Firewall & Drive Train Paint

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Pegleg

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My Car
1971 Mustang Grande
I have trying to find the correct spray for the Firewall & Drive Train Tunnel. I had this conversion in earlier posts.

I have found 2 rattle can products that look like they were created for what we need. I would like some imput before i go ahead and purchase

The first product is by POR15 and the undercoat

http://www.ebay.com/itm/POR-15-49308-Rubberized-Black-Undercoating-1-17oz-Aerosol-Can-Paintable-/201057811895?hash=item2ecffabdb7:g:TRIAAOxyCGNTLY~N&item=201057811895&vxp=mtr

The second product is VHT Wrinkle paint

http://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-wrinkle-plus-coatings

I was interested in this paint because the original paint on the Firewall of my 1971 Grande has wrinkled runs along it. Both of the above products are heat resistent and sound deadeners

20161025_102148.jpg

20161025_102134.jpg

 
There is also POR15 smooth top coat in satin black for all those under hood black pieces and chasis, axle etc

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/POR15-Chassis-Black-Top-Coat-US-Pint-473ml-Smooth-Satin-Finish-POR-15-TopCoat/142081289395?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D888007%26algo%3DDISC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D39801%26meid%3D8759e824ee3545d7abc5a2141fe9e970%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D381818228426

"Chassis Coat Black paint has a smooth, satiny semi-gloss finish, and is probably more correct as original for underhood and chassis components for cars produced in the USA from the early 1950's to today"

 
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I am attempting to create the original look and finish for the concourse restoration
Click to expand...
The paint on your firewall is the same as the fender aprons

The textured area is the sealant shot along the seams of the cowl area.

None of it needs to be heat resistant

 
You don't want the wrinkle paint. What you see there is sprayed on undercoating and then painted over. That's the way it came from the factory. Most undercoatings are paintable, and satin black paint would be my way to go.

 
Agreed with Don. SEM Trim Black is a good semi gloss black for the entire engine compartment. You would need to apply that before applying any sealant over it to replicate the texture/blobs that were applied as factory sealant. The black on the firewall goes down until just about the middle of the foot well. Think of it as an assembly worker spraying black from the top of the engine compartment down. It will become lighter as you go down the firewall as they did not want to bend down 100's of times a day to get all the way down to the bottom of the floor pan. The transmission tunnel under the car should be the same slop gray as the rest of the floor pan and it will also have sound deadener sprayed over the top of it giving it that textured appearance.

 
SEM trim black is an excellent paint, used it for years at work, but I found that Eastwood paints are more durable in the engine bay and still looks correct. I used the 2K underhood product, but it does have some texture to it as it contains ceramic particles. They have a single stage version as well that has no texture. It's easy to clean!!!

Also depends on what you can get at a reasonable price in the UK and what you can use. I know that government restrictions are pretty absurd.

 
SEM trim black is an excellent paint, used it for years at work, but I found that Eastwood paints are more durable in the engine bay and still looks correct. I used the 2K underhood product, but it does have some texture to it as it contains ceramic particles. They have a single stage version as well that has no texture. It's easy to clean!!!

Also depends on what you can get at a reasonable price in the UK and what you can use. I know that government restrictions are pretty absurd.
Click to expand...
The UK government have most of wrapped up in a straight jacket, blindfolded and gagged.

 
Agreed with Don. SEM Trim Black is a good semi gloss black for the entire engine compartment. You would need to apply that before applying any sealant over it to replicate the texture/blobs that were applied as factory sealant. The black on the firewall goes down until just about the middle of the foot well. Think of it as an assembly worker spraying black from the top of the engine compartment down. It will become lighter as you go down the firewall as they did not want to bend down 100's of times a day to get all the way down to the bottom of the floor pan. The transmission tunnel under the car should be the same slop gray as the rest of the floor pan and it will also have sound deadener sprayed over the top of it giving it that textured appearance.
Click to expand...
I misinterpreted the process. I thought sound deadener went down first.

I have scoured the internet for spray on sound deadener available in the UK and got no results. I phoned a couple of large UK companies that make paint, Morelli and valspar, and still got no joy. Its all about supply and demand and theres zero demand in the UK. I am frustrated would be a gross understatement. :huh:

 
Very hard to find a sound deadener today that will apply directly like the factory did it. You may have to play with the product a bit to see if you can get it to clump up similar to that in your photo. I did mine by hand.

The under carriage on these cars could have been a number of colours, depending on what the flavour of the day was for the "slop grey" at the factory. From a reddish to greyish to black hue was possible, depending on what leftover paints were thrown into the batch to make the "soup" for the day to be applied on the assembly line. Mine was a definite black when I scrapped off the underbody sound deadener, so I put it back as such. Some cars you see today are over restored and in absence of knowing what colour was on their car, many go with a reddish primer look and grey is also popular.

