Black Cars from Factory ?

[Challenger340]

I sort of inquired about this before, but more along the lines of the fit & finish on Factory Black Car Bodies ? but could not find the original thread.

Once again,
Yet another TV Show is claiming Chrysler Inspectors selected only the "straightest" bodies on the assembly line to fill "Black" car orders ? You guessed it.... the rationale being because the Black paint showed everything in body flaws.

You would have to watch the actual episode of the black '71 Cuda on Misfit garage/Fired up Garage, a link to the full episode to which I couldn't locate ? nonetheless in it, they get pretty detailed about how line Inspectors selected only the BEST & Straightest Bodies to be painted "Black".

The underlying connotations to the factory "Black" Cars being somewhat special therein, being the subject I'd like opinions on ?
Anybody else ever heard this ?  Thoughts ? Opinions around legitimacy of their claim ? 

It's on TV so it must be true right ?

Misfit Garage, April 20, 2015 episode
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/misfit-garage/videos/fine-ol-cuda/

   
http://thetvdb.com/?tab=episode&seriesid=286987&seasonid=619021&id=5186755&lid=7

[69CoronetRT]

I sort of inquired about this before, but more along the lines of the fit & finish on Factory Black Car Bodies ? but could not find the original thread.

Once again,
Yet another TV Show is claiming Chrysler Inspectors selected only the "straightest" bodies on the assembly line to fill "Black" car orders ? You guessed it.... the rationale being because the Black paint showed everything in body flaws.

You would have to watch the actual episode of the black '71 Cuda on Misfit garage/Fired up Garage, a link to the full episode to which I couldn't locate ? nonetheless in it, they get pretty detailed about how line Inspectors selected only the BEST & Straightest Bodies to be painted "Black".

The underlying connotations to the factory "Black" Cars being somewhat special therein, being the subject I'd like opinions on ?
Anybody else ever heard this ?  Thoughts ? Opinions around legitimacy of their claim ? 

It's on TV so it must be true right ?

Misfit Garage, April 20, 2015 episode
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/misfit-garage/videos/fine-ol-cuda/

   
http://thetvdb.com/?tab=episode&seriesid=286987&seasonid=619021&id=5186755&lid=7

That concept would work if trim tags were swapped OR a tag not put on a BIW until after the panel inspection.

If the car had to be inspected for straightness, what if there was only one BIW for that particular make, model, body style, firewall combination and paint scheduled for that day. Say, a 70 440-4bbl Cuda convertible, automatic with air, and it was close but not exactly within specs. Did the trim tag get passed on to the next day? Did the body that failed get tagged with something else? Did it turn into a sales bank car? How was that body then tracked?

How many inspectors were in the BIW shop? Did they have X amount of black cars of each make and model assigned to them each day the had to find and tag? What if they didn't meet their quota? What was the guideline for straightness tolerance? If a body wasn't straight enough for black, was it straight enough for other colors?

When trying to kick out cars as quickly and cost efficiently as possible, why would Chrysler do this? What was the cost to select cars? What was financial upside to selecting cars?

The idea sounds interesting but it does raise questions in my mind as to how it was accomplished.

[randy73]

Do not see how it would be possible to do it for every black car, since the bodies are painted before anything is assembled and considering what I have heard about them tweaking the body to make the panels fit correctly.

[gtx6970]

Just a made up BS story for ratings

[Alaskan_TA]

IF it were true, there would have been a higher cost for cars painted black.

It was a standard color for years, no extra cost.

[stripedelete]

Chrysler Corporation and quality control can only be used in the same sentence if they are separated by "lack of".

This story was fabricated by someone under the age of 50.

[sccachallenger]

I used to hear the same BS about vinyl top cars back in the '70s.
"the cars with the roughest roofs all got vinyl tops"
How could you order a painted roof car, and when you show up to take delivery, were told "Good news Mr or Mrs Johnson, the factory made a mistake and you get an almost free vinyl top "
Yeah if the factory optioned the cars based on how straight the bodies are, or how wavy the roof was, well I can see how Chrysler could be in big trouble!

Would love to hear from plant workers about this.

[DAY CLONA]

Urban Legend for the majority of US black car "production"...the only production vehicle to have any consideration for fit/finish for black paint was when it was first introduced as an optional color in 1954 for the Corvette, only 4 cars were painted black, in it's debut in 1953 you could have any color you wanted on your Vette as long as it was white   that's how bad the body finish was in comparison to standard production of metal bodies

[NitroNeal]

Throw this pile of $hit together with that pile of $hit and payday is on Friday. If it'll start and run and make it out the back door, get it on the transport.  Quality control was simple back then. We own a TX9 70 Charger SE that my Dad ordered it and sold it new, I know of what I speak. 

[375instroke]

I used to hear the same BS about vinyl top cars back in the '70s.
"the cars with the roughest roofs all got vinyl tops"

Vinyl top cars used "Bondo," and painted roofs used lead, so they knew how crappy they could get away with before hand.  Perhaps it was the same with black cars, not that they had a policy, but the guys working the line knew what they could and couldn't get past QA, so they maybe spent a few seconds more on a black car.  I've seen "SPECIAL HANDLING" fender tags, and I think they were the cars they actually spent more time getting things just right on, like an executive's car, or what was getting sent to a magazine.

[Alaskan_TA]

Special handling tags were originally found on police cars. Usually due to painting / masking needed if the doors were a separate color, special equipment, etc.

i have seen the tags added to a few E-bodies over the years, but in some cases I have tag photos before they were added also......