Painting wheel wells

swisherred

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So inside the engine bay will be painted the car color...but what do I do in the wheel wells? Do these get painted and clear coated or just undercoating?
 
My ‘68 wheel well tubs were painted body color inside and out and then under coated from the factory.
Of course the uppers in the engine bay are also car / firewall color.
For the restore they used single stage for under car, firewall, and under hood. Hard to sand out the clear in those areas.
 
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like seein a clean wheelwell...tells me the vehicles been well cared for..nothin worse than looking at a nice car and seein trashed wheelwells
 
I'm not sure what the color on the underside of the wheel well is when they are body color, but I suspect that they would be black. If it were me, I would undercoat them to make it quieter and then there's no worry about paint chipping etc. Touch up and keeping them clean is then really easy.
 
I'm thinking I will paint the wheel side chassis saver and the bay side body color then rubberized undercoat the wheel side.
 
I'm thinking I will paint the wheel side chassis saver and the bay side body color then rubberized undercoat the wheel side.

That is basically what I did. I remember I used 2 different kinds of rubberized undercoating. One I liked, which was closer to the factory texture, and the other I did not like was just a little texture, and even think it wasn't very black, more charcoal.

Maybe someone here with a better memory can recommend a brand. I know one was NAPA, but I think it was the one I didn't like. I believe Eastwood was the other, which I liked.
 
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If you like the textured look as the undercoating from factory, the truck bed liner stuff in an aerosol can looks good, black of course
 
If you like the textured look as the undercoating from factory, the truck bed liner stuff in an aerosol can looks good, black of course

Never thought of that, I can see where it would have more the factory look. Do you recall the brand you used?
 
I found a picture of the inside wheel well. It was body color then undercoated. Of course if you Are under coating black, it doesn’t really matter what color is under, but should be painted for extra protection if the under coat starts lifting or chipping.

For the restoration my rears were under coated then painted body color. Depends if you want original looks, or are just going for the protection.
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Never thought of that, I can see where it would have more the factory look. Do you recall the brand you used?
Any big box store, lowes, Home Depot, It is rustoleum brand, I think about $8-9 a can. I tried the rubberized undercoating and it was too smooth of a finish. And maybe use a black primer first then the bed coating in case it would get chips in it
 
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I stripped the undercoating off of mine today and it seems the bay half is body colored and the fender half is black...then undercoated after assembled. I think this is the easiest way to go....but think I will still do black chassis saver on the wheel side of both halves and body color on the top with clear coat. Still using some form of undercoat...I like that I can heat and remove the factory stuff...not sure bed liner is removable..
 
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