[gtobird]

I beadblasted a set of hideaway headlight assemblies (metal doors, buckets, etc). Just like another set I cleaned up years ago, these had some sort of black tar like substance on them in odd places and it seemed to be totally random as to where it appears. In sort of looks like long wide drips. Was this just some undercoating that accidentally was applied to these at the factory during assembly, or was it purposely done?

On the earlier set I did and on this recent set, it was hard as a rock. If you scraped it off with a knife, the metal underneath wasn't rusty, so I figure it had to be done at the factory, or at the very least, when the car was new.

Thanks
Old Joe

[hawkins69]

These components were dipped in paint from the factory. Many times they were not very pretty with runs, drips and thick areas of buildup. I’ve noticed this on majority of original cars I’ve worked on

[gtobird]

Originally Posted by hawkins69

These components were dipped in paint from the factory. Many times they were not very pretty with runs, drips and thick areas of buildup. I’ve noticed this on majority of original cars I’ve worked on

Agreed. I've seen the same on other parts as well, but these are particularly thick and it's hard to beadblast off. Perhaps they were supplied by a vendor that used some sort of really thick paint.

[dataway]

I think anyone that has had their hands on many Endura/Hideaway parts from 68-69 can attest to the very "casual" production methods that seem to have been used. They sorta look somewhere between homemade and factory From the paint to the brackerty the whole setup seems kind of dodgy ... it works, but some of the parts look like Joe Bob's metal stamping down the street might have produced them.

I think that thick coating is probably some over zealous application of undercoating at a dealership back when they were using asphalt based coatings. Almost reminds me of bedliner. But then you sometimes see it in places that would be pretty hard to reach after it left the factory.

From the "last minute" appearance of the whole setup I'd guess vendors/Pontiac were still experimenting on what worked and what didn't on these system, specially the 68s. I've seen some systems with every square inch rusted so bad you'd swear they were never even painted. Others with black paint dripping off them and still looking pretty good.