[Grand73Am]

What color primer was original on the bottom of your car? And what year is your car and what assembly plant was it built in?

I'm doing a little survey of 2nd gen Firebird/TA's as to whether the Van Nuys plant used a different color primer on the bottom than the Norwood plant. So, hopefully many of you will reply, so we can see how the colors were for the plants and the years. Thanks!

[TA455HO]

The Norwood plant used an electroplating ELPO dip tank for the red oxide primer.

The Van Nuys plant did not have an elpo dip tank and so the undersides were painted black.

In the book "Echoes of Norwood" it talks about the ELPO dip tank and shows some pictures - this one of a 1972 stopped in the dip tank during the strike is great.



Chad

[Grand73Am]

Thanks Chad. Is there a year range in which that applies? Like did Van Nuys at some point go to red?

I know 79 went to black at both plants.

[TA455HO]

I can see examples in "Echoes of Norwood" of the ELPO dip tank still being used in 1983. I'm not aware of them stopping its use prior to the plant being closed in 1987.

Chad

[Norwood]

Chad you are the authority. ��

[Bentwheelbob]

1973 Norwood Buc Red TA 15k mile survivor.






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[eaglesan13]

Bob,

Very nice car. Is that the factory exhaust system?

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

1973 Norwood Buc Red TA 15k mile survivor.



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[eaglesan13]

Here are a couple of pictures that might help. The first is of my old 1970 Trans Am. It was built in the Van Nuys plant in April 1970, and the undercarriage is black primer. The second is of my old 1970 Formula 400, which was built in the Norwood plant in April 1970, so it has red primer.

Originally Posted by Grand73Am

What color primer was original on the bottom of your car? And what year is your car and what assembly plant was it built in?

I'm doing a little survey of 2nd gen Firebird/TA's as to whether the Van Nuys plant used a different color primer on the bottom than the Norwood plant. So, hopefully many of you will reply, so we can see how the colors were for the plants and the years. Thanks!

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Grand73Am

What color primer was original on the bottom of your car? And what year is your car and what assembly plant was it built in?

I'm doing a little survey of 2nd gen Firebird/TA's as to whether the Van Nuys plant used a different color primer on the bottom than the Norwood plant. So, hopefully many of you will reply, so we can see how the colors were for the plants and the years. Thanks!

The F-bodies makes this a fairly easy question since they were only made at 2 plants.

If your question were about Fords (mustangs in particular) the answer gets interesting. 3 different plants for Mustangs, with 3 different processes. I think Dearborn being the worst, using batch paint for the bottom. Meaning what ever body color paint was left over at the end of the day, it was all poured into a container and mixed, and that's what they used to spray the bottoms of the cars. So the color was constantly changing from week to week, or even days. To restore one correctly you either need a good area to match the paint from or lucky enough to find a survivor that is within the same build time frame. That plant was REALLY into not wasting ANY material, lol.

Just an interesting FYI.

[nashcar]

“The F-bodies makes this a fairly easy question since they were only made at 2 plants.”

My car is one of the last built in Lordstown, bottom was red oxide. I didn’t know Lordstown didn’t build TA’s

[Formulajones]

Lordstown doesn't count, they only made firebirds and that was just for 3 years

[nashcar]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

Lordstown doesn't count, they only made firebirds and that was just for 3 years

I also didn’t realize I was in the 70-73 forum!

[72projectbird]

03C Built 70 Norwood car, red oxide bottom.

[Norwood]

07C Norwood red oxide

[poncho-mike]

Also had a 1970 Formula, 07C, red oxide.

I think every 70-72 Bird I've taken apart was a Norwood car and had red oxide primer on the bottom. I parted out one Van Nuys car that I think was painted black on the bottom, but it's been so long ago I can't be sure.

[Formulabruce]

Sometime in 1978 the red oxide was stopped . Bob's original Trans Am Gold car will show this.
I also doubt they were dipped , but the tank and conveyor could have remained. Remember ELPO or not, Lacquer paint is High VOC and toxic.
I set up these later 70's cars at a Pontiac dealership and aside from most of the underside bolt on's having NO paint at all, I noticed No red oxide.
Bottom of my car pic below 1972. Original primer, the original undercoating was just cleaned off it before pic. I have a 1980 here thats black, minimal any paint on the bottom.

[TA455HO]

These pictures are also from the same book about the Norwood, OH assembly plant. I'm guessing some of you have not had a chance to read it?



That's a 1983 body in this next shot.



Chad

[Formulabruce]

I am guessing that after the middle of 78 the color changed again to maybe a silverish. 3rd gen cars are body color all over on most i have seen

[giles]

I can add that my 04A Norwood built ‘71 is still wearing its red oxide underneath and in the trunk.
I can also attest that an original paint 03C Van Nuys built ‘70 that I no longer own was NOT elpo dipped. It was clearly hand sprayed black underneath, in some areas of the trunk and on the interior side of the firewall. There was evidence that the actual A-surface primer was gray in color. If you looked further in areas like inside the doors or quarters beyond the reach of hand sprayed primer or blackout you could see it was just surface-rusted bare steel.

[Grand73Am]

Thanks to all.

I noticed that not many Van Nuys cars reporting in though.