If you are going concourse, you need to determine what the colour was on your undercarriage, take photos and then try to reapply in the same fashion. This way, if questioned by a judge, you have the evidence to back up why you painted it as such.

 
Very hard to find a sound deadener today that will apply directly like the factory did it. You may have to play with the product a bit to see if you can get it to clump up similar to that in your photo. I did mine by hand.

The under carriage on these cars could have been a number of colours, depending on what the flavour of the day was for the "slop grey" at the factory. From a reddish to greyish to black hue was possible, depending on what leftover paints were thrown into the batch to make the "soup" for the day to be applied on the assembly line. Mine was a definite black when I scrapped off the underbody sound deadener, so I put it back as such. Some cars you see today are over restored and in absence of knowing what colour was on their car, many go with a reddish primer look and grey is also popular.

If you are going concourse, you need to determine what the colour was on your undercarriage, take photos and then try to reapply in the same fashion. This way, if questioned by a judge, you have the evidence to back up why you painted it as such.
Click to expand...
Very good info here.

By point of interest, a friend of mine has (or had) a J code Mach 1 as well as a Boss 351 and he insist that the floor underside is red oxide primer. I've had that discussion with him more than once. My original and so far untouched underfloor is definitely black or very close to it. It is 45 years old!!

 
Very hard to find a sound deadener today that will apply directly like the factory did it. You may have to play with the product a bit to see if you can get it to clump up similar to that in your photo. I did mine by hand.

The under carriage on these cars could have been a number of colours, depending on what the flavour of the day was for the "slop grey" at the factory. From a reddish to greyish to black hue was possible, depending on what leftover paints were thrown into the batch to make the "soup" for the day to be applied on the assembly line. Mine was a definite black when I scrapped off the underbody sound deadener, so I put it back as such. Some cars you see today are over restored and in absence of knowing what colour was on their car, many go with a reddish primer look and grey is also popular.

If you are going concourse, you need to determine what the colour was on your undercarriage, take photos and then try to reapply in the same fashion. This way, if questioned by a judge, you have the evidence to back up why you painted it as such.
Click to expand...
Excellent info here

Steve, you really need to clean your car off

Then start investigating what is there before buying paints that may or may not work.

 
Very hard to find a sound deadener today that will apply directly like the factory did it. You may have to play with the product a bit to see if you can get it to clump up similar to that in your photo. I did mine by hand.

The under carriage on these cars could have been a number of colours, depending on what the flavour of the day was for the "slop grey" at the factory. From a reddish to greyish to black hue was possible, depending on what leftover paints were thrown into the batch to make the "soup" for the day to be applied on the assembly line. Mine was a definite black when I scrapped off the underbody sound deadener, so I put it back as such. Some cars you see today are over restored and in absence of knowing what colour was on their car, many go with a reddish primer look and grey is also popular.

If you are going concourse, you need to determine what the colour was on your undercarriage, take photos and then try to reapply in the same fashion. This way, if questioned by a judge, you have the evidence to back up why you painted it as such.
Click to expand...
Very good info here.

By point of interest, a friend of mine has (or had) a J code Mach 1 as well as a Boss 351 and he insist that the floor underside is red oxide primer. I've had that discussion with him more than once. My original and so far untouched underfloor is definitely black or very close to it. It is 45 years old!!
Click to expand...
Between my project cars I have left and cars I have parted out. I have intimate knowledge of at least 90 - 71-3's.

I have never seen a red oxide floor pan

 
Very hard to find a sound deadener today that will apply directly like the factory did it. You may have to play with the product a bit to see if you can get it to clump up similar to that in your photo. I did mine by hand.

The under carriage on these cars could have been a number of colours, depending on what the flavour of the day was for the "slop grey" at the factory. From a reddish to greyish to black hue was possible, depending on what leftover paints were thrown into the batch to make the "soup" for the day to be applied on the assembly line. Mine was a definite black when I scrapped off the underbody sound deadener, so I put it back as such. Some cars you see today are over restored and in absence of knowing what colour was on their car, many go with a reddish primer look and grey is also popular.

If you are going concourse, you need to determine what the colour was on your undercarriage, take photos and then try to reapply in the same fashion. This way, if questioned by a judge, you have the evidence to back up why you painted it as such.
Click to expand...
Very good info here.

By point of interest, a friend of mine has (or had) a J code Mach 1 as well as a Boss 351 and he insist that the floor underside is red oxide primer. I've had that discussion with him more than once. My original and so far untouched underfloor is definitely black or very close to it. It is 45 years old!!
Click to expand...
Between my project cars I have left and cars I have parted out. I have intimate knowledge of at least 90 - 71-3's.

I have never seen a red oxide floor pan
Click to expand...
Me either... but I have seen some very high end B351 restorations for example, where the owner has restored the car with almost complete red primer undercarriages and sworn black & blue that it was like this from the factor (no pictures of pre restoration). I have seen this colour on pre 71 cars. I would surmise that 90 cars and no red oxide is a pretty good sampling, but there will be those that believe otherwise... and as always, there were many oddities coming out of the factory back in the day...

