Slop Gray consistency

[Bill73Ragtop]

I'll get things started off with something that just came up while recently reviewing a 72 Q code that will be entered into MCA Concours driven class. It's common knowlege that several sheet metal components in the engine bay were painted 'slop gray' which was a mixture of leftover paint so it can be anything in appearance from almost black to a light gray. I put this question to one of the 71-73 Asst Head judges of the MCA.

The question that asked was: Should the slop gray components in the engine compartment match or should the shade vary between some of the parts?

The response was that a variation is to be expected since components came from various bins along the line as they were installed.

For example, it would make sense that the upper shock tower to firewall supports would be a close match to each other, but they would not necessarily match the slop gray shade on the hood latch support pieces.

 

[DK73]

Wow that is so awesome stuff to read about [WINKING FACE] [THUMBS UP SIGN] Regards Lars

Sendt fra min E2303 med Tapatalk

 

[Pastel Blue]

This is where the factory processes, assembly line workers actually building the cars on any given day becomes "foggy" as to what actually occurred... Who is to say that the hood latch support was not dipped into the slop grey paint at the same time as the shock tower supports or at least in the same batch of slop gray paint? Or, if dipped at different times, they still came out looking the same? It really comes down to documenting the originality of your car before tearing it down and restoring, if you can. My current restoration was too far gone in this respect, so I would just look to follow the basic MCA suggestions for completing these pieces. NPD sells a pretty good spray bomb slop grey, but some will actually mix various paints to come up with a variation of the slop grey look. Lots of fun...

 

[bkdunha]

Mark this is MY OPINION and not known from any documentation. I would agree with Pastel Blue on documenting your individual car. Sometimes the benefit of having original finished and metal to work with is not available. I would suggest that having the slop gray in the correct areas would be sufficient enough. In judging it will be the presence of the slop gray that is the determining factor not the variation. In completing mine I made one batch of slop gray and applied it to the parts that needed it. My formula was a combination of PPG DP90LF (Black) & DP50LF (Gray). Adjust it to suit the original hue closest to your car.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Back when DuPont was in the paint business the local supplier would on occasion make a miss tint. He would save up the colors and would pour together and yes you ended up with a shade of gray. He would sell at big discount to farmers or someone painting equipment to use.

I spent some time at Ford assembly plants and was at the Cleveland plant that made the Econoline van and the other smaller van. I was there a couple weeks during new model launch and was bored to death. Got permission to go to the paint area. Requires that you wear booties, paper jump suit and hair net. I am 6'4" so needless to say the jump suit was a little short. I was talking with one of the supervisors in his office and I said " I bet Ford gets their paint cheap". He laughed and said no that it was way more expensive than what I would pay. The cost for any warranty work to the paint is covered by the paint supplier so that cost is factored into the purchase price of the paint. Good reason not to waste any paint and slop it together.

I use the NPD version and like it. Seymour number is 16-395 Panel Gray, Under hood / slop grey.

As far as the judging goes every judge will have their own opinion so I would not even try to please them.

 

[judge]

Well said David. Each judge may view it differently, lighting could play a roll also. Keep in mind Fords attempt was to make these parts as near black as feasible. Just look at as many untouched original parts as possible. Junkyard research is valuable knowledge, take advantage of that when possible.

 

[c9zx]

I used the paint David mentioned for all the slop grey parts and did not receive a deduction on a concours driven gold car. I can not imagine a MCA judge deducting for the slop grey being the same.

 

[Pastel Blue]

I used the paint David mentioned for all the slop grey parts and did not receive a deduction on a concours driven gold car. I can not imagine a MCA judge deducting for the slop grey being the same.

At the recent Grand Island MCA show, I watched 3 judges go through a B351 Concourse Trailered car and I can attest to your statement above.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I was just watching a youtube video last night on the current Mustang factory. They said the slop paint now is used to generate electricity at local power plant, not used at Ford. Current cycle time in each work station is less than one minute to do your job.

Like I said before local paint supplier told me if you screw up on a color and you have several when you mix them together it always comes out gray. Gray is the neutral color. You use a Neutral Gray Card in photography since is is half way between white and black to set exposure.

I also watched the video on the Camaro plant in Canada, Chevy's American sports car is not made in America, lol. They use powder coat for primer. Don't know about that choice. The immersion bath gets some paint inside but powder would only get a little blow around.

Actually we all like powder coat because is it tough but in testing in UV it does not hold up as good as some of the current liquid paints. We did testing on paints at the lawn equipment factory I worked at, salt spray and UV. It is much more EPA friendly without all the solvents to contend with. Cleaning up the booth is easier also. We had multiple booths in the paint line and you rolled one out to make color change and a clean one in. They cleaned up the other booth and got ready for the next color. We made 30+ brands so lots of colors but you did them if huge order lots with Craftsman getting preference.

 

[Pastel Blue]

I was just watching a youtube video last night on the current Mustang factory. They said the slop paint now is used to generate electricity at local power plant, not used at Ford. Current cycle time in each work station is less than one minute to do your job.

Like I said before local paint supplier told me if you screw up on a color and you have several when you mix them together it always comes out gray. Gray is the neutral color. You use a Neutral Gray Card in photography since is is half way between white and black to set exposure.

