Correct engine bay colors

[Alan73Charger]

Hey guys,

So I went with 24 series green top battery on my 73 Charger.  I'm trying to bring it back to as close to original looking at I can, despite the M/T aftermarket valve covers!  The battery tray is green so that makes sense since the car is dark green.  That's about the only thing that makes since though.  The visible areas of the battery hold down bracket are painted red, it almost looks like the mopar red on my old 67 Coronet.  The oil and transmission fluid dipstick ends are painted what looks to be a hemi orange.  Neither one of these colors make any sense under this hood.

My gut says to paint the new battery tray and the top of the hold down bracket the color of the car and paint both the dipsticks mopar blue.  That sound right to you guys?  I'm assuming if the original valve covers were still with the car they would be blue.  Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.  I'll wait to hear back before I start spraying any aircraft paint remover around!

Thanks
Alan

[1973rallye]

On both of my 73's it appears the battery tray was black! I bought replacement hold downs. Also black. Every 73 hold down I have ever seen has been black and not body color. Plenty of engine bay photos on the Internet and I can honestly say I have never noticed a 73 or 74 with a body coloured hold down bracket. The oil dipstick top should be blue for your car.

[Alan73Charger]

Hey thank you.  Yes the tray and hold down comes black so I'll just leave them alone.  The tray in my 73 now is green and I'm sure it's the original one. Someone could of painted it though.  You seem sure they would of been black and not the body color from factory so I'll go with that.

I'm assuming the transmission dipstick would also be blue correct?

Once I get mine fixed up and out of the garage I'll upload some pictures. 

[Ghoste]

Did the assembly process change by 73?  I ask because the earlier ones (at least up to 69) were painted body color.

[1973rallye]

Did the assembly process change by 73?  I ask because the earlier ones (at least up to 69) were painted body color.

Hey ghoste. Hoping Odzking will chime in. My 340 Rallye  is pretty original and the tray is definitely not body color. My first 400 Rallye was Top Banana and there was not a spot of yellow between the rust holes on it either. Likewise for the white car I rebuilt. I am just going on my experience with the three 73's I have owned. I could be completely wrong. 

[Ghoste]

I wonder what year was the change.

[Alan73Charger]

Did the assembly process change by 73?  I ask because the earlier ones (at least up to 69) were painted body color.

On my 73 the battery tray that's on there now is green.  It was hard to tell until I cleaned it up some.  Of course someone could of taken it off and painted it at some point.  1973rallye - is it possible the original tray had been replaced on yours?  If someone had replaced an old rusted one they might of just left it black like they come from Classic Industries.  Just a thought. 

[A383Wing]

My two 66's are body color, my 70 is body color, my 94 Dakota is body color....see a pattern here?

[ws23rt]

My two 66's are body color, my 70 is body color, my 94 Dakota is body color....see a pattern here?

A 1973 car (as example) has been around for 42 years.  Lot's of time for much to happen.
When I look in the mirror I see something very different from the photos of me in 1973. I've not been repainted or touched up but perhaps it would be in order.

This should be an easy question to put to bed.

[E5 Charger]

I think it can be body colour or black. Read this discussion on the 3rd gen forum. http://wichargerguy.proboards.com/thread/3351/battery-tray

[Alan73Charger]

I think it can be body colour or black. Read this discussion on the 3rd gen forum. http://wichargerguy.proboards.com/thread/3351/battery-tray

Thanks E5 Charger.  Right or not it appears to me the correct choice is to paint it green.  I'll leave the hold down black and change the two dipstick ends to mopar blue. 

[rob1684]

I've had my 74 Charger for almost 40 years, and I know nothing was changed on it before I bought it, the battery tray is black, the tranny dipstick is NOT painted, either is the tube for it, Id say just clean it up a bit, mine is kind of a silver color but is not painted.

[Ghoste]

A good question for Richard Ehrenberg?

[Alan73Charger]

I've had my 74 Charger for almost 40 years, and I know nothing was changed on it before I bought it, the battery tray is black, the tranny dipstick is NOT painted, either is the tube for it, Id say just clean it up a bit, mine is kind of a silver color but is not painted.

Here is mine out of my 73. Not pretty, but that's why a new one is going in.  You can see it at one time was green.  Most likely from the factory but like a previous post said this car is over 40 years old so plenty of things could of happened.   As for the dipsticks someone had painted them orange.  I used aircraft paint remover and have them back to metal.  They look pretty bad.  I'm going to give them a fresh coat of mopar blue.  I think this new tray is going to go in green, right or wrong.  Some seem sure they were the body color while some seem sure it was left black.   So now the good question is who is Richard Ehrenberg?  lol    Hopefully he chimes in before my green paint arrives!

[polywideblock]

Richard  Ehrenberg  is the tech/resto editor at mopar action 

[Ghoste]

And he has a lot of the factory assembly diagrams with painting instructions and so forth.

[Alan73Charger]

Would love to get his input on this.  With that green so obvious on my so obvious original battery tray I almost feel obligated to paint the new one green before I put it in.  But if he said it was for sure black I could save some time and just bolt it in.

[Ghoste]

http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/

[400sforever]

I've got 9 chargers that are 72-74s, some very original condition factory ones. .battery trays are black, dipstick on tranny was never painted and neither was the tube

[EccentricMagpies]

I've got 9 chargers that are 72-74s, some very original condition factory ones. .battery trays are black, dipstick on tranny was never painted and neither was the tube

Well... I'd say it's hard to argue against 9 cars. 

I haven't had a chance to look at my silver car but my yellow car has a yellow tray, although this car also has been swapped with a 440 with a body repaint years ago.

I'll see if I can scratch some yellow off to expose black.