'67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

[Wayne W.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

Wayne,

Why would the panel have to be removed to do the body drop?

From an evidence perspective, I can see how the bolts would have to be in place before blackout to get the "white" rings underneath them. I cannot fathom how or why owners would sand away blackout just under the bolts to make those rings in an effort to create what I'm seeing, if the panel wasn't in place before blackout. Guess maybe my panel could be a replacement panel that was painted that way with the panel in place after an accident or something?

From the opposite perspective. Let's say you have the white rings because the panel was originally in place during blackout, but then during later ownership the area is repainted without the door in place - bingo no rings.

I'm not trying to argue here, I'm just trying to understand the evidence we have in hand.

Kirk

Cause the battery and tray will not allow it. That panel was bolted on after body drop.

[Wayne W.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

First let me say that there could have been some differences through the years or from AOS to St. Louis. It will take some time to document. But for what its worth , here are some pictures.

First this should prove the body was undercoated before black out.




Note black paint on engine side of the panel.



Note black under the tape for the weatherstrip.

[Wayne W.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

Continued, Note Black under undercoat on wheel side, and remnants of black under the socket heads.





Note the imprint of the grain in the weatherstrip and the undercoat under the panel overlap.

[Michael H.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

You were there. You tell me. Would those guys install that panel on the line, as hard as those bolts are to get to and start, run them down tight so that paint couldnt get under them, do the black out, and then remove it for body drop? I dont think so. I have examples that have paint under the bolts.

The panels with paint showing under the bolts certainly do make a statement, don't they.

The pic's are interesting. But so are some other pic's that seem to indicate that the panel was in place during undercoat/blackout.
I dunno.

A logical assembly sequence would suggest that the panel WAS in place during undercoat/blackout because there is no reason that I can think of why it shouldn't/couldn't be.
Why would the installation be delayed until after body drop? The battery would have already been sitting in the tray and I can think of no other reason why it might have been added later. Sure looks like it was though.

[Wayne W.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

The panels with paint showing under the bolts certainly do make a statement, don't they.

The pic's are interesting. But so are some other pic's that seem to indicate that the panel was in place during undercoat/blackout.
I dunno.

A logical assembly sequence would suggest that the panel WAS in place during undercoat/blackout because there is no reason that I can think of why it shouldn't/couldn't be.
Why would the installation be delayed until after body drop? The battery would have already been sitting in the tray and I can think of no other reason why it might have been added later. Sure looks like it was though.

With the battery in this forward in this position, you cant drop the body straight down. I have never really tried it, but I dont think that panel was on the car when the body came down. That is what I am saying.

[Wayne W.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

I dont know where the rest of my pictures went. I hate this new format. So I will post them again.

Paint under the undercoating on the wheel side.



Note paint under the blackout on the wheel side.

[IMG]http://i238.pho[IMG]http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff142/wombvette/66FactoryBodyBuild.jpg

On the encine side.


Under the tape.


Note the imprint of the undercoating on the seal, and the undercoat in the lap joint of the panel.

[Michael H.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

Paint under the undercoating on the wheel side.



Note paint under the blackout on the wheel side.


On the encine side.


Under the tape.


Note the imprint of the undercoating on the seal, and the undercoat in the lap joint of the panel.

I have to agree, the panel from your car appears to have been painted/undercoated before it was installed.
Pictures of others show that the panel was painted/undercoated after it was installed.
I don't think a conclusion can be reached with the info that's been submitted so far.
More research is needed.
In the meantime, I don't think there should be a point deduction for either method used during restoration.

[Wayne M.]

Re: '67 AC Car Battery Access Panel Question

I don't think a conclusion can be reached with the info that's been submitted so far.
More research is needed.
In the meantime, I don't think there should be a point deduction for either method used during restoration.

Agree ...

Here's some more from early '65 A/C, 014xx, S-body. All from wheelwell side. First thumbnail is of overlap zone, top of battery panel; (remember) this panel never had any foam seal, and the undercoat flowed down.

2nd pic is a little to the right of first, showing outboard upper corner. You can see no undercoat in the overlap, but blackout is there. If you look closely to the left of the bolthole, you can even see some of the original Goldwood yellow lacquer, before blackout. Third is overall shot of panel; much less undercoat than my 396 panel (earlier post in this thread). Fourth shot is of lower outboard corner, showing native fiberglass, blackout, then undercoat. The light gray is overspray primer from a latter re-paint in 1983.

I'm not saying that all S-body battery access panels should be the same. Just offering this for comparison.