Paint: Rear Facia Panel 62 GT

[airmanjwt]

Anyone have advice on the process to properly paint the black details on the rear facia panel on a 62 GT? Thanks, JTaylor

[bensherb]

Thin tape and a a lot of patience.

[(S)]

An auto parts store that sells paint, or an automotive paint store should have 3M blue 'fine line' masking tape. It comes in 1/16 1/8 and I think up to 1/4.
There are several grades, regular tape just cut thin, then vinyl 'fine line'.

[56GH]

Here's what I did with mine. What a job! Took hours!


!

[tim333]

Worth the effort I would think Bill, looks great.

[Topper2011]

Would it be easier to just paint the entire section black and then just polish back the parts that stand proud?

[tim333]

That would be even more tedious Topper.

[Andy R.]

I recall discussion of a technique mentioned a while back that seemed trial and (plentiful) error.

1) Spray the textured area of the panel with just enough paint to get solid black.
2) Place a lint free cloth damp with solvent across the area. (I used pieces of old washed out t-shirt).
3) Roll over the grid with a firm roller (I used a 4" relief printmaking roller from art supply).
4) Lift cloth to remove paint from the high spots.

Again, I have not had need to do this on either of my 62s, but did use it to successfully transfer a relief graphic from one block to another using this technique. No reason it wouldn't work on aluminum relief stamping. More stubborn edges presumably could be wiped with a cotton swab and solvent.

I would recommend doing 6-8 inches at a time. If you botch a section, you can wipe it out without having to do the whole thing over.
Plus, the edges are slightly soft, as if sprayed through a stencil.

It's really the only way to get absolute consistency in square size once you determine the right pressure to roll.

[56GH]

Would it be easier to just paint the entire section black and then just polish back the parts that stand proud?

The problem with that approach is the depths between the "proud" bars and the embossed "squares" are very shallow and the "bars" are slightly rounded on top. I tried that first and didn't work very well.

[Harryhawk]

What not to do! I have a 63 boot / trunk overlay on my 62 gt so I'm aways on the look out for the correct one. I'm told good ones at a reasonable price are hard to find in the US, and are just about impossible to find in Australia, so imagine my surprise when one popped up on ebay Australia. Long story short I purchased it and when it arrived I was little disappointed, on closer inspection I worked out somebody had completely blacked out the overlay and then took to it with a ORBITAL sander with a heavy grit paper sanding away the rounded divide tops and divides LOL. Well I have my 62 overlay and it hangs in the shed/workshop and every time I notice it I just grin and shake my head. Harryhawk

[bensherb]

Harry, I think you're better off; my GT is a '62 but I like the '63 panel better.(I have a '63 grill, with '64 hood ornament, and tail lights because I like them better too) I have a '62 panel on my car and an extra; it's hard to say which is the better panel. The one on that's car has a spot where someone in the past polished away the anodised finish, and the extra has a damaged section at the lower edge. If I came across a '63 panel I'd change to it. I've been thinking of either, painting the lower section black, or stripping the rest of the anodising from the lower section.

[Harryhawk]

bensherb, I too like the 63 overlay and I'm more than happy to leave it on the car, just think the correct one would be good to have. Shame about the blemish on your overlay because it's one of the nicer ones I've seen, with the paint completely filling all the squares. I enjoy your posts. Harryhawk

[airmanjwt]

Another question:. Has anyone gone the full monty on restoring one of these facia panels, including the anodizing? If so, what was the process? Any restoration shops doing it? Thanks again, JTaylor

[56GH]

Wouldn't be great if someone reproduced these? Too bad they're such low volumes for each year. Wouldn't be economical!

[rkapteyn]

These panels were made by a company in Wisconsin.I forgot the name of the town.
At one time in the early seventies there was an ad in Turning Wheels from someone in the same town advertising restoration of these panels.
I lost the information but I suspect that someone rescued the dies and used these to restore these anodized aluminum trunk overlay panels.
Maybe Andy Beckman at the Studebaker National Museum can give us the name of the company that made these panels and see if they can reproduce these.
I realize that the low possible sales would not make this profitable but it may locate the person who advertised.