Bottom of the car paint question

[oldbugr]

My car is now blasted and ready for body and paint. A reliable source on this form had said in a past post that all the car bottoms were painted gray, not the body color.

Someone else added that only Schwarz cars were painted to match. 

While I have no plans on having this car judged for originality, I might as well do something close.

However, my painter is suggesting that we spray lizard skin on the bottom as a sound deadener and then add color over it. 

Wonder if that hurts the value not just doing as the factory did. 

 

Thoughts? Thanks 

[Son of Marty]

The factory paint on the bottom was just overspray of the topcoat so it was heavier on the rockers and faded toward the middle. The only reason IMO to copy that would be for a restored show car or if someone (not you) would try to pass the paint off as original.

Edited January 10 by Son of Marty

[Mike Self]

To add onto SOM's comment above:  the wheel wells were painted body color pretty thoroughly; elsewhere underneath it was just overspray--most noticeable on the outer quadrant of the spare tire well.  Oh, and roundies have body color rockers (below the trim) while squarelights have 'em painted black.

 

Schutz ("lizard skin")--heavilly coating the wheel wells, below the crease on the rear body panel below the bumper, the rockers, and the lower section of the nose below the transverse rib.  Elsewhere underneath, mostly overspray like the paint.  At least that's the way roundies were done,.as I've had experience with roundies.  I think squarelights were pretty much the same, paint and schutz-wise.

 

mike

[uai]

The grey color of the underbody is darker than Bristol and lighter than Derby.
And why not paint it in a single stage gray color you have to paint it anyway doesn't cost you any more and makes the car better.
I would only add Protection as from factory except at the part of the floor where under the seat the rear pan goes down again there are some chips on my car that could be prevented by adding some protection there. For Protection after paint I use Dinitrol 77B Wax - highly recommended. 
AFAIK (but I only know early cars) rockers have no protection on them. And '66 Cars have black rockers.

Edited January 10 by uai

[Conserv]

3 hours ago, uai said:

The grey color of the underbody is darker than Bristol and lighter than Derby.
And why not paint it in a single stage gray color you have to paint it anyway doesn't cost you any more and makes the car better…
 

+1

 

An excellent idea, Uli: replicate the gray primer’s appearance with actual paint. Chose a satin or almost flat finish for the gray paint, and allow the body color to overspray the new gray paint, especially around the edges. As Mike mentions, wheel wells were and always should be full-on body color.

 

To be honest, however, and going back to the @oldbugr’s original post, I doubt any ‘02’s value is diminished by painting the underside body color. These are not 1936 Hispano Suiza’s prepped for Pebble Beach — the vast majority of ‘02 owners and buyers will choose beauty over originality most days.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Tdh]

First, lizard skin is expensive for what it is. You’ll be in for about $500 just for the material by the time you coat the bottom of the car, more if your paint guy wants to use it in the wheel wells/nose/rockers/etc. 

 

These cars were put together in a way that makes them pretty susceptible to rust. A good coat of epoxy primer, and a topcoat at a minimum is a good plan for the underside, but if it were my car I’d got ahead with some types of chip guard coating (Schutz, Gravitex, SEM, Lizard Skin, whatever) and then top coat it with color (still epoxy first). 
 

I agree 100% about the value of these cars made by previous FAQers so I won’t rehash. However, I can give you some advice on how to proceed if you decide to coat the underside of the car. Take photos at every step, from bare metal, all the way through to the final coat of paint. Many prospective buyers will assume that a car that’s been coated with a chip guard product (one that didn’t come that way originally) was coated to hide some poor repairs or rust/damage. If you can show that the car was clean and free of rust, and that you coated it to ensure it stayed that way it won’t devalue the car. It may even help it sell over others on the  market at the same time. Keep in mind that BMW started coating the entire underside of later models. E30’s, early 911’s/944’s/928’s/etc were all undercoated with a chip guard. My sons 944 sat in a back yard for 10 years sunk into the grass and muck and the coating held up. My daughter’s E30 convertible is also in great shape. After tearing apart/owning/fixing all manner of old cars I’m a believer in protecting the underside of the car. Also, listen to everyone here who advised using a good cavity wax product inside any boxed in space. 

