1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Jace, keep the pic.s rolling, enjoy looking at original cars. maybe after judging your car someone like Carlton will change the wording in Judging manual next Edition.

[Mark M.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Hi Jace , I would like to see more pictures of that survivor. I also have a 64 coupe. I've seen a number of original c2 frames with the same drips on the back edge of the cross members. A O Smith sprayed the frames after they made them and apparently they were hung front end pointing straight up high when it dried. I have pictures of a 67 with 11k miles and the frame has many drips on back edge just like yours. Not that you are going to, but I guess purest frame off would be to hang the frame up high to repeat the original application of paint with drips on the bottom. Choice of paint is another story since c2 used cheap asphalt coating. Yours looks like it held up great. It's only original once. Enjoy

[Ron G.]

[Jace H.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Gents,


Thanks for all of the good information. The intent of my original post was to revisit the "Blackout" process that was in place for the 63/64 model years. This process would have occurred long after the frame had been painted, dried, stenciled and then sent down the assembly line. The thick black goo that is on my cross member is also on my half shafts and surrounding rods and fittings. However my diff and drive shaft have none of this stuff on them. My original exhaust pipes show some evidence of the paint as well. I removed one of the heat shields and there is a clear line on the pipes where the shield was during this process. The shield itself has the thick goo on the top side. I have seen photos in an older post of a set of pipes removed from a low mileage 64 and both the pipes and the shields were almost completely covered in the black paint. How soon after the "Blackout" process was the body lowered onto the chassis? How do I explain the obvious drips/pooling of the goo on the top of the spare tire carrier? What say you?

Thanks,
Jace

[Jim S.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Jace,
The spare tire carrier was installed before body drop, so it would have have been installed prior to blackout.

[Jace H.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Great pic Jim!

Thank You

[Dan A.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

What's this part in the red highlighted area?

[Harry S.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

That's a 63 only addition tack welded to the strut bracket. If this car is a 64 it better be a real early one.

[Gene M.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

That's a 63 only addition tack welded to the strut bracket. If this car is a 64 it better be a real early one.

Harry, I’ve seen that in the past, but what is it for?

Must be a reason or GM wouldn’t waste the time/money on it.

[Jack M.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

How do I explain the obvious drips/pooling of the goo on the top of the spare tire carrier?

FYI- This was some of the blackout procedures from the '63 Pilot Line vehicles:

[Harry S.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

It was part of the IRS (interdependent Rear Suspension) design to protect the top of the strut from road junk. It was eliminated in 64 as they determined it didn't matter.

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Dan, that's a heat shield that was installed on 63 nd 64until about vin 5500 the exhaust pipe sits below. for some reason it was done away with In later 64, I guess there just not enough heat at this point.

[Jace H.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Thanks Jack. These pics answer a lot of the questions I had!

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

Harry, I put a post above on that spot welded shield, I thought its purpose was for heat as the exhaust pipe sits below that end of the strut brace?

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 Chassis Blackout Re-Visited

I had this pic. of a 63 chassis on the assy line I believe.