pillar down to the area under the lower door hinge? Thanks for your help!

Last edited by rcrchsr16; Aug 9, 2011 at 10:19 PM. Reason: misused smiley
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Old Aug 9, 2011 | 10:27 PM
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Don't know if these help any??



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Old Aug 10, 2011 | 12:34 PM
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Nice work RIO68, but you're cheating. At St. Louis, the doors were installed at the time the color coats went on. Your jambs are a bit better than they did them at the plant.

RCRCHSR16: purchase the assembly instruction manual (AIM). The body assembly diagrams in the AIM show the areas were factory sealer was applied. Door jambs were considered appearance areas and there were instructions for sealer/bonding compound to be wiped smooth in these areas. The quality of "wiped smooth" could vary depending on who did the smoothing.

These areas were not filled prior to paint and did not get too much attention on the assembly line.

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Old Aug 13, 2011 | 09:46 PM
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Thanks, guys! Great pictures! I have a 73 assembly manual, thinking that's what the AIM talked about is. I'll have to look at it closer, obviously!
I looked at a 74 Coupe at a car show last night and the A pillar was painted semi gloss black where the VIN tag was, and the other side where the window weatherstrip was, was painted in the saddle interior color. The door was closed, so I couldn't see where the exterior color stopped, but with these pictures, I really don't need anything more!This car was restored, so I don't know if this 74 is correct. Couldn't find or talk to the owner. Does this A pillar painting method sound right to you guys?
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Old Aug 14, 2011 | 07:18 AM
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Hi r,
Yes, the side of the A-pillar where the VIN tag is was blacked out.
The side of the A-pillar that faces the interior had a little body color and black down low, but was mostly birdcage color.
Note.. no paint on the VIN rivets... so the tag went on after black-out.
Regards
Alan




Last edited by Alan 71; Aug 14, 2011 at 07:22 AM.
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Old Aug 14, 2011 | 10:00 AM
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Paint Shop at St. Louis.


81 shown but other years are similar. You can see overspray on the lower portion of the A pillars, but they were not specifically painted. Black you see is the undercoating applied to the birdcage after the birdcage was welded up.

Windshield side of the posts got a little black in the black out process per Alan's picks.

There would have been no trim color coat on the interior side of the A pillars. Windshield header and post trim covered all of that.


Last edited by Easy Mike; Aug 14, 2011 at 10:03 AM.
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