Edited January 10 by Tdh

[BarneyT]

It takes a lot of prep, but…

 

[Joesprocket]

In regards to putting any type of chip guard undercoating in wheel wells and underside treatments. It seems like these sorts of applications, even if done correctly, raise flags for future/perspective buyers where they ask the question..."this looks nice but what's below the coating?"...And rightly so, to be honest. I would. There was a recent post where someone asked the forum to "rate this undercarriage" and this same sentiment and question was raised. 

 

I dont plan on selling my car (like ever) but for those who might, and want to do right by their car by properly applying some form of undercoating—is there potential harm to the value? It's made me think twice about if and how I do this once I'm ready but curious what others think.

[oldbugr]

I have think I feel the same way. It makes me wonder what it’s hiding. I don’t plan to sell mine but at 71, others may down the road. I wonder if having pictures showing the panels before applying the sound deader would ilvaite concerns. 

[Tdh]

@Joesprocket and @oldbugr,

 

hence my recommendation to document every stage of the application from bare metal, to the top coating process. 

[Joesprocket]

I agree. I'm not painting or sealing over anything until it's documented. I'd do this anyways but, being a thoroughbred skeptic myself, no one is gonna question my effort down the line.

[stephers]

Bed liner on after a full seam sealer on the under side   Then a 2 part epoxy, same color as the car         Then I used Lizard skin on the inside  and then painted same color as car       Did tintable bed liner in the trunk, then also painted with body color     Not original but I wanted the bottom side completely  sealed from the elements after doing all the metal work

 

Thanks, Rick  

[oldbugr]

4 hours ago, Tdh said:

First, lizard skin is expensive for what it is. You’ll be in for about $500 just for the material by the time you coat the bottom of the car, more if your paint guy wants to use it in the wheel wells/nose/rockers/etc. 

 

These cars were put together in a way that makes them pretty susceptible to rust. A good coat of epoxy primer, and a topcoat at a minimum is a good plan for the underside, but if it were my car I’d got ahead with some types of chip guard coating (Schutz, Gravitex, SEM, Lizard Skin, whatever) and then top coat it with color (still epoxy first). 
 

I agree 100% about the value of these cars made by previous FAQers so I won’t rehash. However, I can give you some advice on how to proceed if you decide to coat the underside of the car. Take photos at every step, from bare metal, all the way through to the final coat of paint. Many prospective buyers will assume that a car that’s been coated with a chip guard product (one that didn’t come that way originally) was coated to hide some poor repairs or rust/damage. If you can show that the car was clean and free of rust, and that you coated it to ensure it stayed that way it won’t devalue the car. It may even help it sell over others on the  market at the same time. Keep in mind that BMW started coating the entire underside of later models. E30’s, early 911’s/944’s/928’s/etc were all undercoated with a chip guard. My sons 944 sat in a back yard for 10 years sunk into the grass and muck and the coating held up. My daughter’s E30 convertible is also in great shape. After tearing apart/owning/fixing all manner of old cars I’m a believer in protecting the underside of the car. Also, listen to everyone here who advised using a good cavity wax product inside any boxed in space. 

Really good advice, thank you. I’m powder coating everything to make sure that I try to protect the car as much as I can. My plan is to drive the wheels off it. 

[oldbugr]

2 minutes ago, stephers said:

Bed liner on after a full seam sealer on the under side   Then a 2 part epoxy, same color as the car         Then I used Lizard skin on the inside  and then painted same color as car       Did tintable bed liner in the trunk, then also painted with body color     Not original but I wanted the bottom side completely  sealed from the elements after doing all the metal work

 

Thanks, Rick  

Wow that’s great work that only a fanatic like myself would appreciate! I always tell people that my cars are as pretty on the bottom as on top. Just like you. 

[JQ02]

My auto body guy is using Raptor bed liner on the interior, trunk, wheel wells, and underneath. Totally agree on concern that it looks like hiding stuff. As others have noted, I have pics all along the way. And, resale will be my kids' problem when I'm gone 😉