Would like to determine if my car came with stripes. Car has been re-painted once. What is the method to sand thru top layer of paint to determine if the car had factory stripes?

 

Stripes were included as part of the W-machine pkg, so the vast majority got them. It would have been a custom / special order to have them deleted.

 

Not sure if it matters but car had special order paint, A/C, rear defogger, air shocks and his/her shifter. It does seem to have a fair amount of options for the day.

 

What do you have for documentation? Docs like a broad cast card will show the paint code color of a - - trim tag.

The options you listed are not unusual and would not have any bearing on paint color and / or stripe pKg.

 

Have looked in the usual spots for paperwork, found evidence of a card having been stapled to bottom of back seat, only some of the paper rings left. Have not dropped tank or been above headliner. Has most W30 engine components except for carb.

 

Do have an appraisal for car from '91 from Sentimental Journey in Southfield MI. Appraisal was done by a guy named Mel Stern for previous owner that I bought car from. It states that it has W30 package. Found several business cards from a previous owner in CA. but hit dead end. Car has CA. emissions on it.

 

Sounds like you need to Document / determine more than just whether or not the 442 had stripes.

One of the best clues on a non tampered with automatic, would be an original OW trans tag on the origininal VINed transmission. There are numerous threads that can walk you through the "broad strokes" of W-30 verification.

 

The OW transmission is vin stamped and matching.

 

Appreciate your help Stefano and if there anything else I can do to document it.
Still trying to figure out a way to remove repaint and see if there are stripes under it. Not much of a paint/body guy.

 

I did this same thing on a car. Just wet sand an area with 400 till you get to the original area the stripe would be. What color is the interior. The stripe color is "almost" always the interior color.

 

Interior is black, will try 400, can I use a random orbit sander or have to do by hand?

 

You can use an orbital, just be careful to not heat up that area and don't go too fast, all at once or you might go right thru the stripe if it's still there.

Whenever I repainted a car with stripes, even quick production jobs I never left any of the original stripe on the car as it was painted on top of the main color and the stripe lines could bleed through. So if it was a quality repaint, you might not find anything.

Wet sanding with 400 grit might take a bit more time but is safer in finding any of the stripe.

 

Thanks for the help guys, will let you know what I find.

 

I think at best you may be able to see the fade difference between the original paint that was under the stripe versus exposed.

 

Never thought when I started this thread it would lead to where we are at now. Thanks to Stefano and Stickw31. Should know more soon.

 

Pulled trans linkage and took pictures of stamping and OW tag. The numbers are correct font and match existing build date for W30. Should know more in a few days. Have not done the sanding yet, picked up a '70 parts car today.