I have a 1966 442 now.
She is currently under a chassis restoration and completely apart.
I need to know the correct colors for repainting the following;
(BTW, if someone knows of a site with a chart for all this info, please send me the link.)
1. The firewall
2. The underside of the body(floors and trunk)
3. Backing plates for front drums and drum assemblies)
4. The front and rear springs
5. The steering knuckles
6. Steering box
Thanks in advance for any help!
If anyone wants to email me directly,
jacobv_99@yahoo.com

 

1.The firewall
semi-flat black
2. The undercarriage (floor pans and trunk)
semi-gloss to semi-flat black
3. Front and rear springs
semi gloss black or natural
4. Drum brake backing plates
front were unpainted, some black-out usually (asphalt or tar based spray on "paint". Rear could be black or natural
5. Brake drums and steering knuckles
same, knuckles definitely unpainted
6. Steering box
unpainted

Note that the firewall will be almost flat black, but the heater box, etc. bolted to it will be semi-gloss black. Most bolts were dark gray phosphate.

 

Underside will have body color overspray on the frame rail area.

doneunder2.jpg

Will also have undercoat (Body Schutz) behind tires, in rear wheelhouses and around the shifter hole in floor (if its a stick car).

doneunder3.jpg

 

I do not agree with the answers you received on floor and trunk color under the car. On a 66 442, it was painted body color.

 

So, body color and the undercoating as shown on the pics above?

 

The underneath was first painted semi-gloss black. There can be almost none to heavy overspray of body color depending on the plant, day, and worker who painted the exterior body before the frame was attached. Undercoating is more or less as shown above by TK65; see what your car has for guidance.

 

I have a 66 L69 4 speed air car built in California. It had all origional paint and had the entire undercarriage in body color which was covered in undercoating, and not in certain areas as in the picture. I am not certain if Lansing built cars or non air cars were done differently, and I would guess some painters had a mind of there own, but mine is correct.

 

The car shown above is a Fremont car, and thats exactly how it was done originally. Undercoating the entire underside was NOT done at Oldsmobile. The undercoat in the photo is exactly how it was applied to my car.

So, to say in your first post that all 442s had body color undersides is wrong. And to say your car is correct is also wrong, because they were not undercoated on the entire underside at the factory.

No difference in non A/C or not. All the bodies went thru the same process. Im not saying your entire body color underside is incorrect, but it is certainly not the norm.

 

Absolutely no way possible to paint the entire underside of the car. This was the process at Fremont.

 

Leave it to you to find that photo! Awesome! I love the invisible respirators...also a guy on each side....he's only missing a cigarette!

 

That's a great picture!
Mine's a Lansing car, non air, auto on column.
I'm figuring painting bodies was done the same in Michigan.
I'm going to try and get to my buddy's garage this weekend and take a good look at the undercarriage before he sandblasts and original evidence is gone.
Thanks for all the input guys.
Jake

 

Lansing bodies were painted at Fisher body and shipped across town to the assembly plant. Fremont had Fisher body in the assembly plant. Lansing cars had their front ends painted at the assembly plant and not at Fisher. Im not sure how the body painting process was in Lansing. It couldnt be much different from Fremont. But Fremont was a real odd plant so who knows.

 

This photo shows the green overspray along the rear of the car, which transitions into the black trunk floor. Behind the tires you can see the undercoat (rock guard).

 

Great pics....on the last one, I'm a little confused? A buick and olds on the same assy line? Was that how it was at Fisher?

 

any more assembly line pics? I really dig em!

 

I have both Lansing and Fremont 66s and both came as I described. Both had undercoating as TK shows.

 

That photo is of Fremont Assembly. This is Lansing, Oldsmobiles only.

 

Gotcha!

 

f-85 rallye, let me know what you find on your undercarrige. As I stated, mine had body color. I removed the undercoating with bright body color under it. I am not sure if the dealer did it or not. I worked for an Olds dealer in 66 and purchased a new 67 442 in October of 67. I believe I paid extra for undercoating and cannot remember if the dealer did it or if it was done prior, but I know I did not do it after I took delievery. Again I believe my car is correct and was delievered in that manner.

 

The dealer did it. My 65 F85 has undercoat in the front wheel wells and the underside. Olds didnt undercoat it.

Do you have any photos of your cars underside?

 

I took a lot of pictures, but that was in 2000, when I did my frame off, and at that time I did not have a digital camera. bummer. I am from Minnesota but winter in California and will not have access to them until I get back. But I goggled Fremont Tour, which may be the sight you went to, and if you read all the info, I believe it states that they go to an overhead canveyor for some painting and weather proofing. So I am not sure if that is undercoating? Just more to find out or clarify

 

That is my website. The photo of the painting process shows the "overhead" conveyor. Its over the top of the car, suspending it from above.

Rust proofing was what the photo caption said, but as I said there was not a undercoat process and it was not done at the factory. Rust proofing was the painting of the underside with semi gloss black paint.