1968 Roadrunner chassis paint

[Furiousgeorge]

I’m starting a ‘68 Roadrunner (AMT), and I’m wondering what color the front sub frame would be from the factory? I seem to recall reading that the engine/transmission were installed onto the sub frame, then the whole setup was installed onto the car as an assembly. I’m shooting for a factory accurate build with this one. I generally paint the sub frame primer gray with the rest of the chassis, not sure that’s right though.

[Steamboat]

The k-frame should be semi gloss black.  The frame rails are part of the unibody and are body color. 

[Furiousgeorge]

Awesome! Thanks!

[Perspective Customs]

[Fat Brian]

A lot of guys will paint the chassis primer gray then mist the body color on to the edges if the chassis.

[Furiousgeorge]

Thanks! The pic is really helpful! I’ve done the primer/color overspray chassis for a while now. It gives a nice factory fresh appearance. I’ve never been real sure on suspension/cross member colours  and whatnot.

[StevenGuthmiller]

If I’m not mistaken, the “over spray” thing was not a hallmark of Mopars from this time period.

It’s been my understanding that the entire floor pan, as well as the engine bay would have been body color.

I believe overspray would have been more of a GM/Ford thing.

Please, someone correct me if I’m wrong.

I will need to know as well for my ‘68 Coronet.

 

 

 

Steve

[Fat Brian]

9 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

If I’m not mistaken, the “over spray” thing was not a hallmark of Mopars from this time period.

It’s been my understanding that the entire floor pan, as well as the engine bay would have been body color.

I believe overspray would have been more of a GM/Ford thing.

Please, someone correct me if I’m wrong.

I will need to know as well for my ‘68 Coronet.

 

 

 

Steve

Steve, here's a good article about it showing what is considered to be the most correct Daytona restoration around. On that car the under side has gray primer showing through in lots of places. There are many Dodge and Plymouth cars out there with their entire floor pan painted body color and that doesn't seem to be correct. Since a lot of this work was done by hand I imagine there is some variation from car to car.

https://newoldcars.com/why-factory-overspray-on-vintage-cars-is-so-misunderstood/

[gtx6970]

Mopar was primer on the bottom side. with various suspension pieces only painted ( or not painted in some cases )

 

primer was typically a bluish grey color  and it WILL have some body color overspray along the sides of the car

But the exact primer color did and does vary by which plant the car was built.

LA plant as an example was a REALLY dark grey almost black color

 

No Chrysler product of the period ever had a full body color underside .

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by gtx6970

[gtx6970]

this is a Duster but the method is pretty much the exact same

 

[Dodge Driver]

Here's an interesting article concerning Mopar undercoating and blackout paint methods. 

https://moparconnectionmagazine.com/back-in-black-front-in-black-wheel-wells-too-proper-oe-blackouts-on-comeback-cuda/

Edited May 4, 2021 by Dodge Driver

[1972coronet]

Perfect examples , @gtx6970!  And , yes , the Los Angeles Assembly did have an exclusive-to-that-plant black / charcoal primer . 

A common 'mistake' builders make when replicating Chrysler's A , B , E , F , M , J , R bodies' undersides is painting the front frame rails black ( some times the rear 'rails as well ) . The only exception to this are the 'D' and 'C' body platforms ( e.g. , the full-sized cars --- not mentioning nameplates , as that gets confusing due to 'badge engineering' from c.1975-onward ) , which have a subframe or a perimeter-frame ( 1965 & earlier Imperial ) .

Special-built models such as the 1968 Hemi Dart & Barracuda , 1969 Daytona , 1970 Super Bird , can't be used a "true" guide for chassis overspray , as those cars were modified outside of the factory ( Hurst-Campbell , Cars & Concepts , et al. ) , and their special exterior parts painted even sloppier than the factory . The 1968 Hemi Dart / Barracuda left Hurst with a gloss black painted engine compartment . 

[BubbaBrown]

I bought a 1965 Cuda 273/235 and after the warranty was out I spent alot of time underneath it,13 rearends, b4 i found a big one off a 1966 Dart to put in. The only primer and it was light gray was by the driveshaft tunnel, the rest of the underside was painted same color as car. And it looked like it was dipped with runs and etc.But that was 1965 and it could of been built in Canada because the medium blue paint matched 1964 not the 1965.