Engine Bay Color Change

[Stumper]

Not specifically BBody related but recently ive been looking at a lot of older Mopars and noticed a lot of black engine bays. When did Ma Mopar switch to body color bays? Was it with the unibody change in 62?

 

[6PKRTSE]

I don't understand all the black engine bay Mopars. You still have to remove everything and tape off everything as needed to paint it black. May as well just repaiint it the correct color. Same amount of work, just a little more money to have it mixed to match do it correctly.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Black engine compartment is like looking into a hole with an engine in it. I'm not into black cars cause I don't own a car wash.

 

[Dave6T4]

Not specifically BBody related but recently ive been looking at a lot of older Mopars and noticed a lot of black engine bays. When did Ma Mopar switch to body color bays? Was it with the unibody change in 62?

Yep.

 

[matthon]

On both my 58 Coronet and the 57 Coronet parts car I had, body color up to and including the firewall, everything else under the hood was black, both sides.

 

[matthon]

Also, it is evident that the fenders and hood were crappily sprayed body color on the inside before mounting.

 

[1KoolBee]

Black seemed like the right thing to do when I was 17. What a PITA it was to make it right again!

 

[Dennis H]

Also, it is evident that the fenders and hood were crappily sprayed on the inside before mounting.

New word. Crappily. Will add to Hobo Fright and Homeless Depot. Thanks FBBO.

 

[DeltaV]

New word. Crappily. Will add to Hobo Fright and Homeless Depot. Thanks FBBO.

And Home Despot

 

[matthon]

When my daughter was little she called it The Dirty Store, we still do.

 

[MarPar]

And Home Despot

And Blowes

 

[Dutchrebuild]

Home deepthroat

 

[kiwigtx]

KFC down these parts is known as "Dirty Bird"

 

[kiwigtx]

Black engines bays on a non-black car is a Chevy thing

 

[33 IMP]

My 62 had a black engine bay when I got it. (White car originally).
Each time I've had the engine out, when it was possible to do the engine compartment to match the exterior (now blue/gray), I was more concerned with getting it back in and running, to care what other Mopar guys thought about it.
And touching up a satin black with a spray can was a bunch easier than re-doing a non-stock color anyway. And faster.
It'd be nice, if it was a matching blue.....but unlike Christine, it's not gonna fix itself.

 

[33 IMP]

Black engines bays on a non-black car is a Chevy thing

At least my old chevies have body colored firewalls, and black everything else, like Matthon said.
Might be a fifties body-on-frame thing.

 

[ChipinAZ]

Black engines bays on a non-black car is a Chevy thing

And Furd too.

 

[eldubb440]

popping the hood on a Mopar, only to discover a blacked out engine bay.........

is like being in the delivery room, and the baby comes out with a tan.

 

[kiwigtx]

popping the hood on a Mopar, only to discover a blacked out engine bay.........

is like being in the delivery room, and the baby comes out with a tan.

View attachment 1815166

Time to get the chimney swept Dave.

 

[The Rebel]

My 68 Charger's fire wall was painted black as someone thought it would look better back in the day, not!

I used lacquer thinner soaked rags, sandpaper, scrubby pads to remove as much as l could to get to the original paint underneath it all.

Firewall Paint Removal