Wheel well cleaning tips!

[Tom S.]

Does anyone have a tip on cleaning the wheel well's on my 65? I have the frame all clean in the rear area, down to bare metal. What works good on the wheel well's? Ther is quite a bit of dirt and what seem's like to much undercoating. Thanks for any help. Tom Stanton #41491

[Tom S.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

I got the right rear where it looks like new. I wire brushed the heck out of it. Took some big globs of old undercoating off, got the frame down to bare metal in that area and painted it in smie-gloss paint. It looks better than new. Any ideas will be appreciated, I have the rest of the frame and crossmembers and 3 more wheel wells to go.Thanks Tom

[Alan D.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

Well since no help yet I'll throw in my 2 cents.
If you desire to remove all undercoating use Brake Cleaner Spray, about $2/car at Wally World. Make sure its done in a well ventilated area.

However if you think it has not been touched and would like to get it back to original try some cleaner like Simple Green or I used G-5 Degreaser by Ultra One. These will not remove any of the primer, paint, or undercoat. It takes some time but great result.

[Edward J.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

Tom, mineral spirits will also work ,not quite as harsh as brake cleaner,

[Tom S.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

I think the rear wheel wells are original. I knocked some bigger chunks of old undercoating off. I will fix those spots with new undercoating and paint the whole area with semi-gloss as new. The car is just dirtry, but in very good shape otherwise! Thanks for the in-put Tom

[Randy R.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

Be careful. Many total restorations started with just a good cleaning.

Randy

[Alan D.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

Yes Randy is right, right, right.
I would do the cleaning process since its only original once. You will find that the undercoating did not cover entire area nor did any paint.
See "1964 wheel well undercoating" April 23, 2009 (don't know how to copy in link form, sorry)

[Mike M.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

Tom,
The final coating inside the wheel wells was performed via the Black-out process.
Flat black, not Semi-Gloss.
HaND

[Joel F.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

The final coating inside the wheel wells was performed via the Black-out process.
Flat black, not Semi-Gloss.

Hi Michael,

At this point the under coating would already have been applied so the black out would be over the under coating, correct?

[Mike M.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

Hi Joel, good to hear from you.
Correct, the undercoating was applied right after the body assembly was completed.
The final coverage sequence was: undercoating, primer, body color paint, blackout.
HaND

[Mike M.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

I should mention that the primer and body color were not full coverage, just overspray from the top coats.
HaND

[Tom S.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

So the blackout in the fender well's should be flat black? Where is flat black for blackout mentioned? The blackout underhood is mentioned as being semi-gloss black. I thought all the blackout paint would be the same? I have only done 1 fender well, and I did it in Semi-gloss. I can change if need be. Thanks for the help. Tom

[John H.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

So the blackout in the fender well's should be flat black? Where is flat black for blackout mentioned? The blackout underhood is mentioned as being semi-gloss black. I thought all the blackout paint would be the same? I have only done 1 fender well, and I did it in Semi-gloss. I can change if need be. Thanks for the help. Tom

Tom -

The blackout paint used underhood and in the wheel wells was the same paint; it was flat to semi-flat, definitely not semi-gloss.

[Tom S.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

John
I have been trying to follow my tech and judging guide for info. On page #134 it says that the firewall, inner fender skirts, dust shields and splash shieldsall have a black semi-gloss finish. So now I am really confused. What paint is the blackout paint rally??I have been using a semi-gloss rust -oleum paint because this is what is in the manual. Please advise! Tom

[Mike M.]

Re: Wheel well cleaning tips!

Tom,
As John pointed out, the blackout paint was Flat Black with some variation in texture.
Certainly not Semi-Gloss.
In the past seven years since the printing of the latest Fifth Edition there has been sufficient research performed, contributions of information of original cars gathered and input from the GM people who were there, to establish a consensus of the Blackout finish.
Thank you, Tom, for bringing attention to that passage in the Fifth Edition of the JG, it will be addressed and updated in the next revision.
HaND