The way I see it, I have a choice of three ways:

1. Just like the factory did it, including the defects that the concours/thoroughbred guys replicate.

2. The same paint but a nice quality job.

3. The way I think will look the best and protect the best, which is a black semigloss such as POR-15 or Rustoleum.

I ruled out #1. My car being a San Jose car means that the undercarriage is Red Oxide. {like the Dearborn cars. Metuchen cars are slop gray according to my research} I never was one to see the sense of duplicating defects and I like nice paint work. Besides, to the casual observer a job like this looks like you did a crappy job on an area that not many people see.

Then I ruled out #2. This would have looked better, but the red oxide will probably get a lot of people asking why you stopped at the primer and just didn't finish it. People that really don't know older cars will probably look at it and say "Wow, are your floors rusty!" and I don't want to be explaining red oxide primer to everyone I meet.

So that leaves #3, a nice coat of semigloss black. My stainless lines and other components will contrast nicely, it will be easy to touch up, and it will convey the statement that this is a car brought back from the grave and cared for and preserved as best as possible.

Besides, I'm not creating a strict restoration and the car will never even be entered in shows. I'm just creating Steve's version of a '70 Mach 1.

Since then, I've put 12,000 miles on the car, and it still looks great. The road crud easily wipes off.

Until I got the car painted recently, the underside looked better than the top.

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William
M&M# 4256
MCA# 64831

"Objects in mirror may mean they are losing".

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Originally posted by Mach won:
Steve, that's what I did two years ago.

Since then, I've put 12,000 miles on the car, and it still looks great. The road crud easily wipes off.

Until I got the car painted recently, the underside looked better than the top.

And BTW, judging by your pictures, I ain't buyin' it you won't enter that car in SOME kind of car show.

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Hey, after going to a car show last night and watching some slob leaning over another guy's nicely painted car oblivious to the fact that his big ass belt buckle was about 1/4" away from the paint while holding a coffee at a 45 degree angle, I am sincere when I say my car is going NOWHERE near a car show.

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
Hey, after going to a car show last night and watching some slob leaning over another guy's nicely painted car oblivious to the fact that his big ass belt buckle was about 1/4" away from the paint while holding a coffee at a 45 degree angle, I am sincere when I say my car is going NOWHERE near a car show.

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Needless to say, the dog didn't fit.

quote:

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
I went to another car show today and saw the same thing. 97% of the people are very respectful of other people's cars, the other 3% would just about have sex with them.

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quote:

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
watching some slob leaning over another guy's nicely painted car oblivious to the fact that his big ass belt buckle was about 1/4" away from the paint while holding a coffee at a 45 degree angle,

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William
M&M# 4256
MCA# 64831

"Objects in mirror may mean they are losing".

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oddly obsessed with big scoops on little Mustangs

HOOD HACKERS DELIGHT!
My Pics

1. As having been the lifelong "detailer" of my dad's cars, and then eventually my cars, I've spent many a day underneath a car on a lift, cleaning.... As such, I hate undercoating. Once it's dirty, it's a pita to get clean, the dirt collects in the low-spots of the texture, and it just always looks dingy.

2. I don't foresee you bombing down sloppy winter salted roads in your '70, and the occasional rainstorm doesn't hurt anything, so I think POR-15 would be overkill except for critical areas, nooks, crannies...

3. Rule # whatever in the unofficial car restorer's guide: Never worry about what people who don't know squat about old cars are going to think. You'll chase your tail. Those are the same people who would've painted your Mach bright red, bought an air cleaner from Discount Auto Parts, and installed a sunroof.

Quite honestly, I've found that red oxide hides dirt better than semi-gloss black. One rainstorm, and your fresh black undercarriage instantly looks "daily driver". I drove our '67 GTA to and from the MCA National they had at Charlotte several years ago, driving rain both ways, and the red-oxide underbelly looked great when I got back, it was only when you wiped your finger on it that you went "oh, that's filthy", and then I cleaned it. That's the same car that was on our cover years ago, showing the undercarriage. That shot was taken after the Charlotte show, and there's substantial mileage on that car post-restoration. In fact, that car was finished in 1980!

Rick, I didn't mean I was going to undercoat the underneath, I was just thinking of touching up the sound deadening in the rear wheelwells and transmission tunnel. Now you have me reconsidering the red oxide again. I do want to make it look like it did when it rolled out the San Jose plant doors in December '69... and I can imagine myself wiping road dust off the bottom, the stuff I used on the inside floors is as tough as nails. What brand of red oxide did you use on your '67?

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
It's true what you said about standard primer being porious but red oxide is a whole different ballgame, there's something about the chemical property of it that really retards rust.

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Dangit! I hate it when I'm an idiot! I always thought red oxide was the color of the red primer, kind of like Candyapple Red is a shade of red. I had no idea that it was the name of a specific product.

