Does the battery tray get painted the body color or just black?

[dspaulding70]

I bought a replacement tray and wanted to know that others have done.  I realize you see very little of it when the battery is on it but I am a stickler for details.

[694spdRT]

Should be body color from the factory.

[dspaulding70]

That's what I needed to know.  Thanks

[41husk]

Yep, I left mine black on the 68, and have been told often " did you know the battery tray is supposed to be body color" 

[Ghoste]

Everything is black in my engine bay and that really gets the purists going.  I don't even bother lifting the hood at shows anymore.

[69_500]

So did a Chevy owner paint your engine compartment Ghoste?

[Ghoste]

I'm not sure if it was the previous owner or someone before him.  The previous owner is a member here and he's a Mopar guy but the 67 was his first old car I think.  My understanding when I bought it though was that someone before him had started to do the body and paint on it so who knows?
It doesn't really bother me personally too much.  The black isn't nearly as bad as the dirtiness and that is completely no ones fault but mine.  Of course, the aformentioned purists only want to rag me out for the black.

[chargerman68]

got mine from paddock already painted blk looks fine to me.

[HITMAN 149]

Everything is black in my engine bay and that really gets the purists going.  I don't even bother lifting the hood at shows anymore.

good for you!!!!!!! be your own man!!!!!!!
to hell with the purists!!!! LOL hey to each his own!!! as long as it's a mopar!!!!!!!!! enjoy it!!!!!!!

[Ghoste]

I should add that it bothers me too, just not enough to do anything about it.  When I paint the car I will correct it but it's because of it being a Mopar specific thing, not to make someone else happy.  I'll likely still leave the hood down after that out of habit. 

[terrible one]

got mine from paddock already painted blk looks fine to me.

Isn't that just the e-coating?

[Charger-Bodie]

got mine from paddock already painted blk looks fine to me.

Isn't that just the e-coating?

you are correct T.O.

[bull]

Everything is black in my engine bay and that really gets the purists going. 

Can you blame them? Who wants a Mopar looking like a Ford or Chevy?

Anyway, the only time the battery trays are supposed to be black is when the car is black.

[Ghoste]

All kidding aside, some are trying to be helpful, but many of the purists who take great pains to tell you whats wrong with your car at a show are much less interested in helping you get your car right than they are in helping themselves look superior to the other car show attendees.  imo

[69_500]

Which is why I  just take photo's of cars, and keep my opinions to myself. I know I love my car to be OE stock, but is it? NOPE. Can't afford to fix everything that I know is wrong with my car. So I don't point things out on others cars either, unless they ask. If they ask, then I'll gladly tell.

[E5 Charger]

It looks like everyone that answered has a 68-70, is it also body color for a 74? Parts of my engine compartment has been painted black by a previous owner so I can't tell.

[Ghoste]

For the record my car is a 67 but I think the body color thing applies for 74 as well.  Natcho?

[694spdRT]

'74 should be body color as well.

[hemi-hampton]

If I remember right, my unrestored original survivor 70 Charger has a Black tray. I assumed original being beat up unless someone replaced it in the 70's? Some of the E-Bodies are painted Black depending on year. LEON.

[Nacho-RT74]

'74 should be body color as well.

I'm, not agree on that... 3rd gens are black

[Ghoste]

All 3rd gens?  Even in 71 and 72?

[694spdRT]

I was going off an unrestored '73 400 4speed SE at last years Charger Registry meet and that battery tray was body color red.   

[Nacho-RT74]

NICE PIC... I WAS SEARCHING ABOUT THE STRAPS SETUP, with a separated extra bracket beside the welded one.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,36226.0.html

there is something wrong on that pic... is imposible get the bolt on body color and the bracket in black don't you think ?

Do you think bolt would be mounted on paint moment at assembly line and then removed to fit the bracket ?

BTW, tray looks black to me on that pic... what does look red is the battery itself on base

[Nacho-RT74]

All 3rd gens?  Even in 71 and 72?

I think so

[694spdRT]

NICE PIC... I WAS SEARCHING ABOUT THE STRAPS SETUP, with a separated extra bracket beside the welded one.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,36226.0.html

there is something wrong on that pic... is imposible get the bolt on body color and the bracket in black don't you think ?

