Refurb or replace - part 1

Troy, radiator shroud, radiator and battery tray should be semi-gloss which is glossier than the engine compartment. Your shroud appears to be correct, can't tell for sure from the pictures. It looks like your radiator has been recored. A couple years ago I would have recommended an NOS battery tray but prices are starting to get rather high. If you search you may still be able to pick one up fairly reasonable. The repop isn't too bad and would serve the purpose. I would guess the one you have now is a replacement as I've seen very few that aren't rusted all the way through.

I have part of an article (from my old magazines I sold to JSnell) from an auto-restorer who uses a 1 to 5 chart of glossiness. I don't remember it specifically calling out fan shrouds, etc, but it did include engine compartment, rear axle, etc. If I remember, I'll dig up my scan and email / post it.

BTW- has anyone used Eastwood underhood black? I tried it and like the look, but it seems to be very soft. I can put a deep dent in there with my thumbnail, so I may decide to use an epoxy paint instead, even if the gloss factor isn't correct.

Lyle

Before you dive in and toss the battery tray you might want to check it for a date code. If it is correct and can be beadblasted that might be a better option.

Hi Lyle...As a general rule I always try to salvage and restore original parts. Replacement should be a last resort in my book. Best paint I found for engine compartment walls is Krylon semi-flat black. I find the sheen to be VERY close to the original. Have fun with your project. Are you yanking the engine/tranny? Ed

Troy

Eastwood sells black paint made for battery trays and sells paint in a green spray can for rad, Make sure it is the gloss.

Mike

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Troy

Eastwood sells black paint made for battery trays and sells paint in a green spray can for rad, Make sure it is the gloss.

Mike

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That radiator paint is supposedly thin "low-build" so it doesn't mess up your heat transfer, I think. I've been pretty happy with Eastwood products so far except for their "underhood black"'s softness.

Paint the entire radiator with it.

Here is the information about glossiness of black items. Most of it refers to undercarriage detailing instead of underhood. It is from the February 1993 Mustang Monthly which has a long article on undercarriage detailing.

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That's an interesting list. For the most part, I would agree with the shades of black. Additionally, though, gloss is a result of several other factors including the type of paint used (lacquer vs. enamel), the conditions and mixture of the paint, the type of material being covered(cast vs. stamped steel) and whether the part was dipped or sprayed. A good bit of advice was given in the article, which was to replicate what you find on your car. A nice parts washer and mineral spirits go a long way in determining the original finish of parts.

One question I had (being an absolute non-expert) has to do with the front sway bar. I read that they were originally black and that it was a coating/chemical that made it that way rather than paint. What would that have been, and what ways could the look be duplicated (chemicals or paints)?

Every original swaybar I've seen had black paint on it, runs and all!

In the picture above, the cables look like old repro's with paper sleeves.

My bay also has big, gobby paint runs. I'm getting rid of them even though that makes it incorrect. Also when I was looking for that detailing article, I came across one on rear-end detailing. They figured out which parts were dipped, sprayed, etc. They figured out that the "tubes" had been held up by one end and sprayed, leaving long runs. when I remove the rust, I will not be duplicating that detail either.