67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

[Neal K.]

This topic has been discussed in several previous threads but the answers and learned comments have only created a dilemma for me as I appear to have an anomaly. I am getting ready to reassemble the interior of my early production(sept 66) Marlboro Maroon 67 roadster with dark saddle interior. The anomaly is that the entire dash, including the door post tabs, are painted dark saddle. I have owned the car since 1969 and that was the paint color of the dash taps when I bought the car. The dash is out of the car and I have inspected closely. There is no evidence of Marlboro Maroon paint on the tabs or that the dash had been repainted before I bought the car.
My dilemma is whether to repaint the entire dash dark saddle and try to convince judges that that is the way it was from the factory or to follow the overwhelming concensus of opinions, which is that the dash tabs were painted the body color when the interior color is different.
It is decission time for me and I am vacillating on what to do.
I would appreciate comments and suggestions.
Thanks
Neal Kalis

[Michael H.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Neal,

I can't help you to much with this as I also have a March 67 convertibile with the same color combo. My car has been repainted and the door post tabs were painted Maroon. I would leave yours like it is not painted body color since you've owned it that long.

Mike

[Michael G.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

This topic has been discussed in several previous threads but the answers and learned comments have only created a dilemma for me as I appear to have an anomaly. I am getting ready to reassemble the interior of my early production(sept 66) Marlboro Maroon 67 roadster with dark saddle interior. The anomaly is that the entire dash, including the door post tabs, are painted dark saddle. I have owned the car since 1969 and that was the paint color of the dash taps when I bought the car. The dash is out of the car and I have inspected closely. There is no evidence of Marlboro Maroon paint on the tabs or that the dash had been repainted before I bought the car.
My dilemma is whether to repaint the entire dash dark saddle and try to convince judges that that is the way it was from the factory or to follow the overwhelming concensus of opinions, which is that the dash tabs were painted the body color when the interior color is different.
It is decission time for me and I am vacillating on what to do.
I would appreciate comments and suggestions.
Thanks
Neal Kalis

Maybe I don't get it Neal but early in your post you state the dash to being dark saddle in color.....you then state whether the need to repaint the dash dark saddle. If dash is already dark saddle, why would you repaint same color? Is dash discolored?

Unless your going to have car judged then do what you will. If the car is going to be judged then still do what you will..... You wouldn't give up that many points and dash would be to your satisfaction.....and as you purchased.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Did it have black anodized rivets?

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Neal, I also have a very early 67 convertible (car # 183). The tabs were painted exterior body color (just as the judging manual says) prior to my restoration.

Wayne asked a good question about the rivets.

Are you painting your car? Another way to figure it out would be to see if there was any damage done to the body on your car prior to you owning it. Evidence of repainting, etc.

On the judging field, I'd think you'd have a hard time convincing folks that your car had the tabs painted interior color, when basically all other cars that I've seen are the other way around. Do what you like, but if you paint them with the interior color, expect a deduction. Since the tabs are covered in the "Attachment tabs & rivets" section, and that is only 2 originality points and 2 condition, I would guess your deduct would be 1 originality point. Although, if you find a judge that thinks more aggressively, and wants to take both originality points, then you'd by default lose both condition points.

So, most likely 1 point deduct, but could be up to 4.

[Neal K.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Wayne,
The rivets were black.
Chris, as I said this is an early sept 66 production car # 179. I have owned it for almost 43 years. The dash has not been repainted since I have owned it. I am doing a frame off restoration. The easy and most defendable course of action for me to take is to paint the dash tabs the same as the body color and eliminate any question about it. I was hoping that there might be other membesr who have a similar situation to mine but based on the few replies so far it doesn't appear so.
I have come across a couple of other anomolies with car. The outer door window moulding rubber was attached to the stainless moulding with rivets on the drivers side and staples on the passenger side. The door panels are stamped on the inside cardboard with the date Sept 6, 1966 which is the same date that the car was delivered to Rathman Chevrolet in Melbourne, FL.
Thanks for the input.
Neal Kalis

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Neal, those other two observations you have are interesting indeed. From memory, my car (only a few VINs away from yours), also had the "rivet one side, staple the other side" as you mentioned.

[William C.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

If the rivets are black, I'd be inclined to look at it with a bias toward it being original. The judging issue isn't enough to alter an original car, particularly if you have photo's of disassembly to illustrate your point. The "points" are pretty tiny.

[Neal K.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Bill,
I only wish I had taken photos of more aspects of the disassembly. Unfortunately the owner of the small shop that was doing the restoration died in the middle and the digital photos he took were on his computer which I was not afforded access to by his representatives. I don't know if pictures were taken of the dash tabs because none of us was aware of the anomaly at the time of disassembly. It came to my attention when reviewing some posts dealing with the painting of the dash and in the judging manual when I read that section much later in the restoration process.
Anyway, I appreciate the input I have received.
Neal

[John H.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

The door panels are stamped on the inside cardboard with the date Sept 6, 1966 which is the same date that the car was delivered to Rathman Chevrolet in Melbourne, FL.
Thanks for the input.
Neal Kalis

Neal -


The September 6, 1966 date stamped on the backing of the door trim panels is the date they were manufactured by the outside supplier who made them, prior to shipping them to St. Louis; if the car was indeed delivered to Rathmann on September 6, the door trim panels were changed/replaced after the car was delivered to Rathmann.

[William C.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Have you verified the build date vs the VIN? What are you using to establish the delivery date to the dealership/owner?

[Neal K.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

John & Bill,
I am using the shipping data report I received from NCRS for the date.
As far as replacement of the door panels, I can't say for sure what might have happened in the 2 years before I bought the car but would offer the proposition that my car was scheduled, based on its VIN, to be shipped on 9/6/66 but that something held it up on the production line(maybe waiting for the door panels) and that the car was put aside waiting for completion and then shipped a few days later. Wasn't the interior the last thing to be completed? Is my proposition plausible?
Thanks
Neal

[Scott S.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

Chris, as I said this is an early sept 66 production car # 179. I have owned it for almost 43 years. The dash has not been repainted since I have owned it.

The door panels are stamped on the inside cardboard with the date Sept 6, 1966 which is the same date that the car was delivered to Rathman Chevrolet in Melbourne, FL.

Neal,

For comparison purposes, the '67 coupe I'm working on (VIN 078xx) was built Jan. 11 1967 (NCRS shipping data report, matches Trim Tag "F 11" date), and had the following dates on the door panels:

LH door panel ink-stamped: August 22, 1966
RH door panel ink-stamped: Sept. 14, 1966

[Mark S.]

Re: 67 dash tab paint "dilemma"

If it were my car and I was convinced the tabs were not painted leaving the factory, I would not paint them.