seat rail support paint question….
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- 356 Fan
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seat rail support paint question….
For my '60, T-5 coupe….I have used my grinder wire brush to remove the majority of the surface rust from the two supports for the door sides of the seat rails….I see NO evidence that they were ever painted….but a PO could have stripped them ???? their 14mm nuts, DO have some residual black paint on them.
Should the rail supports be painted black, or left bare metal ?????
Help !!!!
Thanks, Greg
Should the rail supports be painted black, or left bare metal ?????
Help !!!!
Thanks, Greg
Member # 1809 , June 1978
'60 Cab-'60 Rdstr-Envimo S:90
'60 Rdstr-'64 C Cpe-'62 Cab
Envimo S:90-'63 Cpe-'62 Cpe
above…all Sold and long gone….
current Garage Pals…
IM Roadster D
1960 T-5 Coupe (52nd one built)
1968 912 Coupe
'60 Cab-'60 Rdstr-Envimo S:90
'60 Rdstr-'64 C Cpe-'62 Cab
Envimo S:90-'63 Cpe-'62 Cpe
above…all Sold and long gone….
current Garage Pals…
IM Roadster D
1960 T-5 Coupe (52nd one built)
1968 912 Coupe
- Mike Wilson
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- Location: SW Los Angeles
Re: seat rail support paint question….
Greg:
To get this conversation going, I'm guessing a semi-gloss paint on the pan, seat supports and generally any other parts like floor board channel, etc. Bare metal = rust.
To get this conversation going, I'm guessing a semi-gloss paint on the pan, seat supports and generally any other parts like floor board channel, etc. Bare metal = rust.
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe
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- 356 Fan
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
Thanks Mike….I was feeling the same way….but was puzzled not to find a speck of paint on the rails…..
This is NOT a rusty car. So it will remain a mystery as to what was done in the past.
I'm going to go Semi Gloss Black….as suggested
greg
This is NOT a rusty car. So it will remain a mystery as to what was done in the past.
I'm going to go Semi Gloss Black….as suggested
greg
Member # 1809 , June 1978
'60 Cab-'60 Rdstr-Envimo S:90
'60 Rdstr-'64 C Cpe-'62 Cab
Envimo S:90-'63 Cpe-'62 Cpe
above…all Sold and long gone….
current Garage Pals…
IM Roadster D
1960 T-5 Coupe (52nd one built)
1968 912 Coupe
'60 Cab-'60 Rdstr-Envimo S:90
'60 Rdstr-'64 C Cpe-'62 Cab
Envimo S:90-'63 Cpe-'62 Cpe
above…all Sold and long gone….
current Garage Pals…
IM Roadster D
1960 T-5 Coupe (52nd one built)
1968 912 Coupe
- Mike Wilson
- Classifieds Monitor
- Posts: 11621
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:37 pm
- Location: SW Los Angeles
Re: seat rail support paint question….
If you are referring to the bases held in place by the nuts, they were painted. The rails were chrome. On my car, currently being reassembled after a bare-metal restoration, any bare metal was primed and painted, seams sealed, etc. even under sound deadening and carpet.
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe
- Doug McDonnell
- 356 Fan
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- Location: Augusta,Michigan
Re: seat rail support paint question….
Seat rail originally had Nickel finish not chrome. Source: Brad Ripley. Seat bases I think were gloss black on Cs. Maybe onT5 and T6 Bs also? If done gloss black it sure adds "pop" when you open the door. I will bow down before an expert who chimes in.
1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.
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- 356 Fan
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
I am referring only to the far left and right rail SUPPORT brackets (held with those 14mm nuts)…. All I can guess, is that for some reason, a PO stripped their black paint of and neglected to replace it. It sort of had me stumped.
Thanks to all for responding….I'll hit them with semi-gloss black.
The rails are decent with their nickel platting intact.
Greg
Thanks to all for responding….I'll hit them with semi-gloss black.
The rails are decent with their nickel platting intact.
Greg
Last edited by Greg Stout on Mon May 09, 2016 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Member # 1809 , June 1978
'60 Cab-'60 Rdstr-Envimo S:90
'60 Rdstr-'64 C Cpe-'62 Cab
Envimo S:90-'63 Cpe-'62 Cpe
above…all Sold and long gone….
current Garage Pals…
IM Roadster D
1960 T-5 Coupe (52nd one built)
1968 912 Coupe
'60 Cab-'60 Rdstr-Envimo S:90
'60 Rdstr-'64 C Cpe-'62 Cab
Envimo S:90-'63 Cpe-'62 Cpe
above…all Sold and long gone….
current Garage Pals…
IM Roadster D
1960 T-5 Coupe (52nd one built)
1968 912 Coupe
- Doug McDonnell
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 6081
- Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Augusta,Michigan
Re: seat rail support paint question….
