Hey, Guys,
Maybe I can help: I can`t claim to be an expert except so far as I have
had my 1098 66 Midget from new, and can attest to it`s never being restored,
repainted, or otherwise messed with to any significant degree that I will
admit to.
The valance in question is painted body color, BRG, including the bonnet
catch, all hardware, and radiator uprights. The radiator, of course, is shiny
black and its fixing hardware is plated. The valance paint is of the same
quality as the outer body, no primer or over spray visible, which leads me to
think that the body shell was sprayed as a unit before the front fenders were
attached. You figure out how that was done.
The flat, slotted fixing screws of the fenders are also body color, good
quality; but the inner fenders are rough, as though they were sprayed only as
far as the painter could reach. In places under the bonnet, seam sealer was
brushed on, then primered and painted over. I can`t recall or tell without
removing the grille if such sealer is present on the valance joints, but I
will check later if it matters.
Primer is a heavy red. Very few chips that got through the top coat
penetrated the primer.
The grill is attached with Pozidrive cross-head screws and washers. The
bumper supports that pass through the valance and rubber grommets are shiny
black. The fixing bolts of those brackets were plated. The underside of the
bonnet was body color, although a much thinner coat that the rest. Again, I
suppose that area was sprayed in the final process.
I don`t doubt there were variances in the assembly process, and dealer
installed undercoat, when it was requested, was applied everywhere. Also,
many guys painted behind the grille and wheel wells black because it looked
better that way and was easier to keep looking clean. That may have been
especially true of lighter color cars. Anyway...
Bert Shirey.
60 Bugeye/66 Midget
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