Unibody bottom color

[Cazman]

I picked up a stub frame from Murray Park at Carlise and I am ready to paint it. I am probably going to use Eastwood Rust Encapsulator or Rust Bullet. This is not a show car, but might as well get it as right as possible. The frame will be painted black, but what should the bottom of unibody be painted? Is it supposed to be black, silver, or car body color? I have seen multiple methods on the forum. It matters to me now, as I want to order the correct amount of paint.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Not sure your year.
‘68 underside and firewall is body color. Then under coated in some cases.

 

[Cazman]

It’s 1968.

Thanks, I thought that but not much body color left, so I wasn’t sure.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

If you have a non-undercoat car, the bottom was very lightly painted. Probably more like overspray on top of gray sealer. No where near as nice as most restorations that you see.

 

[polara71]

Not sure your year.
‘68 underside and firewall is body color. Then under coated in some cases.

Every 69 - 73 I've been under was sprayed body color unless undercoated. If the undercoating is chipped you see body color where the chip is.

 

[CBODY67]

I would consider how the cars were assembled, and in what sequence. The main body would have been through "the dip" for anti-corrosion sealing/protection first. Then any spray primer and body color would come later. As mentioned, the cowl area would be body color, as would be the front end sheet metal (painted "unassembled" to the body, or at least "cut-in" before the final color coats.

I'll admit I've not investigated what's correct, as almost all of the cars I've been around were factory undercoat cars. From a cost perspective, I can't really see any significant body color being on the underbody areas, especially not to the extend as the exterior body panel areas. Probably more in the "overspray" orientation, I suspect. None of which would be evident if the car also has the factory undercoat.

Of course, the stub frame would be satiny black. There used to be a vendor at Mopar Nats that had the allegedly correct spray undercoat. But their samples looked more like "cow pies"-texture than what was on our Chryslers ('66 & '72). So if it's "thick" and has "the texture", it'll probably be close enough.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Correct for all Chrysler vehicles is gray primer/dip, car was submerged in Gray primer/sealer above the trunk pan and trans tunnel to allow primer to get into the nooks and crannies of the rockers, quarters and frame rails. Overspray is all you should have over the gray primer. Once the gas tank went in undercoat was applied to the wheelhouses and surrounding areas where road debris would like hit, including the sides of the gas tank. If it was a undercoat car, or a A/C car it would receive full underbody undercoat (NVH prevention), also included with this is hood pad insulation.
Painting the whole underneath body color is not technically wrong, but not that much effort was put on it. It's your car I would pick what you like and do it that way, with a eye toward preservation above all.

 

[300rag]

Every 69 - 73 I've been under was sprayed body color unless undercoated. If the undercoating is chipped you see body color where the chip is.

Here's my B3 Monaco after the gas tank was removed...

 

[CBODY67]

Seems like the full undercoat on the fuel tank was deleted, at some time, on "Undercoat w/Hood Pad" cars?

Quite a sound difference in driving a "full undercoat" Chrysler on a dirt road than a similar GM car (which was quieter on hard-surface roads, but that gravel/debris hitting their floorpans made it MUCH louder inside under those conditions). GM only put undercoat in the rear wheelhouses. Their "full undercoat" was generally dealer/locally-applied.

As for "accurate restorations", put back what was on YOUR car, for it to be accurate. There might have been "build instructions" to do something "one way", but observations have been that there were differences from plant to plant, and shift (within the same plant) to shift differences. Especially in the area of "inspection marks/daubs", and colors thereof, in some cases. That "human element" of things.

CBODY67

 

[polara71]

Here's my B3 Monaco after the gas tank was removed...

View attachment 303428

View attachment 303429

Good thing I've never been under your car or I'd be a liar.

 

[Cazman]

Ok, I got it. I’m going to go with black rust encapsulator and then black undercoat for the bottom.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

Something to consider instead of undercoating is spray-on bedliner. I used it on the underside of my Sterling cab during it's "restoration" and it works out real nice.