As part of my project, I had pulled the heater blower motor & intake plenum (engine side of firewall) to clean things up a bit. So strictly adhering to my "why stop here?" philosophy, I went ahead & pulled the heater box from under the dash -- which wound up being painfully original and Lord knows how functional. After giving the inside box a little wipe-down and look-over, I see it's really dark gloss gray. The outside (non-A/C) plenum is currently painted gloss jet black. (Obviously done in the last 10 yrs. or so.)
Now, I'm wondering whether that outside box was originally dark gray, just like the inside box...
John

 

You wouldn't, by some odd chance, have pix of said heater box?

 

Sure, Bobbity.... BTW, who's helping who? LOL This one's obviously when it just came out & before I cleaned it up. I will have one of the cleaned up (but as yet unpainted) box by tomorrow or Wed. at latest. Is this helpful?

 

All outside boxes were black.

 

Thanks, BOP, I think we're all here to help each other, it seems. Do you have a pic of the engine side?

 

Yeah, I agree, Bob. I think the folks I really want info from don't visit often, so it usually takes a while. But I have faith.

These pic's may look familiar to some, as I've posted the "engine" side here before. As Mike just noted, the jet black is correct in all likelihood; but I wasn't 100% sure since somebody redid it 10 or so years ago. When I saw the color of the inside box, my suspicions were raised, since I'd never played with the metallic boxes before. For the GM cars I've had with fiberglass boxes in & out, the finishes & colors were exactly the same. Thus, my initial question....

Best regards....

John

 

I'm old, so I was around when these were everywhere and just regular new cars. But, my memory isn't what I like to think it is. I would bet on gloss black, but I won't swear to it in court...

 

I wasn't driving when mine rolled off the line, but I was certainly old enough to appreciate them when they were new. My Dad was still driving his '54 Pontiac in '64 LOL.

In any case, I'm no authority, but I'll help anytime I can.... I do take a lot of pic's of my project at every stage.

 

Anybody (a year & a half later) have any suggestions as to gloss level of that engine-side heater box? I'm thinking they were probably painted before they were installed right after they were stamped, before they were installed on the firewall; so likely a different black/gloss level than the firewall... but if I knew fer sure, I wouldn't be posting here! LOL I'm also guessing that out of the factory, it wouldn't be as glossy as mine shown above; but again.... dunno.... In any case, I'm avoiding a "one black fits all" for under the hood; so if I don't learn anything new, I'll probably go with something a little more glossy than my firewall black.