70 Cuda Rocker Molding Paint

Were the plastic "fish gill" rocker moldings on a 70 Cuda painted from the factory with acrylic enamel, or lacquer? Was the same type of paint (enamel vs. lacquer) used for both the silver and the black paint?

Thanks everyone!

Want to bump this back up...

Anyone know what type of paint was used?

Aren't they painted in argent silver?

Of the few originals that I've repainted years back I always stripped the paint finish by "washing" then with lacquer thinner, so I would assume lacquer paint was used, to respray I would stand the rocker vertically, paint the backside of the saw tooth facing upward with flat black first, then turn the piece 180 degrees so the painted saw tooth back side of the molding was facing down, then paint the silver (rallye wheel silver not Argent)from top to bottom only paint spray strokes, this eliminates a LOT of taping/masking looks more in line with what the factory MAY have done, they may have had a mask?, who knows, but silver overspray and a "soft" edge are usually present on the blacked out saw tooth areas on "clean" original examples

The surface of the molding has a texture molded in, but just silver paint was used, technically Rallye wheel "argent" silver is a perfect match, but not textured "Argent"

It's been 20 years since I had a set but now I remember

Thanks

Thanks, Guys. If the paint could be wiped off with lacquer thinner, then it was painted with lacquer, which is what I thought. Lacquer thinner does not affect enamel.

Yes - it was a non-textured silver with black on the fish gill portion.

IIRC originals were masked (not freehand paint line argent VS. black)

Correct. You paint the black. Mask the black gill and then paint the silver

This is exactly how I did mine and they turned out great.......

Really the only way to do them, my first set I did the masking off of the black, man what a tedious time consuming waste of energy! the second set I gave a little thought to how "production" may have handled a quantity of these things


Mike

Would soda blasting work to strip them?
I have a set that apper undamaged, but the were painted with the car so they have a heavy coat of paint that is not flaking or loose anyplace on them. The paint is so think it has filled the texture on the surface.

I'd try soda or plastic media blasting, be leery of chemical paint strippers or "home brewed" ideas of brake fluid, oven cleaner, etc, that most mention/suggest

Most of the "fiberglass" components that Chrysler used/had made by assorted vendors back in the day were not mat lay-ups, they were known by the trade name then as "Cosmoplast" castings, basically ground/powered fiberglass mixed with resin and injected/poured into the mold, vacuum and or heat cured, so the part is pretty much akin to being made out of bondo, chemically and structurally, and doesn't take well to harsh chemical attack

Mike

Stewpar...those look great! Thanks for the painting tips everyone.

I'm glad the question of stripping was asked...I need to do this to my front valence insert.

Well all the 70-1 Cuda grilles and lower valance inserts finished in silver and or Argent are indeed lacquer, as that what I used to "wash" the original finish off to plastic weld/repair/and or repaint grilles for customers, if your going to use lacquer to "wash" the old finish off use plenty of clean WHITE rags only, and give the piece(s) time to breathe/dry out between wipedowns, as the lacquer will start to soften the plastic if exposed to too long a time or repeated washes/applications

Mike

Thanks Mike...great tips. I will do that.

Another related question, since you mentioned it. Were lower valence inserts both painted and unpainted from the factory on 1970 cars, based on your experience?

yes