Bruce Baker's take on them: "Both the A and the early B risers as well as the more substantial T-6 versions were more gloss than flat black, more of a 'sheen' that came from an industrial coating, and yet the later they got, the shinier they got....the T-6s were the most like a 'gloss' but I have seen variation in originals of those, as well.
(Different vendor, different paint sprayed by a different person, etc, etc.)
I'll tell people that those type of things just should not look like a shiny black exterior base/clear paintjob, but not quite back towards "semi-gloss/flat-black" either....like engine tin black....it varied so much that anything is "correct." "Sorta shiny, more or less."
Personally, I like that stuff to be touched up when nicked .....with a black Sharpie....... " I tried to paint mine but they were all chipped up and finally gave up. I basted them clean then powder coated Gloss black. They look great and are good enough for the girls I dance with.
(Different vendor, different paint sprayed by a different person, etc, etc.)
I'll tell people that those type of things just should not look like a shiny black exterior base/clear paintjob, but not quite back towards "semi-gloss/flat-black" either....like engine tin black....it varied so much that anything is "correct." "Sorta shiny, more or less."
Personally, I like that stuff to be touched up when nicked .....with a black Sharpie....... " I tried to paint mine but they were all chipped up and finally gave up. I basted them clean then powder coated Gloss black. They look great and are good enough for the girls I dance with.
1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.
- Wil Mittelbach
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
Perhaps helpful and relevant to your T5 coupe, herewith a photo of my`65C cab's original seat rails and supports. The supports are gloss black with cad bolts.Greg Stout wrote:For my '60, T-5 coupe….I have used my grinder wire brush to remove the majority of the surface rust from the two supports for the door sides of the seat rails….I see NO evidence that they were ever painted….but a PO could have stripped them ???? their 14mm nuts, DO have some residual black paint on them.
Should the rail supports be painted black, or left bare metal ?????
Help !!!! Thanks, Greg
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- 356 Fan
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
Doug McDonnell says I said the seat rails were nickel plated. Not true.
Perhaps that came from where I have said in the past that T-5 and earlier rails were nickel plated.
But, T-6/911/912 rails were clear zinc as correctly discussed above.
Perhaps that came from where I have said in the past that T-5 and earlier rails were nickel plated.
But, T-6/911/912 rails were clear zinc as correctly discussed above.
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
T2 seat rail bases were semi gloss black, actually no primer on the ones I restored,that were factory originals.
Contact email Spyderwerks@comcast.net
- Doug McDonnell
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
This link is about a T5 Brad. Which is why I wrote what I did and credited you as my source. Here is why I wrote that: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=38082&hilit=seat+rails I just didn't want him chroming them as someone said above in this link. Brad you are one of the experts I bow down to. You have forgotten more than I will ever know. But if you have forgotten you look it up.
Last edited by Doug McDonnell on Thu May 05, 2016 4:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
T2 & T5 seat rail bases are the same, change came with the T6 model
Contact email Spyderwerks@comcast.net
- Jim Nelson
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
Note: if you have your T5 seat rails plated nickel, you have to guide your plater about the finish. We just got a pair back that has a very high gloss, and that's not right. The repros we've seen have what appears to be almost a matte finish, and that's not right either. If you have access to a good early seat rail take it with you to the plater.
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
That's correct Jim, my originals (T2) almost look like chrome where the original finish is still in good condition. I doubt only the true purists would care though ,but certainly worth mentioning.
I can take a picture of my originals if anyone's interested.
I can take a picture of my originals if anyone's interested.
Contact email Spyderwerks@comcast.net
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Re: seat rail support paint question….
Brad, I agree with you that the T5 and earlier rails were nickel. Are you sure they were "plated" though? I believe these were chemically coated/dipped. Surfaces treated this way tend to be more wear resistant than those electro plated. For seat rails this would make sense. Appearance can be varied more this way too. Weren't the rails somewhat dull originally rather than high gloss?Brad Ripley wrote:Doug McDonnell says I said the seat rails were nickel plated. Not true.
Perhaps that came from where I have said in the past that T-5 and earlier rails were nickel plated.
But, T-6/911/912 rails were clear zinc as correctly discussed above.