Engine Compartment Painting - Fender Bolts in or out???

[short stack]

I have the engine compartment in primer and ready for final painting. My question is what about accessories like fender bolts, battery tray bracket/bolts, hood hinges, etc. I clearly understand that everything needs to be painted body color, but if I bolt the inner fenders in, there will be areas where the fenders pinch together that are left in primer and not color.

The same thing with fender bolts - If I put them in prior to paint, there will be primer circles in the fenders if the bolts need to be taken out or adjusted. Not trying to get all crazy techincal, but I know the fender bolts were body color, AND the fender was fully painted with no primer circles under the bolts. I cant believe the factory painted the fender and then installed matching painted bolts??

So the question is how to paint the fender AND the bolts without having bare primer under the fender areas, battery tray, bolts, etc?

Many thanks!

short stack

 

[eagleone1983]

I've actually never heard of the factory painting the cars without the primer circles under the bolts. From everything I've read and seen fenders, batt tray were all painted while in the car after final adjustment.

 

[62MAX]

I have the engine compartment in primer and ready for final painting. My question is what about accessories like fender bolts, battery tray bracket/bolts, hood hinges, etc. I clearly understand that everything needs to be painted body color, but if I bolt the inner fenders in, there will be areas where the fenders pinch together that are left in primer and not color.

The same thing with fender bolts - If I put them in prior to paint, there will be primer circles in the fenders if the bolts need to be taken out or adjusted. Not trying to get all crazy techincal, but I know the fender bolts were body color, AND the fender was fully painted with no primer circles under the bolts. I cant believe the factory painted the fender and then installed matching painted bolts??

So the question is how to paint the fender AND the bolts without having bare primer under the fender areas, battery tray, bolts, etc?

Many thanks!

short stack

I seriously doubt that any assembly line would have matching painted bolts .

 

[sleepar]

Paint everything including the hardware separate hanging on wires or on cardboard then assembly and if you ding up the paint where the bolts go touch them up or paint it appart and then assembled to get all the voids I have pictures on a thread 'I've talked enough $#it on here'

 

[YY1]

Despite 30 plus years of being a Mopar head, I still don't have a good handle on how they managed to get that done.

My best guess is that they were painted separately for the first coat, assembled and painted another coat.

I'm also concerned about trim and emblem installation for items that would require the fender to be off.

You would think the fender bolts would be all chewed up from the sockets if the fenders were painted separate and then installed and left alone (and if you've ever replaced one, you know), but I've seen surprisingly few scuffed bolt heads on my dozen plus cars.
I suppose they could have used plastic sockets.

 

[moparlouie]

Jam all area's where there are holes, just like the rest of the car, door jams, trunk, etc,etc, then paint bolts in the cardboard, then assemble before painting, then paint everything.

 

[short stack]

My best guess is that they were painted separately for the first coat, assembled and painted another coat.

I would agree, thats how it appears, BUT, I just cant believe that mopar gave a crap about getting paint under the bolts and doing a second paint AFTER installing some bolts makes no sense to me.

You would think the fender bolts would be all chewed up from the sockets
I suppose they could have used plastic sockets.

I totally agree with original bolts having the paint chewed up. PLUS, the paint would still have been soft if the bolts were freshly painted and then installed it would have been amazing to get them installed without tearing the paint off.

I guess I have decided to do my first two coats of paint in the engine compartment with bolts OUT. Paint bolts seperate, install bolts prior to the third and fourth engine compartment coats of paint.

I dont know why Im obsessing about this. This car really doesnt deserve this much detail. Mopar didnt care, and I know my customer wont. I honestly doubt any of you do either OCD is a terrible thing...


thanks for the help

short stack

 

[YY1]

I do remember one theory regarding emblem and trim-

That they left the bottom "dog leg" bolts off, and pulled the fenders out at the bottom to install the trim/emblems.

That sounds logical for short door to wheel moldings and engine size emblems, but some cars had trim all the way up in the nose of the fender, way too hard to get at.

While some of the QC and fit and finish was obviously not as good as it is today, I really don't get folks who claim Mopar was the worst, or "terrible" in the 60s/70's.

It sure is puzzling, though to compare the superfluous welding wire, paint runs under the hood, and mis-matched fasteners, to the thought and execution it took to create the fender painting mystique situation.

 

[short stack]

While some of the QC and fit and finish was obviously not as good as it is today, I really don't get folks who claim Mopar was the worst, or "terrible" in the 60s/70's.

.

YY1 - no intentional bashing of Mopar on my part. I dont think ANYBODY building cars in the 60-70-80s gave much care to getting a solid product off the line and out to the customer. From the design shop to the delivery truck - as cheap and as fast as possible with the least amount of effort.


short stack