Rear Wheel Well Undercoating Questions.

[Ralph B.]

I have a few questions where I would appreciate your help:

1. Should there be any evidence of undercoating on the front splash shield in the rear wheel well area (this is the panel that has the opening for the metal access panel) and if not, what finish should it be; "black out" or natural fiberglass? I believe the metal access panel itself should have a black primer finish and the 4 small screws should be black phospate, but not sure about the panel itself.

2. Was the rear splash shield (in the same rear wheel well area) undercoated and subsequently blacked out?

3. Can I assume the the inner sides of the rear quarter panels (again in the rear wheel well area) are void of undercoat or "black out" and therfore natural fiberglass?

Thank you very much,
Ralph

[John H.]

Re: Rear Wheel Well Undercoating Questions.

I have a few questions where I would appreciate your help:

1. Should there be any evidence of undercoating on the front splash shield in the rear wheel well area (this is the panel that has the opening for the metal access panel) and if not, what finish should it be; "black out" or natural fiberglass? I believe the metal access panel itself should have a black primer finish and the 4 small screws should be black phospate, but not sure about the panel itself.

2. Was the rear splash shield (in the same rear wheel well area) undercoated and subsequently blacked out?

3. Can I assume the the inner sides of the fenders (again in the rear wheel wells) are void of undercoat or "black out" and therfore natural fiberglass?

Thank you very much,
Ralph

Ralph -

1. There will be some level of undercoat on the filler panel at the front of the rear wheelhouse, but there was a running battle between the guys at Body Drop who drove the #3 mount bolts and the undercoat sprayers in the Paint Shop to keep the area around the access hole free
of undercoat. See the note in the A.I.M. (UPC 1-Seal, sheet H1) that says, "Keep edges of #3 body bolt access hole free of undercoat".

2. Yes.

3. I wouldn't expect to see undercoat on the inner side surfaces of the rear quarter panels; undercoat was applied quickly/sloppily by the sprayers as a single "stripe" from front to rear.

[Jack H.]

Re: Rear Wheel Well Undercoating Questions.

"I wouldn't expect to see undercoat on the inner side surfaces of the rear quarter panels; undercoat was applied quickly/sloppily by the sprayers as a single "stripe" from front to rear."

Amen, to that! I've seen more than one unrestored car where the wheel well undercoating was simply a 'piddle' line, perhaps 1-inch wide, in an arc of 'maybe' 70-degrees along the center line of the wheel well.

Plus, I've see others where the factory painter went 'nuts' with a VERY wide degree of coverage + drips/blobs hanging down on the wheel well's side walls. Methinks it was a human factors issue...how much of a hurry was the painter in + what had been the recent history of QA/QC write-up in this area.

[Robert T.]

Re: Rear Wheel Well Undercoating Questions.

Here's what mine had. 1966, Sept 65 build.

bob