1970 300 convertible trunk questions

[challenger]

Can someone tell me the correct paint for the trunk of a 300 convertible please? I had a few rusty looking spots and investigated them. It appears as if the factory pretty much poured paint into the trunk and where it settled and dried was where the rust stains appeared. I took a cup wheel brush and got rid of all the loose paint that looked like it could hold moisture and coated the trunk pan with POR-15. Now I'd like to paint it somewhat correctly. The other mopars I've had all had body color in the trunk but the paint that's in this trunk looks like a type of spatter paint.
I also need to verify the location for the spare tire and jack. Mine is on the right (passenger) side of the trunk but the jack instruction decal shows it on the left. The original owner had installed a diy alarm system in the car made out of pieces and parts using relays and other stuff from the early 1970 s. I got rid of it but I'm wondering if he didn't move the spare tire hold down to make room on the drivers side of the trunk for this alarm project.
Thanks

 

[Big_John]

Passenger side of trunk for spare. Should be a tie down for the spare welded to the floor. If not, they are available.

The spatter paint is debated here.... I think that some cars had it and some didn't, but I don't know the reasoning. I know that my Dad's brand new 68 300 had spatter paint... and I know that I've had cars with and without it.

My 300 vert trunk was a mess and is now done in trunk bedliner.... With a carpet rather than a mat.

 

[challenger]

Thanks John. I certainly don't want to start a debate about trunk paint

 

[bluefury361]

The spare tire location is on the passenger side. This is to allow the top enough room to be lowered into the well with no interference.
The trunk should have a black with gray "spatter" paint finish. Duple-color has the correct paint available in spray cans. It took about 7 cans to finish mine.

 

[challenger]

Thanks. I just checked the fsm and it does state the luggage compartment takes a three tone spatter paint. My hold down is in the same location so that's good too. If someone has an original decal maybe you can verify what my decal shows. Mine shows three possibilities with a wagon a sedan and a convertible. The convertible is shown on the left side of the trunk. Same spot except opposite side of the trunk as is in our vehicles.
BTW I had to climb into the trunk to reroute the wires for my electric fuel pump and I was can stretch out fully and lay in that trunk. I'm 6'1" and I could easily be comfortable sleeping in the trunk of that car. Being a black car and the heat down here it may not be a great idea. The wife may come out, slam the trunk and back it out so it's in the sun. I can hear it now, "my goodness officer, I didn't know he was in the trunk. I should have guessed though. He's always been such a lazy, lazy person"

 

[Big_John]

Here's my question..... Shouldn't the area in the yellow box be body color?

 

[challenger]

Mine is body color FWIW.

 

[bluefury361]

View attachment 140007

Here's my question..... Shouldn't the area in the yellow box be body color?

NO. At least cars assembled at the Jefferson ave plant. Cars assembled at other plants may have been body color though.

 

[polara71]

Really? I can't say I've seen a C not painted body color there. Now I've gotta pay closer attention

 

[bluefury361]

The reason I used the spatter paint there is because it was that way originally when I redid the car. This sort of thing doesn't surprise me. My 300 did not have the blacked out core support or rocker pinch flanges either.

 

[polara71]

Not a bad idea since that area gets scratched up badly while loading the trunk

 

[challenger]

Dead bodies don't have sharp edges?? If they are scratcing the trunk maybe the plastic bags aren't thick enough

 

[polara71]

Coolers, chairs, tent, a lot of bulky heavy stuff back there

 

[65 500]

It may have just come down to who was spraying the trunk at the time a particular car was coming down the line. For instance, a guy that I used to work with that worked at the local G.M. plant back in the 60's told me that he painted firewalls, and that the guy that relieved him for breaks would just sit down and fall asleep. Of course it was just some G.M.s, so who cares, it's not like it was any good cars.
I'm sure the firewalls got painted at some point before they left the factory.

 

[polara71]

Theres my Polara trunk but that is from a different plant than what yours was born in

 

[challenger]

I am thinking these trunks got painted in the "style" of the painted. That's IF the plant painted the splatter paint. My trunk had spatter paint in the entire trunk with body paint on the area spoken about earlier across the trunk opening before it dips down.
I will have to check the plant mine was made in just for giggles.

 

[dude69300]

View attachment 140007

Here's my question..... Shouldn't the area in the yellow box be body color?

About two wks ago I started cleaning the same area on my 300, I had to take off the ziebart undercoating that was sprayed on since the car was new. As you can see mine was sprayed body color

 

[Carmine]

Think about this from a production standpoint... the reason the upper area isn't spatter painted is because you'd be blowing spatter paint all over the fresh body paint if you came that close to the trunk opening.

Unless you taped it off. Which they didn't. It was cheaper to just install carpet on the "nicer" cars like Imps and NY's vs. the labor and bottleneck of masking every car. So the work instructions likely told the operator to stay well clear of the opening.

 

[challenger]

Another odd thing IMO is the body color trunk latch hook. I thought mine was body color because the car was repainted many years ago. Now I notice they all seem to have been painted.
I have another question, if I wish to repaint the tail light bezel on the bottom section is the Argent silver a match? Looks like it would be. Mine is worn through in a few spots from people wiping it.

 

[bluefury361]

I would agree that the area would not have been masked, but protected from overspray by the use of a mask/shield devise held in place while spraying. Probably a low pressure application also.
Perhaps the same principle was used while spraying the blackout core support which seems to have been sprayed from the bottom up.
Here is a picture of my 300. Although the trunk floor has been replaced in this shot, the subject area is still in its original finish.

Body color can be seen under the spatter in the wear areas.