 
A good area to get a perspective on the underside color of your car from the factory is above the gas tank on the trunk floor. I cut a section of the old trunk floor out before sending it out for bodywork to match my mix up to. I used PPG DP90 and DP40LF to get the right hue. The 90 is black and the 40 is green hue. I mixed them to a gray and then added a little more DP40 to shift it a bit more green. In the shade or dark it looks gray in the sun you can barely see a green'ish hue. The other are correct that the majority of colors sprayed in the day or week before your car determines the color shift from black to gray or other variation. I also have never seen an original car to have red oxide under. The earlier 60's models did. San Jose built cars all had red oxide. It is my understanding Dearborn and Metuchen production shifted to slop earlier than 71.

 
Very hard to find a sound deadener today that will apply directly like the factory did it. You may have to play with the product a bit to see if you can get it to clump up similar to that in your photo. I did mine by hand.

The under carriage on these cars could have been a number of colours, depending on what the flavour of the day was for the "slop grey" at the factory. From a reddish to greyish to black hue was possible, depending on what leftover paints were thrown into the batch to make the "soup" for the day to be applied on the assembly line. Mine was a definite black when I scrapped off the underbody sound deadener, so I put it back as such. Some cars you see today are over restored and in absence of knowing what colour was on their car, many go with a reddish primer look and grey is also popular.

If you are going concourse, you need to determine what the colour was on your undercarriage, take photos and then try to reapply in the same fashion. This way, if questioned by a judge, you have the evidence to back up why you painted it as such.
Click to expand...
Excellent info here

Steve, you really need to clean your car off

Then start investigating what is there before buying paints that may or may not work.
Click to expand...
I second that thought Steve. No hard feeling intended. Strip it ,clean it, paint it ..........then put it back together.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
A good area to get a perspective on the underside color of your car from the factory is above the gas tank on the trunk floor. I cut a section of the old trunk floor out before sending it out for bodywork to match my mix up to. I used PPG DP90 and DP40LF to get the right hue. The 90 is black and the 40 is green hue. I mixed them to a gray and then added a little more DP40 to shift it a bit more green. In the shade or dark it looks gray in the sun you can barely see a green'ish hue. The other are correct that the majority of colors sprayed in the day or week before your car determines the color shift from black to gray or other variation. I also have never seen an original car to have red oxide under. The earlier 60's models did. San Jose built cars all had red oxide. It is my understanding Dearborn and Metuchen production shifted to slop earlier than 71.
Click to expand...
Interesting "Ammo" for next time I talk to my friend on the subject. I always thought I was right. Now I know I am. Thanks for the interesting insight.

 
A good area to get a perspective on the underside color of your car from the factory is above the gas tank on the trunk floor. I cut a section of the old trunk floor out before sending it out for bodywork to match my mix up to. I used PPG DP90 and DP40LF to get the right hue. The 90 is black and the 40 is green hue. I mixed them to a gray and then added a little more DP40 to shift it a bit more green. In the shade or dark it looks gray in the sun you can barely see a green'ish hue. The other are correct that the majority of colors sprayed in the day or week before your car determines the color shift from black to gray or other variation. I also have never seen an original car to have red oxide under. The earlier 60's models did. San Jose built cars all had red oxide. It is my understanding Dearborn and Metuchen production shifted to slop earlier than 71.
Click to expand...
Interesting. The area above my gas tank was the body colour, in my case Pastel Blue. I suspect that the primer colour was underneath this body colour, but both the underside of the trunk area and the adjoining frame rails ( side facing the gas tank) were body colour (heavy overspray). Another area where it was dependent on the assembly line painter and where and how much paint they applied. Cannot stress enough the need to scrape away the crud in various areas of the undercarriage to determine factory applications, for those looking to return the car to near factory appearance.

 
Very hard to find a sound deadener today that will apply directly like the factory did it. You may have to play with the product a bit to see if you can get it to clump up similar to that in your photo. I did mine by hand.

The under carriage on these cars could have been a number of colours, depending on what the flavour of the day was for the "slop grey" at the factory. From a reddish to greyish to black hue was possible, depending on what leftover paints were thrown into the batch to make the "soup" for the day to be applied on the assembly line. Mine was a definite black when I scrapped off the underbody sound deadener, so I put it back as such. Some cars you see today are over restored and in absence of knowing what colour was on their car, many go with a reddish primer look and grey is also popular.

If you are going concourse, you need to determine what the colour was on your undercarriage, take photos and then try to reapply in the same fashion. This way, if questioned by a judge, you have the evidence to back up why you painted it as such.
Click to expand...
I will take lots of pictures. The sprayer i am taking the car to has a tool that he puts on the paint and it analyses the spectrum in the color. His machine then dictates the exact color match. I will try and find out if he can do a printout of the spectrum in the paint and the colors used to match the original

 

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