Engine bay paint colour

[Mc Bean]

Hi All,
Can anyone help me with the colour of the engine bay paint for a late 59 FC, It was black originally but were they gloss or have flattening base included as some of the cars at the nationals, or is their a paint code available.
Any help appreciated.

Cheers Andy

[mcl1959]

The colour is chassis black - in between gloss and matt.

Ken

[Mc Bean]

Hi Ken,
Is the same black used under the body & under the guards.

Regards Andy.

[mcl1959]

The underfloor and underneath the front guards are the same black finish. Under the rear guards there is a spray bitumen finish.

Ken

[Mc Bean]

Thanks Ken, just trying to restore the old girl to close as possible to it's original condition.

Andy

[57effie]

Hey Andy,

Had the same question with my underbonnet freshen up. The more questions I asked the deeper the mystery. Seems that the engine bay could be a number of single or combination colours depending on which factory the vehicle was painted at. I found some photo's (which I cant find right now), one being in Just Holdens magazine showing cars with body colour engine bays.
I suppose it depends on how authentic you want to get.

Cheers

Mark

[collecta]

Depends which model, FE = colour FC = black AFAIK
cheers
Scott

[Mc Bean]

Hi Mark

As far as coloured engine bays go I,m lead to believe they were on the 58 or early models, ours being a 59 the engine bay was originally black.Could some one correct me if I,m wrong.

As for which colour black we were steered onto a paint mob in VIC (thanks Ken) told them what I was after and they told me what I needed, so now the full undercarrage is in (Protec - Industrial lacquer black Code-324-7022) a satin finish.

Cheers Andy

[Mc Bean]

Hi Scott

Thanks for the reply, the old girl is an FC. I have placed the paint details on my reply to mark

Cheers Andy

[EffCee]

As far as coloured engine bays go I,m lead to believe they were on the 58 or early models, ours being a 59 the engine bay was originally black.Could some one correct me if I,m wrong.

My FC is an Early 59 build (Series 2) and has the main body colour all under the bonnet. I know some had coloured firewalls and black inner guards, but mine had the body colour (Granite Grey) on both firewall and inner guards.

Keith

[Mc Bean]

Thanks for that Kieth,

It might be like mark said, different combinations from different factories or I wonder if it was a option ?

Cheers Andy

[KFH]

My FC is a Sept 59 build.  Firewall and inner guards are black. 

Keith

[Johns]

This is indeed a can of worms. Ken and others will have more information, however here is what I have observed.

Early FEs bodies (at least July and August and maybe September 56) were all manufactured in Adelaide and were assembled in Mebourne and these and all Brisbane assemblies had a body coloured firewall and black inner guards. Early Sydney cars were all body coloured. At some stage either during later FE production or FC production Melbourne went to all body colour but only up to the "third" and final FC paint scheme by which time I think all the plants changed over to all black. Brisbane never did all body colour. First and second paint scheme Sydney FCs were all body colour, changing sometime in the second half of 1959 to all black.

The bodies were shipped painted to the assembly plants and Adelaide and Sydney supplied Brisbane, until the second half of 1959 these bodies seem to have body coloured firewalls hence the consistency in Brisbane cars. I assume Perths came from Adelaide but I haven't seen any so don't know what configuration they were. In conclusion;

Earliest FEs bodies were built and painted in Adelaide, assembled in Melbourne had body colour firewall and black skirts.
All Sydney FEs (?) and FCs up to some time in second half of 59 were all body colour
Melbourne went to all body colour engine bays in late FE or beginning of FC(?) and changed to all black late 59 (?)
All Brisbane cars were body colour firewall and black skirts until 2nd half of 59 and then all black
Adelaide assembled cars, I assume either same as Brisbane or all body colour until 2nd half of 1959 (?)
Perth - dont know.

Hopefully others can clarify/fill in the gaps
Cheers
John

[KFH]

I forgot to say that my car is a Sydney built car

[EffCee]

Mine also is a Sydney built car

Keith

[Mc Bean]

That clears a couple of things up John, this car is a late 59 (Sydney Built).

 PS - I can't thank you blokes & girls on this site enough for all your continual help,much appreciated. 

Andy

[mcl1959]

You pretty much have it down pat John

Ken

[Smooth]

As a matter of interest my wifes FC has a full body colour engine bay. It is '58 Sydney build 225.
The original black underbody is Nitrocellulose GMH chassis paint. This is what I used when touching up my FB Station Sedan.

Regards, Smooth