Door painting

[Mike V. Florida]

In October it was written
"To be authentically correct, the primary color (lower body color) would be applied on the body, and the trim color (secondary color) was applied over that. The jambs would be painted in the lower body color and the trim color was applied on the outside area only. The lacquer paint actually "oversprayed" through the door gaps and only wrapped as far as one could see from the exterior when the doors were in the closed position."

What about the inside edges of the door? Were the doors given coat of paint before they were installed then painted with the rest of the car as above?

Now that I think about it what about the gas tank, as the inside had to have color and the cowl welting was also painted was the tank also given a quick coat, assembled, and painted again?

[Aerocraft]

"What about the inside edges of the door? Were the doors given coat of paint before they were installed then painted with the rest of the car as above?

Now that I think about it what about the gas tank, as the inside had to have color and the cowl welting was also painted was the tank also given a quick coat, assembled, and painted again."

Mike: I believe that the doors were installed when the car as painted so that the inside of the doors would be painted lower body color (in this case) when the jambs were painted. Would the doors have been closed when the trim color was applied? I wonder about that because the trim color also would have had to be applied to the "B" pillar. I masked my trim pillar and also around the door jambs so that overspray would not mess up those nicely painted areas and painted the trim color with the doors open. It would be interesting to see an original paint assembly line picture.

It is my understanding that the tank was painted in the car and not removed once the "body in white" was ready for paint. It would take too much labor to remove and install the tank just for painting. In addition, if you have tried that yourself, it is quite risky to install a painted tank. I personally paint and pinstripe the "bottom" of the tank, mask it when dry and then install the tank for assembled painting of the exterior.

It is interesting to read the paint and finish guide for it explains that the '29 Cabriolets and "some" '29 Fordor sedans (Town Sedans) are painted first the upper body color and then the lower color is applied as trim. I did that with my '29 Murray Town Sedan and found it much easier to mask. Gar Williams

[Aerocraft]

Mike: I just looked at my copy of The Ford Model A as Henry Built it to see if I could find a picture of a car body "in process" of painting.

Take a look at the top picture of page 65. There, in the foreground, is a '28 Tudor being polished. Behind it is another Tudor, with the doors installed and open, lower body color already masked, and apparently headed down the line for application of the lower body color. There is no masking in the jambs which means they all will be lower body color. Interesting picture.

Page 77 in the same book shows the Cleveland paint line with the bodies on a conveyor with the doors and tanks installed. Gar Williams

[Scott NY]

Here are some pictures of an original 29 Town Sedan, as you can see the lower body color was painted first then just the visible surfaces were painted upper body color. The inside of the doors appear to be lower body color.

[Mike V. Florida]

OK I think i got it, doors painted lower body color, jams painted lower color. Doors closed, car masked and upper color painted.

[Aerocraft]

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I suggest that you mask and paint the B door pillar (which is expose to view between the door edges) upper body color before you close the doors so that the color joint is sharp. Gar Williams