Frame off Dave

I am currently doing a frame off restoration of my Olds.
The frame is completed, as is the engine and it is now waiting for the body work to be completed.
I have completely stripped all the paint from the car, inside and out.
I have a question for anyone who is knowledgeable about this year of Olds.
As I am prepairing the car for paint I can’t find any information about the color of the underside of the hood. As the one I am working on had been repainted and the removal didn’t give me any clues it remains a mystery.
I have a parts Olds, actually it was going to be the restoration car, but I found a rust free one.
Even though my parts car is pristine, never touched, painted or modified in any way, including exhaust, the underside of the hood doesn’t reveal any clues either.
Thanks,
Dave

Oldsguy

Welcome to CO Dave, giving your thread a bump as it seems it got buried fairly far down today. Not sure about the under hood color so won't speculate but I am sure that someone on our site does know the answer, good luck.

Olds Dad

I'm restoring a '55 Holiday Sedan - and was wondering the same thing - also about the hood hinges -

what I can tell you is that I have an absolutely untouched original car that I bought out of a barn with a 1967 inspection sticker on the window and it has the same black paint on the underside of the hood as the fender wells and radiator support sheet metal - not sure how this was accomplished at the factory - if the hoods were painted separately - or if they were masked on the underside - but it does not appear that the undersides are the body color.

Please note that I'm not 100% positive on this and if you (or anyone else) knows or finds different please post because this is a bridge I also need to cross fairly soon.

Best -

Gordon

Frame off Dave

Gordon,
I do know that the hood hinges and bracket are black. The two 55's I have are both black. My "parts car" is untouched and has the orig. paint. I just can't quite tell about the underside of the hood. I think they gave it a very light "primer" that over the years didn't stand the test of time.

Another thing I'm not sure of is the paint. I have a paint chip book, but for 55 I can't find a white color. I see a lot of finished cars painted in the "two tone" with white being one of them, but I can't find a corasponding paint chip.
Thanks,
Dave

Olds Dad

My untouched one is white and green ... I'll see what the cowl tag says...think it was technically ivory? I will also look closer at the hood underside...your primer theory makes more sense from a production line point of view

Frame off Dave

Thanks for looking for me. I'll have to look for an Ivory chip.

When I pulled off my front fenders, I needed to remove a lot of undercoating. Aparently that was a dealership thing. It was a very heavy tar like substance. However what was left was the same black "primer-looking" paint. In the area that is hidden by the inner fender was also untouched black primer. That was an easy removal for me. So, with your information and what I have discovered it appears that black it the color for the underside of the hood.
Dave

Olds Dad

I have that thick asphaltic stuff too - how did you remove it?...all over parts of my firewall too!

Frame off Dave

Frame off Dave

Ha, ha, you may not like my answer.
After removing the frame, I removed the "undercoating" from the whole underside of the car, taking it down to the bare metal.
I did it with a heat gun and scraper. After than I used Laquer thinner to wipe it all down. It was a long dirty job. My body is on a floor hoist so every thing was over my head. I was told that if I wished to leave it I could wipe it clean with Laquer thinner to give it a frest look, but I wanted to see if there were any hidden problems. The modern undercoating is much lighter and is sprayed on with "shaker" can's.
Dave



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Olds Dad

Ahhh...the answer I suspected yet was afraid to hear.

Frame off Dave

The stuff actually comes off easy. It is dirty, and time consuming. Have a trash can handy. I covered the floor with cardboard, but actually when it drys it is an easy clean up. Getting it off my frame was also a long process, but rewarding after getting it clean and painting it. I will most likely spray the new undercoating on. My professional paint guy, tells me that keeping the underside clean and fresh looking is easier to maintain and the painted frame is a nice contrast. I wire brushed my gas tank, making it look polished, clear coated it, painted the holding straps black. I did the same with my drive shaft, and vacume canister.
Dave

Olds Dad

Sounds like you are further along than i am...concurrently working on three...one to drive...one frame off...one (scheduled for) nose off. Still in disassembly phase and parts collection.

