correct finish for underside of '53 Champion

[stellarrestorations]

We're restoring a '53 Champion here at McPherson College, and would like to know the correct finish for under the car's floorboards.

Thanks very much for your help,

Tim Bowers, instructor
Auto Restoration Program
McPherson College
http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology

Tim Bowers, owner
Stellar Antique Auto Restoraitons
http://www.geocities.com/stellarrest/LinksPage.html

[JDP]

If the car was undercoated (most were), undercoat again, if not, they were body color.

JDP/Maryland

[DilloCrafter]

I can't offer any knowledge on this one, Tim. But I do want to say the college department on Restoration Technology looks impressive, (from the links you gave in your post). Be sure to put a link to photos of the '53 here for us to enjoy!

Hey Matthew, have you thought about going to college for this field? Take a look at what they are saying: http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology/

And don't worry that it's all the way over in Kansas. You can always close your eyes, click your heels together, and say, "there's no place like home".

[img=left]http://simps.us/studebaker/misc/images/Avacar-hcsdc.gif[/img=left]
Paul Simpson
"DilloCrafter"

1955 1/2 Ton Pickup
The Red-Headed Amazon
Deep in the heart of Texas

[Chucks Stude]

Pictures, we need pictures. Great web site.

[Tom Bredehoft]

A third option, body color underneath, undercoat in fender wells.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Bothcars4.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction) 177 hrs.
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[rockne10]

When I stripped the undercoating off my '53 Commander, the underside was in dust-green primer. The consensus is the majority were painted body color and, the majority were heavily undercoated.

[stellarrestorations]

I might mention for anybody that could be interested, McPherson College offers two one-week courses in a variety of topics from vintage bodywork, painting, upholstery, woodgraining, etc. You can read more here at http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology/institute.asp

I looked about adding images to my posts, and it doesn't appear as though attachments are allowed? Nobody at the college is posting images of projects to a hosting site, so I don't know yet how I'd be able to share any images.

Tim Bowers, owner
Stellar Antique Auto Restoraitons
http://www.geocities.com/stellarrest/LinksPage.html
Instructor, McPherson College Auto Restoration
http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology

[Avantidon]

Tim, images can be added. Go to the General Topic Discussion and Bob Shaw's great explanation on how to had pictures is about the third topic on the list.

[stellarrestorations]

Unless I'm reading the entirely wrong information, pictures can only be added if they're already hosted on some other site, and not added to the post as an attachement. Nobody at the college is currently posting pictures of projects to a website; so I don't have a link to include.

Tim Bowers, owner
Stellar Antique Auto Restoraitons
http://www.geocities.com/stellarrest/LinksPage.html
Instructor, McPherson College Auto Restoration
http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology

[wolfie]

Pretty easy to set up through photobucket.You can transfer your pics there pretty easily then to the forum.I hit your link yesterday,looks like you are turning out some impressive stuff.I would like to see pics of the 53 you are doing,maybe talk to you about doing mine.Or if you want(and dont mind)you could e-mail them to me and I will add them here for you.You should have an e-mail from me (yesterday)with my return e-mail on it.Thanks,Steve

[Deaf Mute]

My 1953 Commander Starlight Coupe was NOT undercoated on the bottom of the floorboards, but there WAS undercoating sprayed on the bare metal of the the top surface of the front floorboards. Body color was then sprayed on top of the undercoating. I know it sounds strange, but I bought the car in 1963 and have no reason to think that that part of the car had been tampered with.



duane miller

[Swifster]

Tim, both the school and the restoration shop look great. I think one of the pictures of the school's paint shop shows the '53 Studebaker. Both you and the school have a lot to be proud of. Hopefully I'll find myself in the area during one of your car shows.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Mulberry, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2125.60)

[stellarrestorations]

Thanks, everybody for the great comments. Sometimes new things take time around here at the college, but I'm starting to hear news of a "projects page" being added to the college website. Check back occassionally and hopefully there will be pictures of what's going on out in the college "labs".

I'll be using the college's webmaster for my own shop's website, too, so hopefully www.stellarrestorations.com will be launched very soon after the Spring semester is over. Nothing there but "under construction" at the moment.

Yes, the underbelly of the Studebaker project can be seen on the roticery in the picture of the chassis and paint lab.

http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology/facilities.asp

Tim Bowers, owner
Stellar Antique Auto Restorations
http://www.geocities.com/stellarrest/LinksPage.html
Instructor, McPherson College Auto Restoration
http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology

[stellarrestorations]

Let's see if this works....

Not great, but some pictures, nonetheless! Gotta start somewhere.





Tim Bowers, owner
Stellar Antique Auto Restorations
http://www.geocities.com/stellarrest/LinksPage.html
Instructor, McPherson College Auto Restoration
http://www.mcpherson.edu/technology

[Lark Parker]

My uncle worked at the dealership as his day job and then would do overtime undercoat jobs on the lift on new cars. I don't know whether the dealer charged at the factory price and then would make more money that way or whatever. I will ask the (still living) dealer. The upshot was that the undercoat was at the judgement of my uncle. The car came in with body color paint there. (Later EDIT: My opinion here was wrong.)
My uncle's Studebakers seemed to have received better rustproofing than the average new car there.

Edited update:

Well, that didn't take long. The dealer's memory was clear. He said that the factory did not offer undercoat or he would have ordered it that way because the job was so terribly messy for the work area. I thought that there would have been a thin coat of body paint like on the underside of the hoods but he said "No" the only thing there was a little primer except for the seam sealer points. They undercoated that relatively bare metal at the dealership.

I would project that it is no wonder that the front fender rust problem went on for so many years.

I have been told that the backs of the front fenders gathered dirt and water and that created the conditions for the characteristic vertical rust strip about four inches from the back edge of the fender. That area in particular deserves the best rustproofing effort.

If it was my restoration, I would paint and then cover with undercoat since the visual result would be the same.

Lark Parker
If at first you don't succeed -- you will get a lot of advice.