undercoating on BT7?

[elrey]

Whilst stripping my frame/substructure I have run across some brush applied tar like substance on sheet metal behind diff, and above rearmost spring shackle points. It appears to be the only undercoating anywhere on the frame. There is only black primer between it and the metal. Anderson and Moment Write that there was never any undercoating applied AFTER the color coat, yet do not make it clear whether any was applied BEFORE the color was laid on. P,O. or original? thanx in advance... Roby

 

[Keoke]

PO----Roby-------Keoke-- :laugh:

 

[elrey]

Thanx Keoke, You sure are a font of information! I have been reading all your posts in the archives and want to thank you personally for the education. Elrey

 

[elrey]

My Tri=carb is rust free and I would like to keep it that way. I am nearing the frame painting stage. Aside from standard paint practices, are there any issues particular to these cars that I should be aware of ? I understand that this is a broad question, perhaps I may be missing some salient point. The environment here is generally warm and dry with plenty of wind, occasional fog... Roby

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Whilst stripping my frame/substructure I have run across some brush applied tar like substance on sheet metal behind diff, and above rearmost spring shackle points. It appears to be the only undercoating anywhere on the frame. There is only black primer between it and the metal. Anderson and Moment Write that there was never any undercoating applied AFTER the color coat, yet do not make it clear whether any was applied BEFORE the color was laid on. P,O. or original? thanx in advance... Roby

I have seen a couple of cars that were apparently undercoated in the area where yours is and then the color paint applied over the top of it. Was it an option that could have been a "special order" for someone buying/ordering a new car??
Patrick

 

[Brinkerhoff]

It was called flintcoate or something like that and done at the factory ,usually on the sheet metal panela above and behind the rear axle with body color painted over the top. Looks like it was brushed on right? Probably intended for a sound deadener. Its very hard and can be heated with a propane torch and scraped with a putty knife. It was probably made std. at some point . At least its been on the early 3000s I've had and restored. There may have not been much consistantcy to its application as I suspect it was done by an unskilled worker. That would have been a crappy job huh? . Spackling black tar on the underside of Healey bodies all day long ! Kevin

 

[Keoke]

Loc: san luis obispo california is a Cool Mediterranean climate . On average it has 50 days with measurable rain per year -

Summers are generally warm and sunny, often with morning fog from the Pacific coast.

Winters are generally mild, though below freezing lows may be expected 4 nights per year.

Temperatures do, however, vary widely at any time of the year, with 80 °F readings in January and February not uncommon.

Storms of any kind are rare (although in October 2009 an unusually powerful early-season storm drenched the city with nearly 8 inches of rain).

OH and the relative humidity is probably above 50% most of the time.

Elrey!!!
Where did you say you lived??

OH just paint it and do not drive it on those 50 wet days of the year-----Keoke--

 

[elrey]

lt looks like I mighta been stretchin the truth a tad. Well, warmer and drier than most places these Healeys are found anyways. Certainly plenty of wind to dry them off! There is so much wind here that the Wright bros. were considering Oceano Cal. as an alternative area for their first flights. I see that I must be suffering from too sunny an outlook. After all we were recently voted the happiest town in America. Thank you Keoke for setting me straight. I've always thought it was warmer than cold, drier than wet, and steeper than flat here. Elrey

 

[TimK]

Here is a picture of mine (1960 BN7) as original.

 

[elrey]

You are right! Mine looks as if it was undercoated with a brush, in a desultory manner, late in the day on a Friday... Slapdash... Elrey