Frame off Dave

Wow, your a busy man.
I'm building my car at a friends place. We built a restoration room with a floor, and overhead hoist.
He is a MoPower guy and has a 70 Challenger, Hemi, that is Plum Crazy.
He has many cars waiting for restration, but has moved mine up front. Over the years he has accumulated many cars but never had a good restoration room. We put it together including radiant heat in the floor, so it is comfortable in the winter months.
I see that your in RI so you understand the need for warmth.
My other 55 Olds, I'm using to ensure the correctness in my restoration will one day become my vision of what we did with our cars in the 50's.
Please keep in touch, and let me know how things are moving along for you. If I can be of any assistance, let me know.
Dave

Olds Dad

By the way...all 3 of mine have weak hood springs...seems to be an issue-wondering if you had same problem and more importantly..a solution?

Frame off Dave

I don't know if that will be a problem for me yet. I do have a second set of springs, plus my "parts car" has a set, so we will see. In Spokane, WA (30 miles away) we have a spring place that will make new ones.
I did that with my rear leaf springs. They even had the correct spacers that go between the springs.
Dave

Olds Dad

Dave - what did you do about the material on the underside of the deck lid that's sandwiched between the outer trunk sheet metal and inner trunk reinf? I know the Chevy guys sell a 'kit' precut for the chevys, but they are different shapes and sizes....and do these get overspray or no?

Frame off Dave

From what I have seen the underside of the deck lid is painted. I have a precut replacement material that I believe I can slide into place. I'm thinking that the Chev would be the same, as many body parts seem to be the same for this year GM car, but don't know for sure.
When I get there I'll let you know.
Dave

Olds Dad

the precut chevy stuff is not the right size / shape - but you can get a sheet of the material to cut yourself...I know the underside is painted body color - but my material looks like it has overspray on it - I think original - so I just wasn't sure what was done from the factory - If you don't mind, keep me in the loop when you get there - hope your resto is moving along...mine is 2 steps forward, three back - but again, I guess they all are!

Frame off Dave

I will keep you in the loop and please do the same.
The piece I have was cut for the Olds. As I remember, I got it off ebay, but could have picked it up from a restoration place. I just don't remember, but they do make them for the Olds.
Dave

Tedd Thompson

Guys , I also have had many of the same questions as you.I tried to put my car back as close as possible,but in the heat of battle little thing have been changed or forgotten. The enter trunk lid material is original and a gray/ black in color and does not show over spray on mine, could have been changed some time in in the distant past, I've known the history of this car since about 1978. My hood springs are a satin black as well as the spring hangers, under hood, and enter outer finder wells,I think this is correct as I tried to match the sheen as close as possible at the time of my restoration. Not all the parts are the same sheen or they lost their sheen when exposed to heat as time went on .You gotta find a close average and go with it. And my hood sags also, you can tell by the bumps on the back of my head from repeated contact on that one corner of the hood. Don't know if this helps but all input useful some what if nothing more than to raise other questions....Tedd

Olds Dad

Thank you for the input Tedd - I agree that in the end you just have to get it as close as you can while working with what you've got available. You've done a beautiful job on your '55...I'm jealous that your top goes down!

rkolsen

Hi Dave,

Are you still working on your frame off restore? If so, are your bumpers still intact with all the brackets, clips, etc.? I sent mine out and forget (to be honest, didn't think about it) to take pictures of the inside of the bumpers with all the parts attached. So now I have a pile of parts and can't figure out what goes where. If possible, could you take some pictures of different angles and send them to me at royceolsen@hotmail.com? I would appreciate it. Thanks Again.

Tedd Thompson

This is a VERY old thread but for others who might be reading this and are interested the white that was in question is# 60 Polar white.Also the color of my original hood underside was also a faded maybe simi gloss maybe satin black as were my hood springs. I believe they are or were original to the car, everything has been painted again as of last year....Tedd