I also watched the video on the Camaro plant in Canada, Chevy's American sports car is not made in America, lol. They use powder coat for primer. Don't know about that choice. The immersion bath gets some paint inside but powder would only get a little blow around.

Actually we all like powder coat because is it tough but in testing in UV it does not hold up as good as some of the current liquid paints. We did testing on paints at the lawn equipment factory I worked at, salt spray and UV. It is much more EPA friendly without all the solvents to contend with. Cleaning up the booth is easier also. We had multiple booths in the paint line and you rolled one out to make color change and a clean one in. They cleaned up the other booth and got ready for the next color. We made 30+ brands so lots of colors but you did them if huge order lots with Craftsman getting preference.

Chevy's sports car has been moved from Canada and is now being built in Michigan.

 

[Bill73Ragtop]

I used the paint David mentioned for all the slop grey parts and did not receive a deduction on a concours driven gold car. I can not imagine a MCA judge deducting for the slop grey being the same.

At the recent Grand Island MCA show, I watched 3 judges go through a B351 Concourse Trailered car and I can attest to your statement above.

Just some thoughts: I asked the MCA the question about the slop gray variation since the owner of the 72 Q-code (noted above) had originally powder coated many of the pieces that were supposed to be finished in slop gray. The powder coat finish - as nice as it was - was nothing close to slop gray and was very noticable. While he was re-finishing them, some of the pieces (hood latch supports vrs shock tower supports) came out just a little bit different - thus the question.

In my own case I found my car's original hue of slop gray between the two hood latch support pieces. I had it scanned and used the formula to make up a quart to finish all my 'slop gray' pieces. Bkdunha is pretty much dead on with his observation of MCA guidelines. I would add that 99% of restored concours 71-73's I recall seeing at MCA shows in the past 20+ years do have the same shade of slop gray on all the underhood pieces.

The late Larry Kennedy, one of the most knowledgable folks I every met on 71-73 mustangs, had a couple original slop gray pieces he kept as reference. I can recall a couple discussions we had on the subject back in the 90's when I was working on my 73 vert. One comment he made back then that I recall was that getting the correct shade of slop gray was very difficult because of how it came about at the production plant.

At this time, there is nothing in MCA concours judging guidelines or judging sheets that would call for a deduction of slop gray components if they are the same shade and/or there is a variation. As bkdunha noted, its appearance on the component itself should be acceptable. If anyone ever does a Thoroughbred restoration of a 71-73, it's possible the subject might come up under greater scrutiny, but until then as long as it appears to be some shade of slop gray, that should be sufficient. I might add that one of the basic tenets of the MCA judging is when in doubt, the car should have the benefit of the doubt.

BTW, the 72 Q-code was awarded a concours driven Gold in its first MCA appearance.

 

[Pastel Blue]

I used the paint David mentioned for all the slop grey parts and did not receive a deduction on a concours driven gold car. I can not imagine a MCA judge deducting for the slop grey being the same.

At the recent Grand Island MCA show, I watched 3 judges go through a B351 Concourse Trailered car and I can attest to your statement above.

Just some thoughts: I asked the MCA the question about the slop gray variation since the owner of the 72 Q-code (noted above) had originally powder coated many of the pieces that were supposed to be finished in slop gray. The powder coat finish - as nice as it was - was nothing close to slop gray and was very noticable. While he was re-finishing them, some of the pieces (hood latch supports vrs shock tower supports) came out just a little bit different - thus the question.

In my own case I found my car's original hue of slop gray between the two hood latch support pieces. I had it scanned and used the formula to make up a quart to finish all my 'slop gray' pieces. Bkdunha is pretty much dead on with his observation of MCA guidelines. I would add that 99% of restored concours 71-73's I recall seeing at MCA shows in the past 20+ years do have the same shade of slop gray on all the underhood pieces.

The late Larry Kennedy, one of the most knowledgable folks I every met on 71-73 mustangs, had a couple original slop gray pieces he kept as reference. I can recall a couple discussions we had on the subject back in the 90's when I was working on my 73 vert. One comment he made back then that I recall was that getting the correct shade of slop gray was very difficult because of how it came about at the production plant.

At this time, there is nothing in MCA concours judging guidelines or judging sheets that would call for a deduction of slop gray components if they are the same shade and/or there is a variation. As bkdunha noted, its appearance on the component itself should be acceptable. If anyone ever does a Thoroughbred restoration of a 71-73, it's possible the subject might come up under greater scrutiny, but until then as long as it appears to be some shade of slop gray, that should be sufficient. I might add that one of the basic tenets of the MCA judging is when in doubt, the car should have the benefit of the doubt.

BTW, the 72 Q-code was awarded a concours driven Gold in its first MCA appearance.

That is the key... the MCA thoroughbred class would be the true judge of a factory original, basically unmolested original car when it comes to the factory application of the slop grey paint. Any restored car may not fair well in that class unless the method of obtaining a factory appearing slop grey hue is done as per bkdunha comments and as discussed on the 429 and Concourse sites. From what I have witnessed, even a concourse trailered restored car will not receive deductions for slop grey appearance that is not "dipped" as may have occred at the factory back in the day. My opinion...