Here is some more information, I’m quoting off of the web page I’m linking below.
" Cougar XR-7’s intended for XR7-G conversion were built in the Ford Dearborn assembly plant and loaded onto rail cars for shipment to the A.O. Smith facility. All modification work was performed at A.O. Smith to transform the XR-7 into an XR7-G. If the XR7-G was to receive a sunroof, they were loaded back onto rail cars and shipped to American Sunroof Corporation. ASC would install the sunroof, new headliner and vinyl top before the car would finally enter Ford’s distribution system for sale or lease or in some cases rental under contract with Hertz."
So I’ve always wondered if final paint was performed at A.O. Smith as well, or were things like the valances and hood scoops installed and painted in Dearborn then sent off. Interesting stuff.
Thanks - that helps narrow it down for the OP since we have cars during that period and plant with the red oxide floor. Especially since he not copying a specific car
Would guess that they handled the paint things like they did the Shelby’s where they painted the individual parts off the cars and once they arrived they were installed. One of the reasons the colors didn’t always match between the factory paint and the AO Smith stuff
BTW AO Smith made tons of stuff. Under stand that included things like silo’s for the north center part of the country
That’s what I was wondering was color match of the special parts. Thanks for clearing it up.
I’ll probably go the red oxide look with the other little things the factory did, it’s going to be a fun project! Not a lot of people doing these types of cars around here, not much of a following. I do a lot of rewiring and restore stuff for the older gents but it’s all 1920s & 1930s stuff. Be nice to see more cougars here. “It’s a shove it and leave it” (Chevy) town.
Don’t know if you’re talking about silos underground (as in “Cold War”) or silos above-ground as in grain storage. I’m pretty sure they had a few hands in manufacturing BOTH.
But I DO know of one, above ground and glass-lined, that can hold more than a few hundred bushels of cracked corn; in western Iowa between the sprawling metropolis of Massena and the burgeoning town of Bridgewater. With the Lord willing and Washington DC learning how to keep their noses out of things they don’t know how to run; it and the surrounding lands will belong to my grandson someday.
Now, back to the original topic on hand; for which I’ve put this thread in my “Bookmarks” list…
Ok next question, interior floor and firewall etc. were they primered red like the bottom of the car or were they painted the color of the car? Trunk area was body color correct? On every Cougar I’ve seen, someone has either painted or put some kind of undercoating in the trunk or floor boards etc. so I don’t know what the factory did.
My car is well on it’s way, DIY Rack and pinion done, DIY sub frame connectors done, painted under the car the way discussed here. Engine bay painted proper. Working on installing the sunroof this week. Did I mention the doner shell I have didn’t have the sunroof so I’m installing one from another car? LOL I’m a sucker for punishment I guess. Car is going to look great when it’s done though and since I’m on a real small budget doing most everything myself, (but properly), is saving a whole lot of money so far. Now I just need the guy with the sunroof panel to come through.
What was there to paint for “A” pillars since they were covered up and also you mention the doors as well, I can see a mustang getting some color on the doors, because of the small panel, but not for a full door panel.
That said, Around the inside of the door, near the hinges and striker, were they painted before the doors were put on?
[quote="cougar2That said, Around the inside of the door, near the hinges and striker, were they painted before the doors were put on?[/quote]When I took my passengers door off on my car where it mounts to the body, it was bare metal, no primer or paint. I don’t have a pic of the door where the hinges mount to it,but I recall it being the same way (bare metal, no primer or paint also). John
Thanks so technically if you lift the carpet you’d see red oxide primer around the trans tunnel etc? Behind the dash area as well? I know the G dashes were painted dark charcoal grey.
Next noob question, was all the wiring installed inside and in the trunk area before body color was applied or were the shells completely painted before that kind of assembly?
The bare shell was painted first before any componets were added. Every car is a little different even comming out of the same factory. I think how it was dome varies depending on the line work on that operation at the time the car was going down the assembly line. Being a low milage car I copied what was on my G vs what is generally excepted.
Is the black that was used under the car and in the engine compartment, epoxy primer as well, or was it all in epoxy primer and then sprayed black over top? One thing that I have found is Epoxy primer stays tacky for some a week or more, to allow for other paint to adhere to it later. I had brought up the question about how tacky it was, to the auto body paint supplier and that was the explanation I was given. So thinking of the car being on the assembly line and all the handling it would get, I would think the black paint would not be epoxy.
The whole car was bare metal. Then used Du pont variprime. The red oxide and black are PPG DP70 and 90 epoxy primer. Should not remain tacky! if so you’re mixing it wrong. Should be cured to the touch in an hour. Maxium time to paint over it is one week. Very tough stuff that resists scratches and is the best match to factory. UV is low, but it sees very little sun under the car.
Thanks, the Epoxy primer that I was using was in a spray balm that had an activator that you had to push in from the bottom. You could touch it, but you knew it just didn’t have that hard surface feel, even after a couple of days. It was probably what I was using.
So,…how durable is epoxy primer? unless you live in an area that is kind to a car, most are very rusty. Typically, how long is it expected to last on it’s own?
If this question should be in a separate thread, I can do so.
I had the whole car epoxy primered after media blasting so everything I paint it now is just for looks, hence I just matched a paint to look like the Red oxide primer and same with the semi-gloss black used in the engine bay, looks really good but I admit the red is too shiny for what is supposed to be primer. I don’t care, it will fade a bit and or I can scuff it to look duller.
So,…how durable is epoxy primer? unless you live in an area that is kind to a car, most are very rusty. Typically, how long is it expected to last on it’s own?
Well my G has been driven 7 tenths of a mile since done, so that isn’t a good example. I did the PPG DP expoxy prime on the underside of my Boss Mustang and have put about 4,000 mile on it in the last two summers. Driven in the rain a few times as well. So far it is still looking good
