Painted Trim - how was it done at the factory?

[tddawson]

Does anyone know how chrome and stainless parts were originally painted at the factory? For example, I have a '67 Coronet 500. The tail panel has vertical ribs with black paint in the recessed area between each rib, and there is a reddish/orange border around the 500 logo. On the front, kind of the same issue with the grill - vertical ribs with the recessed areas painted black, and of course the DODGE letters on the hood have black in the recessed areas.

Obviously, they didn't sit and mask off each part with tape before painting them, and they didn't paint it by hand with a brush - so just how did they get thousands of these parts painted so perfectly?

I'm more interested in how to paint mine efficiently than I am with being 100% factory correct - masking off all those details sounds like a huge pain! If anyone has a clever way that they have used, I'd love to hear about it!

 

[mmissile]

Templates on lots of parts.

 

[Bobo]

I need the same on my 65/500 headlight bezels black hope there is a easy way

 

[mmissile]

Most of that stuff requires lots of patience....or money.

 

[67GTX440]

Just did the hood letters on my 67 GTX. I scraped the remaining paint off the chrome with an exacto knife and cleaned the letters with alcohol wipes. I painted the background areas of the letters in gloss black with an enamel paint pen designed to paint on glass. Any excess paint was carefully removed with a rag and a minimal amount of laquer thinner. I then baked these in an unpreheated oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes as per instructions with the paint pen and let them cool in the oven.

For larger pieces such as a tail panel, I would spray paint and remove the paint from the chrome with either a rag and minimal laquer thinner or remove the paint from the chrome or stainless with very fine steel wool once the spray paint has been given a chance to dry but not harden.

I am sure the parts supplier had a more sophisticated high production method, but you have to work with what you have got. I had King of Trim in CA. repair, polish and paint two headlight bezels and it was $500 plus shipping both ways. I am sure their paint was a meticulous tape off process.




I just got three bids for chroming these 9 parts. Low was $685, middle was $800 and high was $1400. No guarantees of quality since mostly pot metal. Sweet Jesus, that is a lot.