Painting frame rails

[john108]

It appears that the frame rails, in the engine compartment, are painted body color.  The same frame rails run under the body.  How far do you carry the body color on the rails?  I am not planning on painting the entire under-body body color.  I have been cleaning-up what I can and spraying chassis black or undercoating.

[Ghoste]

The paint on the frame rails is overspray really.  They shot the car down low but they weren't trying to hose down the floor pans or anything like that.  Its kind of good coverage on the outside edge, so-so on the bottom and just waht drifted over from the opposite side on the inner edge.

[john108]

Thanks Ghoste
I made an imaginary line, near a pinch-spot weld seam at the bottom of the firewall.  Aft of that line, I sprayed Chassis Black on the rails.  The engine compartment only has primer on it, as of now.

[Troy]

If you painted any part of it black then it's not "stock" looking any way so trying to duplicate the factory process is compromised. The underside of the car would have been gray primer (for the most part) with body colored over spray from the sides. Since the engine compartment was body color the inner part of the frame rails in that area would have been fairly well covered and the outside would have gotten a bit more as well due to nothing being in the way. The inner fenders and wheel wells were shot with undercoating for protection but this would also "hide" the body color in the recesses. Hemigeno's Daytona restoration thread has some very detailed pictures of the process. I'm sure there are many others but that's the first one to come to mind.

Personally, I have no problem with painting the underside black. I drive my cars and many of mine were undercoated from the factory any way (so you can't really see the shoddy factory paint).

Troy

[john108]

Troy
I think the black looks better than minor rusty surfaces.  I could rough it up and shoot gray epoxy primer over it but I don't expect anyone to look under there.  I was trying to remove some surface rust and protect.  After cleaning, I actually sprayed Rustolium "Rusty Metal Primer", followed by the VHT Chassis Black Paint.  I have only done small sections so far (transmission area and gas tank area).  Hard to work under the car!!
I guess it will never be 100% original, even though I am the original owner.
John

[Troy]

Troy
I think the black looks better than minor rusty surfaces.  I could rough it up and shoot gray epoxy primer over it but I don't expect anyone to look under there.  I was trying to remove some surface rust and protect.  After cleaning, I actually sprayed Rustolium "Rusty Metal Primer", followed by the VHT Chassis Black Paint.  I have only done small sections so far (transmission area and gas tank area).  Hard to work under the car!!
I guess it will never be 100% original, even though I am the original owner.
John

So you can see how well the factory approach worked! You've had it this long - protect it and get many more years of enjoyment out of it.

Troy