looking to clean and paint under the hood of my 72 whilst the engine is out over xmas/new year break.
what paint finishes am i looking for, i realise black, but flat / satin / semi / gloss?

side walls / fenders / firewall??
brake booster?
vac tank?
radiator?
ac box
rad support?
frame rails / cross member under engine / 'A' arms?
underside of the hood?
alternator bracket(s)?
aircon bracket(s)?

and anything else that i may have forgotten.

wiring and vac hoses are being replaced at the same time.

i only plan to take the engine out once, so a good clean n paint this time for a nice clean weekend cruiser.

your pics would be a help, especially empty engine bays.

here's what i'm starting with


thanks

 

I used black semi gloss. Nice results.

 

I'm not sure what you're after since your pic pretty much shows what the original finishes were.

Fiberglass surfaces would have been semi-flat black from the blackout process, including the underside of the hood.

Frames were semi-flat black when they arrived at St. Louis.

Brake boosters were gloss black.

A-arms, radiator support, various brackets, etc could all have varying degrees of gloss to them without being shiny. AIR pump brackets were engine block color.

NCRS judging guides list factory finishes.

Steam clean what you have and you may decide you're in better shape than you think.

 

Here is mine on 73. May not be correct, but I like it.






Donnie

 

Engine compartment "SURFACES" are painted semi-flat or satin black. Engine compartment "COMPONENTS" are painted semi-gloss black. The vacuum actuators and relays were originally gold zinc chromate coated; but this is troublesome, costly and won't last more than a couple of years. It is better to paint those items gold with little spritzes of red & green MetalCast {translucent} paint to make them look 'similar' to gold chromate coloring. At least, they will stay that way for many years to come.



side walls / fenders / firewall?? semi-flat/satin black
brake booster? semi-gloss black
vac tank? S/F black
radiator? S/G black (should be thin radiator paint)
ac box? it is fiberglass and is unpainted
rad support? S/G black (same as frame paint)
frame rails / cross member under engine / 'A' arms? S/G black
underside of the hood? S/F black
alternator bracket(s)? S/G black (component)
aircon bracket(s)? ditto


Clean off ALL wiring and hoses/vacuum lines with lacquer thinner (gloves and fresh air are required) to rid them of all oil/grease/dirt/paint/Armor-All . Then give them a couple of coatings with a polymer protectant like Nu-Vinyl or Meguiar's protectant for plastics. Then wipe them down with it each time you clean up the engine comparment. Use it on your interior vinyl/plastic pieces, rubber hoses, and tires, too. Great stuff!!!

 

thanks

gives me something to work on over xmas hol's

 

I have found John Deere Blitz Black to be the perfect satin color. John Deere also has gloss and medium blacks. The paint is tough and durable and sprays well. Blitz black is popular with the Rat Rodders for body finishes. But then I'm partial since I work at Deere dealership.

 

Semi gloss black powercoat on frame and suspension. Engine bay is black base coat with semi gloss clear.

 

Just a "head's up"....

Flat black paint will hide surface imperfections from view...but will mark badly when touched and leave visible signs of touching/contact. Flat black should not be used where it will be 'touched'.

Gloss black looks great! But, the surface to which you apply it MUST be very smooth and free of defects. (Like the engine compartment in the above photos.) If your engine compartment is in 'factory' condition and you shoot gloss black on it, it will look like CR@P!

Semi-flat and/or satin black (nearly the same sheen...mostly a difference in what that particular brand of paint wants to call it) should be used for "blackout" surfaces. The dull finish hides surface roughness and imperfections but it is not so dull as to get marked-up when contacted.

Semi-gloss is better for machined/formed parts like components in the engine compartment. That's why it is chosen over blacks with less sheen for components and frames.

 

Can anybody tell me when in the production the Black out paint was Sprayed on ? I seem to remember the Wiper Motor having Black paint on them so it must of been installed what else ? I realize no two cars were done the same as they were in a hurry painting them but how far down did the paint go ? Part way into the Trans Tunnel I think. Inner Fenders all the way down ? Did the inside of the Fenders near the Gills get any ?