Engine compartment details

[moper]

Does anyone have clear pics of the engine bay on a '66 Imperial? I can see some of the details in mine but I have a couple questions on the correct finishes for the lower battery tray bracket (to frame), and the bolts that attach the two struts from the fenders to the firewall. Last - anyone have a source for the clamps for the AC lines? I haven't looked for them yet so I'm not sure what's out there.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Ebay has the clamps - just search 1966 440 hose clamp set with AC - lots will show up.

Get the right tool to install them - they're a pain and in fact dangerous trying to use pliers.

 

[moper]

The clips I'm talking about are the vinyl protected steel line retainers. A phillips head screw holds it to the sheetmetal. If you are talking about the spring clamps for the rubber hoses - I have the pliers for those but they are coolant hoses - not directly AC related.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Ah... sorry. Still check eBay as I believe they are being reproduced.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

In 69 the battery tray support bracket was NOT painted body color, it was satin black.
In 69 the battery tray WAS bolted in so the bolts to the core support were painted.

Again this is a 69 and a Polara


Alan

 

[moper]

Thanks Alan - What I've found after the blasting cabinet... The battery tray was bolted to the inner fender and radiator support prior to them being painted (all painted body color together with areas of bare/primer only between the panels). The small bracket to the frame was black - probably the usual "dipped" semi-gloss. Bolts and spring nut for that bracket were natural from what I could tell. Still curious about the bolts for the fender struts. The struts were black which tells me they were done after the main color was sprayed - but were the bolts body color with the paint "disturbed", natural, black oxide?

 

[HWYCRZR]

Now you have made me go back and look at mine (68 Polara) Battery tray is body color. (I will have to repaint mine now as it was re finished black)
I am having trouble distinguishing the brace color as it is very dirty. The body color is burgundy metallic, so the red tones can look close to rust in certain light conditions . I will have to sort through some of my other pics. I am pretty sure it is black or a zinc phosphate like the hood latch and support. It was hard to tell when I re- finished it.

 

[HWYCRZR]

I envision that this is how it was sub assembled and painted? To paint with the fenders it would have been mounted to the frame, which means masking which probably didn't happen? I this is the case the battery tray bolts to the fender and strut would have not been painted. But natural or black oxide? It seems that most of my screws that go into the frame were a dull Natural grey.

 

[moper]

Mine is the 66, so full frame. I think the later ones are unibody with the front subframe. Reason that may make a difference is the "body unit" vs the "body in white" was produced differently. It looks like the Imp I have was assembled as a complete body unit in primer or dipped in it, then painted body color. So reinforcements that were added when the body and frame came together were spared body color and in most stuff I've seen is a medium gloss black, with runs because the parts were dipped - not sprayed. I'm not a restoration specialist so this is conjecture in some bits on my part. The bracket and fender struts were black. There was black under the body color, and under the bolt heads (where the finish is protected). My car was repaired once, and then someone also tired to refinish the engine bay. So it's a detective deal...lol.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

If the battery tray brace attaches to something that is body color then the brace would probably be body color. In the case of the 69 Polara it attaches to the stub frame. As for the fender braces the bolts wold have been natural (phosphate) if they were put in after, I doubt the factory would pre paint bolts.

My 67 Barracuda has fender braces that were put in after the car was painted, I made a point to remove these bolts prior to paint an finish the bolts according as they protrude into the engine compartment

Alan

 

[moper]

I would agree - but this is my earliest C body. My '71 Newport braces were body color, but IIRC the inner fenders were black. The paint under the spring nut is black - and the only white was where the re-spray could reach - the areas tight to the inner fender were black. But the fender itself was the repaint white, with a line of OEM white under it... So the brace had to be added when the big parts were joined. Least that's my thought. Same with the battery try lower support. The part it attaches to is the front frame. That looks like it was black. Under the battery tray was the base primer - no paint at all unless it blew in there during paint.