Here's what my floors look like after all these 36 years:

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'70 Mustang Mach 1 - '70 Mustang Convertible - '72 Mustang Sprint - '94 F-150 XL

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
Do feel like an idiot

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Gee thanks big guy.

Correless is what I used on the inside floors and it's excellent. But when I wen't to order more, Eastwood doesn't seem to carry it anymore. I posted a question on their website forum, but they have yet to respond. I think they have just replaced it with their Rust Encapsulator but I'm waiting for confirmation of this.

Would you consider one of those "high-build" type paints that goes on really thick or does it go on like any other enamel type paint?

quote:

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
Sorry about that, Sam, I meant to say 'Don't feel like an idiot.'

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That car is just amazing. I am under the car with Purple Power degreaser and a wire wheel here and there and it is comming out like new metal. The wire wheel is just to loosen the dirt a little bit.

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
I've ordered some Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. They verified that it is the replacement for Correless, with a few improvements, just like we thought.

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That's good to know Steve. I planned on doing the interior and underside with it and am not sure I've got enough Corroless to do the whole job.

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Originally posted by sigtauenus:
Those are the results from a 3" roller and brushes in the corners??? Wow, looks smooth like it was sprayed.

Nice work!!

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Yes, they are. I can't take any of the credit for the work, my brother Mike painted it. He said this was the nastiest part of the restoration so far. The roller did an excellent job, leaving a slight orange peel finish that looks just right, you'd never guess he used a roller and the best part is no overspray anywhere.

That paint is rugged stuff though, smellwise. Mike was using a respirator and he said he couldn't smell it much but I was at the other end of the shop and if it would have been any stronger I think I may have been revisiting my lunch.

It's tough though! We painted the inside floor with it and I swear you can almost bounce rocks off it without hurting it.

We are at odds with undercoating the tunnel and rear seatpans. I was leaning to not put it,but now I think it would be bad to have it be a buzzy ride. I'm sure it was there for something.

We did the fenderwells today in 3M #8882 undercar sealer. The stuff goes on well,and leaves a nice satin finish. We'll see how sticky it is in a week or so. I think it would be bad if this coating started running all over after we started using the car. My biggest concern is that the heat from the exhaust would melt the stuff sprayed in the seatpan/tunnel area.

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Originally posted by MLariviere:
I think it would be bad if this coating started running all over after we started using the car. My biggest concern is that the heat from the exhaust would melt the stuff sprayed in the seatpan/tunnel area.

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Mike/Steve,

What about coating a piece of metal and securing it - temporary style - next to the exhaust manifold/exhaust pipe of your daily driver.... that way you could test it's resistance to such heat....?

quote:

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
Don't feel like an idiot, it's all a learning process. Have you ever heard of 'red oxide fenders?' Those are the highly desirable early NOS fenders all the thoroughbred guys pay huge $$$$$$$$$ for? Well, soem say in addition to the red oxide identifying them as early NOS parts the red oxide helps preserve them amazingly, which after what's I've seen I'm starting to believe.

Here's what my floors look like after all these 36 years:

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67 Mustang F/B 302 GT-40X FMS engine RPM Air Gap 650 Holley DP Crane 1.7 roller rockers, Performer Nitrous, ceramic headers WC T5, cable clutch MagnaFlow SS kit W/X Pipe 3.89 9". SSBC 4 piston frdisc Clearwater Aqua, Vintage 40 series 16X8 215 front 255/50 drag radials 308 RWHP@5800rpm 300 tq NA 385rwhp 380 w 75 shot 13.11 @111mph

88 GT (FiveOfastback's ride)
347 Twisted wedge custom HYD roller 565 lift 282 duration Street Heat, BBK headers X pipe
G Force 353 RWHP 393 RWTQ Red/Silver

My 67 is a Metuchen car and will be painted black underneath as my floors are heavily modified to accomodate the Trans Am style side exit exhaust.The black will mask all the work..

I think you made the right choice.Red oxide is unique to San Jose and shows detail,cleanliness and just how solid and good your car really is..

Cory

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
I'm still undecided of whether we should black out the framerails....

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I like the idea of fogging the outer side of them with a satin black,,, I don't think I'd like the orange/red 'shining' out from under your blue exterior...

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Originally posted by mellowyellow:
The ol'roller trick! FYI my 68 cv is a Ca. built early car. The bottom, for want of a description, was something like 69 dark jade green. It is now satin black 7777. I don't like the red oxide look so whatever the final color it will not be red oxide. The paint looks great, though. Are you coating it black?

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I was going to just paint it black but when Rick mentioned in a post above how black always seemed dirty it reminded me that my Sprint, which I always painted black underneath, never really stayed looking clean.