1962 frame paint
Body is off frame revealed a excellent patch of original unmolested paint on the top surface of frame located about 10 inches forward of Vin number stamping. There is no question that the "brightness/glosseynesss" of this painted patch is "HIGH GLOSS BLACK". How can this be because the NCRS Tech Information Manuel & Judging Guide, Fifth Edition page 85, specifies "Chassis paint is a low-grade, slightly dulled gloss black; not high gloss or flat". I am the third owner of this car which I bought in January 1964 from a friend who bought it from the original owner. The car build date is January 1962. I am 100% sure that the frame was never repainted. Does anyone have documentation that Vette frames came from the factory with HIGH GLOSS BLACK paint?? And will NCRS judge take off points if I paint my frame the HIGH GLOSS BLACK? How does one convince NCRS that some frames actually were sold with HIGH GLOSS BLACK frame paint and that the Judging Guide is wrong? I took a lot of pics of the paint patch but can not get one that shows the glossyness of the paint.
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Re: 1962 frame paint
Anton,
Your questions are valid questions. However, what you have found does not make the JG wrong. It simply means that what you have seen isn't aligned with what we've seen to be typical. I've been owning, studying, and judging 62's since 1974. Many others have been even longer than I have. We have seen low-miles cars with bodies just removed. I can tell you that the description in the JG has been accurate for those cars. Yours may be glossier. We haven't seen every car. However, typical factory production is not what you have seen on yours. How many were painted like yours--who knows? There has to be a standard, and that is TFP. If I had $10 for every time I've heard "this is how my car came, therefore the manual should be changed", I could buy a couple more cars.
You have a dilemma. Your car will be judged according to the manual, which reflects what we have found to be TFP. If you paint your chassis a very high gloss black, you will lose points. If you paint it according to the manual, you will not lose points but you will know that it's not exactly how you believe it was painted at A.O. Smith. The decision is yours, and yours alone. You can try to take pics that would "reflect" the glossiness, and talk to the chassis judges and team leader prior to your car being judged, but no one can guarantee you what the outcome will be.
The fact that you know the history of the car from day one puts you in company with a select few. Enjoy it. -
Re: 1962 frame paint
Greetings Mike, Thank you for your words of wisdom and my decision is not to reinvent the wheel so I will knock down the gloss to conform to the "typical". Stay Safe, from the not too glossy ....AntonComment
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Re: 1962 frame paint
Could one explanation be that the frame was scratched and therefore repainted (touched up) before or after it was made. Having worked in a Chevy store during the 60's I can tell you I saw a lot of things that were unusual on cars from the factory. Just my old two cents.
TerryComment
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Re: 1962 frame paint
If my frame was touched up in the Chevy store the they went to a lot of trouble taking the body off the frame. The patch of gloss black is located on the top surface of the frame where the body is maybe 1 inch away. Thanks for your response.Comment
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Re: 1962 frame paint
Anton,
I was not suggesting it was touched up at a dealership, but at the factory before assembly or at the fame shop before shipment to assembly line. I merely was stating that back in those days it was not that unusual for a car to come to the dealer with out of the norm parts or markings. Ask any old timer about Monday morning or Friday afternoon cars.
TerryComment
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Re: 1962 frame paint
Anton,
Could the glossy black be some blackout that was applied before body drop.Comment
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Re: 1962 frame paint
Paul -
C1 frames spent more time outdoors than C2 frames; C1 frames were made in Milwaukee and rail-shipped to St. Louis on open flatbed cars (like C3 frames), and C2 frames were made right across the river from St. Louis in Granite City and delivered by open flatbed semi-truck.
I think the notion that St. Louis "touched-up" frames that were scratched is another "internet legend" - the last thing any assembly plant worried about was a scratch on a frame; I spent nearly 40 years in assembly plants (including running them), and never saw anyone "touch up" a frame. Frames at St. Louis (whether rail-shipped or trucked) were stacked with four steel separator/locator shoes between every frame, and those shoes scratched every frame. Frames were stacked six-high on the trucks, and even higher on the rail cars, and nobody worried about "scratches".Comment
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