Chunk ColorI'm redoing a '66 Mustang and need to know what color the center section (chunk) of the rear end should be. It looks to be some sort of red, but I cannot tell for sure.DaveVia e-mail
The removable carrier on all '65-'73 Mustangs was red primer color. I recommend Ditzler DP-74LF for a durable finish with excellent color match. You may want to look closely at the carrier to see if it was painted before machining. External machined areas should be natural, not painted, to be concours correct.
Color Change or No?I have a '66 GT convertible that has a paint code of V. I can't decide whether to paint it original or change the color. Emberglo is pretty, but not my favorite.
I plan to keep the car and would like to make it Night Mist Blue. Can you tell me how rare this color is and if this was the only year it was offered? If I change the color, will it hurt the value? If so, how much?Mike BurgessVia e-mail
Emberglo is a great color on a '66 GT Mustang convertible. Changing the color of your car to Night Mist Blue will definitely hurt its resale value. How rare Night Mist Blue is for a '66 Mustang is irrelevant in a color-change repaint. If you're concerned about value or concours Mustang events, I would strongly urge you to repaint your GT the original color.
Underhood PaintI took my '69 Mustang to the paint shop after about a month of sanding and cleaning. What color should the underside of the hood be? Should it be the same as the body or black? Did a '69 Grande have an insulating pad? Your help is greatly appreciated as we need to know how much paint to buy.Toby OwenVia e-mail
The underside of the hood should be painted body color. Most Grande Mustangs had hood insulation. If equipped with air conditioning, the pad was standard. I would recommend a minimum of two gallons of paint so you don't have to worry about shortage and still have extra for later touchups.
'69 Rear SpoilersI read your answer from the May '04 issue that focused on the texture of paint used on the spoilers from the factory. In 1969, I purchased the first '69 Mach 1 sold in Delaware. It was an S-code 390 with an automatic. Several months later, I noticed the Boss 302 cars with spoilers, and I ordered one from the local Ford dealer. I remember this vividly because when I ordered the spoiler, the over-the-counter price was $64. When I picked it up, the price had jumped to $104. I argued to no avail and took the spoiler.
It was flat black with no texture, and it had minor imperfections in the mold. I had to have the spoiler painted with a slight texture finish to hide the imperfections. I was somewhat irritated because most of the spoilers I saw on non-Boss cars were flat black, not textured.Eugene WhiteBear, DE
You are correct in your observation. Correct '69 rear spoilers (Ford PN C9ZZ-6344210-A) were low-gloss black with no texture. The '70 rear spoiler (Ford PN D0ZZ-6344Z10-A) was textured low-gloss black. Today, I would prime the '69 spoiler with a couple of coats of black DP90LF primer, block to remove imperfections, and topcoat with low-gloss black. The textured black hides small imperfections, however it is not concours correct for '69 model applications.
Re-dyeing DashpadsI'm currently deployed to the Middle East, but will start the restoration of an R-code '69 Mach 1 upon my return to the States. I have checked numerous sources and cannot find anyone who makes a replacement dashpad in red. I've seen ads for white ones that can be dyed, but I would prefer the original color from the start. Do you know of anyone who sells such an item?