1965 engine Compartment Black out

[Bill W.]

At what point was the 1965 BB & AC battery access panel installed , before or after the engine compartment black out . Mine appears to have been bolted in place when the engine compartment black out and the wheel well undercoat & black out was applied . The judging guide says the bolts and hardware were cad or zinc plated . but if they were
installed first the hardware would be covered with black .DSCN1212.jpgDSCN1199.jpgDSCN1202.jpg

[Wayne W.]

Re: 1965 engine Compartment Black out

For 66-67 the panel was installed after the initial undercoat and blackout. However the panel received its on undercoat before installation, and many times you will find the nuts actually stuck on by the undercoating with no rivets holding them. Another case of lazy line workers. The bolts themselves would not be blacked or undercoated. This is certainly true for 66-67, however there could have been some deviation that first year.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1965 engine Compartment Black out

For 66-67 the panel was installed after the initial undercoat and blackout. However the panel received its on undercoat before installation, and many times you will find the nuts actually stuck on by the undercoating with no rivets holding them. Another case of lazy line workers. The bolts themselves would not be blacked or undercoated. This is certainly true for 66-67, however there could have been some deviation that first year.

Here's the battery panel from late '65 (L78 # 23564) You can see the color of the fiberglass in the 2nd pic. Last pic (also 2nd pic) show mis-alignment on the outboard middle bolt hole (notice that there's never been one of those mini-rivets installed -- agree with W.W. that they just stuck the nuts into generous undercoating). Loren Lundberg's late '65 L79 C60 # 23561 reports same mis-alignment at that hole. I believe both sides of this panel have never been touched. check the metal "patch" screwed into the panel to block the hole worn by oversize tires sometime in its past.

65BatAxs-3Medium.jpg65BatAxs-4Medium.jpgBatAxs-5Medium.jpg65BatAxs-2Medium.jpg65BatAxs-7Medium.jpg65BatAxs-6Medium.jpg

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 engine Compartment Black out

Wayne & Wayne Thanks for your answers . I took a look at my panel for the first time in about a year and answered my own question . The inside (battery side) was painted black before it was installed and before the weatherstrip was put on . The tire side also looks like it was black before being installed . All my retainers were riveted when built . Mine also had the worn through spot from big tires . My panel is white glass with a march 04 1965 date as is almost every fiberglass part on the car .DSCN1940.jpgDSCN1941.jpgDSCN1942.jpgDSCN1943.jpgDSCN1945.jpgDSCN1944.jpg

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1965 engine Compartment Black out

Bill --- here's a few others. I suspect they are off my "other" LH battery car (early '65, C60, L76, N03). S-body, of course.

early'65 S-body (Custom).jpgupper outboard (Custom).jpgUndercoat leak (Custom).jpglowest inboard (Custom).jpgmiddle outboard (Large).jpgtop outboard (Large).jpg

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 engine Compartment Black out

picture #2 looks like it could have had some black before the door was installed ?