i dont know if this has been discussed before but does anyone know of the coating that the factory used on the 69 camaros. i was told it was a dielectric type coating and gray in color. i am restoring my car and want to restore it as close to original as possible. i know that most if not all the restored cars are painted a semi flat or 50% black. most of my car was grey and i had a 69 z28 and i know it was grey not black. i know to duplicate gm's process will be near impossible but does anyone have any experiance on trying to duplicate the process or look?

My 08A car was definitely gray underneath as well. Two different shades of gray, darker in the front, and lighter towards the rear. Not sure how that happened, but surmised that it was sprayed from the two ends by two different set ups. I don't even know if that was done by hand, or automated. Perhaps John Z can tell us. My car had never been painted and only had about 27,000 miles when I put it on the rotiserie. A really nice guy I know told me years ago that the bottom was painted with a Sherwin Williams product, which I beleive is called "Q Seal". In fact, he said Sherwin Williams was the paint supplier, at least for Norwood. I have never checked that out, but again, John Z probably would know.

There is some info here: http://www.camaros.org/assemblyprocess.shtml
makes it sound like the underside was just left with nothing by primer-surfacer. "The interior color areas were masked, and the entire outer body was sprayed with gray primer-surfacer and the body was baked again at 285F for 45 minutes." Sure seems like what was on the bottom of my car was more durable than primer.

I bought some of the Q Seal in the 90's and am not sure if it is still avialable. I know I have the part number written down at home. Anyway, if I remember correctly, the Q seal is mixed with thinner and Black laquer, but again, I can't remember the proportions. I may have written down the formula, and will be glad to check at the house. I know when I sprayed the bottom of my car, I did several coats, and it is thicker than the factory did. Over restored, maybe, but I wanted the extra protection.

Hope this helps.

All paints, primers, surfacers, sealers, and topcoat materials in the GM assembly plants through the 70's were supplied by DuPont (the DuPont family was the largest single GM stockholder, which influenced the business relationship). :thumbsup:

THe 69 VN car we are working on had a black bottom. We also did a 70 T/A from VN plant and it was black compared to the other Norwood T/A's we have done that were red oxide in color on the bottom. Any other California cars that can verify this?

Here's an original Norwood bottom. Red, ruddy primer and some black overspray. (X22 car) The interior floor pan is also red primer. Not sure what's under the primer. Never looked. I have to assume it's as per the AIM.
http://epitomesrebuild.com/images/143.JPG

All paints, primers, surfacers, sealers, and topcoat materials in the GM assembly plants through the 70's were supplied by DuPont (the DuPont family was the largest single GM stockholder, which influenced the business relationship). :thumbsup:

Thanks John.