Aero paint question

[MarkH]

Here's a question for some of you guys with nice original cars, or someone that's schooled in arcane Aero knowledge or even Kaiser Frazer paint practices.

 I've found traces of black paint in & on various parts and places under my Aero. Due to poor condition, I never knew exactly what percentage of gloss or satin it originally was until now. I've discovered one front suspension bumper retainer that still has pristine paint inside, apparently straight gloss black.
 Various steering & front suspension components, clutch/brake bracket, crossmembers and other assorted parts have some black on them. When I removed the gas tank, there was also a rectangle of black on the underbody above it. Everything else on the underbody having surface rust, no paint left.
I know the underbody was originally painted black in the rear, and the engine compartment was painted the exterior body color.

Where is the dividing line where the engine compartment color stops and the black starts?

[joefrazer]

As you know, Aeros are unibody cars. When Murray assembled the body it was primed and stored for later use. When the body then went down the paint line, the exterior was painted and the areas one can see of the interior were done as well (door frames, dash area, etc). The engine compartment was painted as well and all other areas just got a light overspray painting. My 54 Aero Eagle Custom was still in red oxide primer about half way back under the car - to the rear. I pulled the fuel tank and under it was primed as well. I was amazed that the car had not totally rotted away. I did find some undercoating, but it was obviously a hit and miss application at the factory.

[MarkH]

As you know, Aeros are unibody cars. When Murray assembled the body it was primed and stored for later use. When the body then went down the paint line, the exterior was painted and the areas one can see of the interior were done as well (door frames, dash area, etc). The engine compartment was painted as well and all other areas just got a light overspray painting. My 54 Aero Eagle Custom was still in red oxide primer about half way back under the car - to the rear. I pulled the fuel tank and under it was primed as well. I was amazed that the car had not totally rotted away. I did find some undercoating, but it was obviously a hit and miss application at the factory.

If I'm reading your description right, the engine compartment color fades to red oxide somewhere around where the floor turns away from the firewall?

 Your description on the red oxide & color spray is right on except for the underside of this car. I didn't see any even around the weathered rusty edges of the black paint above the tank.  This photo is of a '52, maybe the paint process was changed after Kaiser took over. The black is some sort of cheap enamel, any I've had to remove from air cleaners to suspension parts wipes right off with carburetor cleaner.

[vettelang]

My 54 Aero Eagle has a gray with green tinge primer on the underbody ( a common primer in the 50s). The cowl area under the fenders is red oxide. NOS fenders I acquired are red oxide (probably dealer service parts). I bought a grille surround off a 53 and it is primed in the gloss black. There is undercoating covering this in the wheel well areas front and rear.

My theory is the underbody was sprayed by a different person than the uppers. Murray Body made a number of different bodies and probably had a selection of primers in the booth.

I see the same pattern of overspray from the engine compartment onto the front of the underbody in exterior color.

I look forward to the Judging Guidelines that will clarify all this ......

[Gordie]

Since undercoating was a popular dealer option in the day and still available today it seems that going that route would cover up a multitude of sins under these Aero's.  Mine is an original California rust free car but I don't remember the condition of the paint underneath the body.   I think that I will go the undercoat route rather than guesswork on poorly prepared from the factory paint on the bottom of the body.

[Barnum]

Just dropped the tank on my 54 Eagle. The car appears to have been undercoated from new. Under the tank is the same color as the car.Hard to tell about the rest, though the frame rails also have green paint showing in spots

[MarkH]

Wow, so far it appears the norm was primer or paint of the day. It seems that just about anything could be considered "correct" since it's highly unlikely anyone would've gone to the trouble to spray anything additional other than undercoating on any of the above cars.

Thanks for the input, great info! Anyone else know what's under their cars?

[Aeroman]

From the cars I remember seeing (and I did not pay very close attention other than to notice that most had surface rust or worse), many were undercoated as mentioned earlier. I seem to remember those without undercoat were body color in the engine compartment, then maybe just a primer or body color underneath. Inside the wheel wells were body color. I do not remember any area underneath being black. However, all bolt-on parts were either black (maybe gloss, maybe semi-gloss, but not flat) or natural metal. Sorry I can be absolutely certain, but I don't want to venture a guess. I have not seen any documentation on this, perhaps our Club Librarian has?
Barnum has a very clean, low mileage original '54 Eagle and may be able to comment.

[Barnum]

I am going to have to get the two cars together to compare, The Lark being the low end and the Eagle on the other. The article that Jim posted states they were all undercoated.