Yeah, that lower tie bar's been hit, you need to get that straight.
Basically the idea on the blackout was to not see body color through the grille. Blackout was applied by a guy in a pit spraying up at the car at an angle. The original cars I've had didn't have blackout on the top surfaces or on the upper tie bar, but the side panels, lower tie bar and center (hood latch) support were sprayed, and to varying degrees the fender areas behind the inboard headlamps. Dark blue or black cars generally didn't get the blackout. The pattern & practice goes as far back as the early '60s from what I've seen, probably '62 or whenever a body line became unit construction. Body/frame cars in the '50s already had black rad supports.
) should be fixed next week before I paint the support.
