Paint Question

[ol Curt]

I have a 66 that I am starting to piece back together. My bumper and grill will be white. I know there is a 2" or so trim area painted white around the grill, but is the rest of the panel behind the grill black? I'm talking about how they would have come from the factory.

[jonzcustomshop]

yes

[502tripower]

It should be body color

Edit:
I stand corrected. Black is correct.

[scotts62]

Im thinking body color too

[guzzidude]

The area behind the grill should be body color, but I like black b/c it males the grill pop. Just my 0.02 cents. Art Grad student... lol

[olsofti]

I'm gonna have to go with Jon on this one.In the original brochure it looks black.I've seen them both ways maybe it was an option.




http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B34767.jpg

[factorystock]

All 60-66 Chevy trucks were painted black behind the grill with the white strip in the surround area from the factory regardless of color.

[factorystock]

I might add, the white color is really an ivory color, an off white.

[502tripower]

Originally Posted by factorystock

I might add, the white color is really an ivory color, an off white.

I think it is bombay ivory?

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by 502tripower

I think it is bombay ivory?

Maybe Indian Ivory
Thats the color we paint them. And we always paint the area behind black weather the factory did it or not cause it looks right.

[LILRED66]

All were painted black behind the grille, regardless of the body color.

[ol Curt]

OK, You guys helped clear the color up. Now....was it a semi-gloss or just flat?

[62 short step]

Originally Posted by ol Curt

OK, You guys helped clear the color up. Now....was it a semi-gloss or just flat?

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by LILRED66

All were painted black behind the grille, regardless of the body color.

Hmmm LILRED, thats what your avatar photo's red truck needs.

[75gmc454]

I have been working on my 65 and was wondering about the grille color. My truck is all original and the color does not look like plain white, it is an off white. Does anyone know the paint codes or should I just have someone match the color that I can find on non faded parts of my grille and bumper.

Also my truck was black behind the grille.

[63 Spud]

Originally Posted by 75gmc454

I have been working on my 65 and was wondering about the grille color. My truck is all original and the color does not look like plain white, it is an off white. Does anyone know the paint codes or should I just have someone match the color that I can find on non faded parts of my grille and bumper.

Also my truck was black behind the grille.

The info I have shows the paint codes for off-white in 1965 are:
Dupont 4195-L
RM A-1599
Ditzler 8290

Mark

[hossmann]

heres a pic of my 66 mine is body color

[LILRED66]

My '66 Chevy C10 LILRED66 was repainted, incorrectly. The black and white backdrop on the grille support was painted the body color. Below are a few that have the correct paint breaks, although the band color may not be the correct on a few of them.

[LILRED66]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Hmmm LILRED, thats what your avatar photo's red truck needs.

Hmmm...are you talking about this one? It is in the process of being done correctly.

[LostMy65]

I know this is an old thread, but it's on topic.

What white is the correct white for the grill?

Thanks

[jocko]

concur on black background. But I think we're all in agreement on that by now - if it's body color, then it's a repaint, factory was black. Wish I knew if it was gloss or satin - but I am GUESSING satin - so that means nothing since I am guessing - But I believe it would match the underhood satin. I believe the white of the grille and the white painted grille surround should be the same white - and that they should match the white of the two tone tone trucks roof and white trim insert along the side.

India Ivory is a 50's color - it MAY be correct because often the factory just used the same paint but renamed it in a new model year. The correct names for the white body paint (i.e. a whole white truck or the roof and side trim on a two tone truck) is:
thru 63: "Pure White"
64 and up: "Ivory"
And my personal perspective is that those would be the same colors for the grille surround. I can't say that with 100% certainty, because I didn't work on the assembly line is 60-66, but I WISH I HAD!
Here's some pics and refs. Remember that just because a PO says a truck is original that it doesn't mean it's been restored correctly. Mine is pretty original, but I am not certain the black behind my grille is painted the correct shade of black. In the end, I really don't care either - I'm just glad it's black!

If I were re-doing my truck from scratch (which I'm currently not doing), I'd do the following (keep in mind mine is a 66)...
Roof, side trim accent stripe, and grille surround: Ivory
Behind grille: black - same sheen as my underhood black, in my case, semi-gloss.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference - unless of course you're doing a concours restoration and want it perfect - in which case, well, I dont' know what to tell ya...

Having said all that - take a peek at pic #2, a 1 ton truck, which was a nut and bolt resto from an original truck (i.e. they saw what they were replacing first before they redid it - I spoke to the guy that did it in person at the L.A. Roadster show, a BEAUTIFUL resto job and the care to exactly duplicate what he started with was obvious) - could this indicate that C30's did NOT have the white surround and black grille?? Hmmmmm

[kieth]

Originally Posted by 63 Spud

The info I have shows the paint codes for off-white in 1965 are:
Dupont 4195-L
RM A-1599
Ditzler 8290

Mark

It does not get more specific than this, the above paint codes are for the white.....Kieth I believe dietzler (PPG) referred to it as Ivory

[jocko]

Keith (I mean Spud, actually I guess) is SPOT ON! Thanks for posting the actual codes - the name of it matches the name for 64+ in the original paint chip posted above. Now, having said that - I wonder if there was any actual difference between "pure white" in 63 and earlier and "ivory" in 64 and later... the name sure would lead me to believe that the 64 and later was a little more "off white" than "pure white" in 63 and prior... Who knows.

To further confuse things - note the red heavy duty GMC truck in the first brochure in the background - that bolsters the idea mentioned above that the heavy duty C30+ (maybe even C20s) did NOT have the white grille surround (and possibly not even the black background). History detectives, unite!

[jocko]

Originally Posted by LILRED66

My '66 Chevy C10 LILRED66 was repainted, incorrectly. The black and white backdrop on the grille support was painted the body color. Below are a few that have the correct paint breaks, although the band color may not be the correct on a few of them.

Hey Lil Red - those are some great ref pics - the C20 or 30 (can't tell) solid white truck is VERY interesting. Had to look a few times, but the grille surround itself is black and the background is body color... I've never seen that before - was that a white truck (hvy duty) only way of doing it? Never seen a C10 with a black surround. That truck looks looks awesome. It appears to be the "actual" truck presented in the last ad in post #21 - except the grille surround is white and background black in the ad. Too cool.

[oem4me]

It's hard to follow all the references being made to all the different correct/incorrect trucks that have been posted, so I'm starting over with the final word on the subject As far as I know, every CHEVROLET (but not GMC) regardless of body color, size of the truck, or trim options, had a white surround with blackout behind the grill. Any example showing otherwise is either an incorrect repaint or evidence of dyslexia on the paint production line.
Judging by the well preserved originals that I have seen (my own truck and burb), the blackout is quite flat with very little sheen, but not quite dead flat. Under the hood is shinier for sure.
As for the white, and the various names they used for the same colors during those years, I can tell you that it is not Ermine White which was a very common GM body color in the sixties. I had some acrylc lacquer in that color left over from an old repair job and used it to correctly repaint the bumper on my truck, but first I had to "dirty it up" just a bit with tints to get it to exactly match the original grill and surround.
This info may or may not be any help, but I had to say something due to the number of incorrect "full restorations" I've seen over the years. The grill surround/blackout paint thing is an important detail. I see 99% perfect trucks with body color behind the grill WAAAY too often!