Color for Radiator support & areas behind grille on 71 Scamp

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VSTwister

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I've seen this asked many times before, but many of the old posts don't have photos anymore, and those that do are mostly for Barracudas.

If you look at my avatar photo, you'll see my car is all purple. This is how it came factory. I never really noticed the color behind the grill much but then I've come across people insisting it's best to go black. So is it necessary on a 71 Scamp (dark color) to have the black out treatment? If so, what should be black? I can easily have the body shop paint it SEM hot rod black when the paint the rest of the car and graphics. I'm going to be using a shark tooth grille as well, where of course I did originally have the standard grille.

I agree it looks better from what I've seen on light color cars, but I'm not going to bother the painter with it, if it doesn't matter for dark color or for Dusters/Scamps style grille altogether.

Thanks
 
And then I find this thread that probably pretty much answers "where" they get painted. I think I'll have them do the entire front inside, headlight areas and hood latch too. Just the front side of the radiator support?

Core support "Blackout"
 
If it was done at the factory, they usually only painted the parts you can see thru the grille. But this varied wildly, and may or may not have been done on certain days, and/or depending on the definition of "dark colors". Also, there was no masking done at all. I'd paint it black... but I'm a person who hates seeing body color thru the grille.
 
If it was done at the factory, they usually only painted the parts you can see thru the grille. But this varied wildly, and may or may not have been done on certain days, and/or depending on the definition of "dark colors". Also, there was no masking done at all. I'd paint it black... but I'm a person who hates seeing body color thru the grille.
True that. They were painted from below (in a pit) and they used, for a better word, thinned undercoat sprayed out of a weed sprayer nozzle type sprayer. (not paint from a paint gun) Most got it regardless of color but the darkest colors may or may not have got it. There are guys here with original light colored cars that didn't get coated at all. Spray it flat black and you will be good.
 
If it was done at the factory, they usually only painted the parts you can see thru the grille. But this varied wildly, and may or may not have been done on certain days, and/or depending on the definition of "dark colors". Also, there was no masking done at all. I'd paint it black... but I'm a person who hates seeing body color thru the grille.
Agree with above two posts. My sons 71 Duster was factory paint when we got it. Curious yellow, the area behind the grill was crudely painted dull black. I don't like seeing the color either so we reapplied the black, just a little neater.
 
I did my first full resto body color. (the silver pic)

Clearly black is a better choice.

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Yep. I like black myself. Otherwise you look like this.

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It may vary by year and model but I have seen what looks like a satin black (hot rod black). The headlight bucket area of the fender is done, the vertical support on the header panel (usually where the hood latch attaches) and the radiator support.
I meant to black out mine before assembling but forgot. It looks ok but looks much better blacked out.

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Thanks all. Mine does have a sloppy undercoating or black paint on the lower radiator support, but that's about it.
 
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