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Quick question which will be easy for some to answer but I can't tell from the pictures I see.
My 1969 has had paint and some type of tar sprayed into the wiper bay. I have begun to clean up the mess in the wiper bay.
1. Should this area be painted black or should it be raw fiberglass. I am pretty sure it it not supposed to be body colour? Same goes for the wiper linkage, it has been painted burgundy body colour but is there some correct black it should be?
2. Is there any problem with using paint stripper to get the old paint off. Though I would not use it on the body, the wiper bay is so inaccessible (even with my wiper door now removed) that it seems the only way I can get it cleaned up properly.
Hi Pete,
Originally the wiper bay was sprayed with some black-out paint after the exterior color had been applied.
It was quickly and carelessly done.
I'm not sure if the wiper transmissions were in place at that time or not. The evidence on my car indicates they were.
The wiper arms and blades, and the wiper door mechanism were installed after the black out had been done.
I used lots of lacquer thinner to remove the blackout from my wiper bay.
Regards,
Alan
Thanks for the great pics Alan!
Exactly what I needed to know. I just got part of the mechanism out of the parts washer and now a quick blast in the blast cabinet and then some black paint. I think I will just use the paint stripper in the wiper bay. If no one shouts "STOP" I will carry on as it seems to be working.
Pete
You need to get a tube of butyl caulk for that wiper well. Silicone caulk will dry out and deteriorate rather quickly in the sun. There are drain holes in the wiper well...don't seal them off!!
Use a caulk gun to lay-in the caulk; and don't try to be too perfect with it, if you want it to be similar to factory condition. Just put caulk in pits and over cracks/joints and let it settle into place. Suggest that you don't try to spread or smooth it, but let it flow into place.
Use satin or semi-FLAT black paint to simulate factory black-out work.
Hi Pete,
Originally the wiper bay was sprayed with some black-out paint after the exterior color had been applied.
It was quickly and carelessly done.
I'm not sure if the wiper transmissions were in place at that time or not. The evidence on my car indicates they were.
The wiper arms and blades, and the wiper door mechanism were installed after the black out had been done.
I used lots of lacquer thinner to remove the blackout from my wiper bay.
Regards,
Alan
Alan
on some original paint wasn't the area where the red meets the crossover black not a taped straight line instead kind of over sprayed affect ?
Wes
Well my wiper bay is looking better but has a hell of a long way to go till it looks like Alan's.
I will try the paint thinner and see what happens. Here are a pic of the before and after wiper transmission.
Man, this project is way way bigger than I ever imagined.
Ignatz, the paint stripper just dries up so it was pretty easy to get out with the shop vac but I did end up taking out the wiper transmission as well for access.
I still don't quite know how or why the "tar crap" was all over the wiper bay and the transmission bases but I am slowly getting rid of it.
Hi V,
The tar like material was in the wiper bay to seal both the seams in the fiberglass cowl and to seal the many holes and fasteners that were drilled in the cowl area to mount various wiper parts.
It was done quickly and with little precision.
It takes a LOT of time and effort to improve the area's appearance. It's not difficult, but also not high on most peoples 'list of things to do'.
Regards,
Alan
1969 Wiper Bay