Do you think bolt would be mounted on paint moment at assembly line and then removed to fit the bracket ?

BTW, tray looks black to me on that pic... what does look red is the battery itself on base

I added some arrows that look like body color on the tray I was talking about. The picture is not the best so who knows. From memory it is an original owner car and I never paid much attention because I thought they were assembled using the same methods as the earlier B bodies. Perhaps the owner updated and detailed the car so some of the items may not be factory correct.

I don't know about the bracket for the battery hold down being black. If the battery bracket was installed when the car was painted I am surprised the battery tray wasn't.

[Ghoste]

I've never owned one and I don't knoe that any ro all of the cars I am looking at haven't been restored but I seem to have a lot of photos of 71 and 72 B-bodies with painted trays.  I don't see many of the pics I've taken showing predominantly black ones until after that.  Like I said though, this many years out and not knowing the history of the cars means that I haven't proven a thing.  It does make me wonder though.

[71mopar383]

Who cares if the under hood is painted black its your car who wants to look like everyone else.  Is it also a sin to paint your motor red instead of orange or turquoise?

[E5 Charger]

I started to research the net (including ebay) for any photos of 3rd gens I could find, and most of them had black battery trays. I also saw a white 73 in person, about a month ago, that was being restored and he painted it black. There must be members out their with original engine compartments that can prove this right or wrong. I will be painting and detailing my engine compartment this summer, so I would like to know what is correct.

[69bronzeT5]

Mine is currentley black but its not paint...its covered in dirt and grease. But if you scrape some of the crap away, you can see the T5 underneath

[Nacho-RT74]

NICE PIC... I WAS SEARCHING ABOUT THE STRAPS SETUP, with a separated extra bracket beside the welded one.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,36226.0.html

there is something wrong on that pic... is imposible get the bolt on body color and the bracket in black don't you think ?

Do you think bolt would be mounted on paint moment at assembly line and then removed to fit the bracket ?

BTW, tray looks black to me on that pic... what does look red is the battery itself on base

I added some arrows that look like body color on the tray I was talking about. The picture is not the best so who knows. From memory it is an original owner car and I never paid much attention because I thought they were assembled using the same methods as the earlier B bodies. Perhaps the owner updated and detailed the car so some of the items may not be factory correct.

I don't know about the bracket for the battery hold down being black. If the battery bracket was installed when the car was painted I am surprised the battery tray wasn't.

yeah I know you wre talking about those areas, but those points you are pointing are the battery "lips" on battery base, used on some cars to be pressed to keep batery fixed againts tray, instead use top straps

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Who cares if the under hood is painted black its your car who wants to look like everyone else.  Is it also a sin to paint your motor red instead of orange or turquoise?

Umm....yeah  

[71mopar383]

Who cares if the under hood is painted black its your car who wants to look like everyone else.  Is it also a sin to paint your motor red instead of orange or turquoise?

Umm....yeah  

Im guessing you dont agree.  Dont you guys get tired of seeing the same body colors same engine colors on mopars.  I actually thing some of you guys head would explode if some used a GM Victory Red off the new trucks or Dark candy apple off the new Mustangs.  Im not saying a Hemi Orange Chargers arent good looking but does everything have to date correct?  I told a guy in our local club I was thinking about putting a R/T tail stripe on my 71 he told me that it wasnt a opt in 71 I said I didnt care I liked it.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Its your car.... you do as you please.....you obviously missed the in my post above

[Ghoste]

Chris, you have to try and remember that Troy is the only one around here with an onsite sarcasm detector.

[69_500]

Dont you guys get tired of seeing the same body colors same engine colors on mopars.

I actually don't get tired of seeing the same factory colors and engine colors on mopars. But that is just my opinion.

And I also never have a very good sarcasm detector handy for online use anyways.

[Ghoste]

Nice job on the Camaro and excellent point on car shows.  I wonder how many of these cars were still 10% correct within a year of being sold when new? 

[Nacho-RT74]

didn't know those scoops on 70 bees were functional!!! GREEEAT!!!

[Dodge Don]

Battery tray should be painted body colour.

[The70RT]

Battery tray should be painted body colour.

So maybe we should lock the thread........I'm glad we finally figured it out.