Calling all 396 and A/C cars

[Rich P.]

I'm getting ready to undercoat the wheel wells on a 65 A/C car and I do not have any good refrence photos from an unrestored 396 or A/C car as to the proper amount or lack there of for undercoating on the battery access door and dr side fender skirt. Thanks in advance for your time.

Rich

[Jack H.]

Re: Calling all 396 and A/C cars

That's because there isn't such a thing: 'proper' amount...

You can look at this/that original car and that's what you'll be copying. But, the truth of the matter is wheel well undercoating was applied by hand and coverage vaired all over the map! It's a human factors issue... How much of a rush was this/that assy worker in on that day? Had recent QA writeups been on the too much/too little side of the ledger?

I've seen a few original/untouched cars with only a 'dribble' of undercoating (erratic line about 2-3 inches wide in a short 30-40 degree arc) all the way to 'Mona Lisa' jobs with very wide, full coverage of the wheel well.

[Rich P.]

Re: Calling all 396 and A/C cars

Jack, thanks for the reply. I do realize that each car was different I should have stated my question clearer. I wanted to see pictures because the saying is true they are worth a 1000 words. I need to know if the door was hung in place and then undercoating installed. Because there should be no undercoating on the mating surfaces of the door and skirt. If the door was inplace did the T nuts have over srpray (againg subjective) or was the door opening cut after black out then the door installed with no undercoating.

Rich

[Michael H.]

Re: Calling all 396 and A/C cars

I'm getting ready to undercoat the wheel wells on a 65 A/C car and I do not have any good refrence photos from an unrestored 396 or A/C car as to the proper amount or lack there of for undercoating on the battery access door and dr side fender skirt. Thanks in advance for your time.

Rich

I think Wayne Midkiff and Wayne Womble have the best info/answers on this subject. Below is the link to a discussion that they were involved in here last year.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?t=60566&highlight=undercoat&uid=4537

[Jack H.]

Re: Calling all 396 and A/C cars

As Michael provided a link to prior thread(s) in the archives, you can convince yourself on the issue of the battery access door by cracking open your copy the of Noland Adams Vol 2 book.

First, flip to page 29 where you see a coupe body being lowered onto the rolling frame on the final line. Note, the battery is visible on the frame as it was already installed (so, no need to install the battery access panel on a coupe/396 subsequent to body drop)...

Then, turn to page 33 where Noland provides a three panel look-see of 396 cars in the paint booth (well before the finished body went to the final line). The lower photo provides a glimpse inside the LH wheel well opening. You can see the battery access panel was already bolted into place at the paint booth! That's before body finish items subsequent to paint (e.g. blackout and undercoat, Etc.) were done...