Painting car underside
 

Does anybody know when painting a 1936 cabriolet did ford paint the underside of the body the same as the exterior. The underfloor, the inner fenders etc.

Re: Painting car underside
 

Near as I can recall, only if it was black.

Re: Painting car underside
 

All one color.

Re: Painting car underside
 

David G is correct, the entire body was painted at once and subsequently, "all one color".

Re: Painting car underside
 

I recall a couple of conversations in the early eighties when restoring a 37 cabrio......the thinking was that some of the larger, and removable inner body pieces, like inner fender panels, radiator tank shields, were dipped, rather than sprayed, black. Fenders and body were sprayed top and bottom body color.

Re: Painting car underside
 

As the inner front fender panels on the car in question, a '36, are exposed, they were originally body color. Many components not exposed such as the grille and radiator aprons, and numerous other bolt-on components (all considered chassis parts by Ford in the day) were indeed dipped in Japan black paint.

Re: Painting car underside
 

I'm wondering if later year models (41) the under bodies were painted a different color than the exterior. When I replaced the gas tank on my car the under side of the floor pan was a primer red. The rest of the floor pan had surface rust, but you could tell it was once a red color, was this done during the original building of the car or what? Al

Re: Painting car underside
 

They were painted with the gas tanks in place, and it was a quick process. They just sprayed it to cover what you could see.


Kirk

Re: Painting car underside
 

They painted the body while it was sitting on the chassis? Hmmm... that's news to me.

Re: Painting car underside
 

I was thinking more in terms of my truck. The tank is in the cab. They partially assembled the vehicles before the sprayed the main color.


Kirk

Re: Painting car underside
 

Oh now I understand the confusion ... this thread started off inquiring about a '36 cabriolet.

Re: Painting car underside
 

The underside of my original paint 36 5W looks like mostly red oxide. The body is black but the underside is unmistakable red? Here’s a photo from when I brought it home and the original underside.

Re: Painting car underside
 

I have a 34 5-w that is has been in storage since the 50's. I am in the S.F. bay area
so I assume 34 was built in richmond ca . 34 is very early (glass date 11/33 ) 34 has the best floor I have ever seen (original green paint ) still almost perfect . ON THE TOP
no paint on underside just service rust. maybe California car no need to paint bottom of floor. ( frame is black and still in good condition ) Body has never been off. OR very early 34 car but if so what about 33 cars ?????
I can post pictures if any one wants.

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How about a '40? My wagon shows no sign of the original green underneath???

Phil Swanson

Re: Painting car underside
 

Your wagon "body" (cowl, floor pan) were painted as "one piece". The bottom of the floors were at one time matched color to the body.
Folks that have these "near perfect" cars should keep in mind that there was not a lot of paint applied to the underside and, considering it (the underside) had been exposed to external elements, the lack of any paint is more the norm than not.

While the possibility exists that some cars did not receive paint on the underside, they were supposed to.

There are a few, albeit very few, examples of 39 & 40 Fords with a different color underside than the body color. The most likely cause? The guy doing the painting emptying his paint gun on the bottom of the "next" car on the assembly line.

Re: Painting car underside
 

Good to know...…… THANKS!

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Unmistakable? Iron oxide red, yes, some red paint, no, at least according to the photo.