Painting in the trunk

[1969stangman]

I am about to get my car painted and I have some questions about what is supposed to be painted.

If I'm correct, the Fuel tank should not be painted at all(it should remain galvanized/silver) and the rest of the trunk should be painted the same color as the car.(should meaning factory spec)

The car is a 1969 Mustang Fastback. The color of the car originally was, and will be Royal Maroon.

 

[zookeeper]

My '68 had the top of the tank painted gloss black and the rest of the trunk painted body color. The lower part of the tank was unpainted.

 

[bnickel]

My '68 had the top of the tank painted gloss black and the rest of the trunk painted body color. The lower part of the tank was unpainted.

the top of the tank should not have been painted, it should have been bare metal and most likely would have had an underlayment pad on top of it.

 

[RedGTvert]

the top of the tank should not have been painted, it should have been bare metal and most likely would have had an underlayment pad on top of it.

Correct.

 

[zookeeper]

I hate to argue...BUT...you shouldn't believe everything you read. I bought my car fom it's 93 year old original owner, and when I bought it, 99% of it was untouched. Half of the car still had the original paint on it, the original trunk mat was tattered, but still there and the top of the tank was indeed painted black. I seriously doubt the lady I bought it from "customized" it by squirting paint on it.

 

[RedGTvert]

I hate to argue...BUT...you shouldn't believe everything you read. I bought my car fom it's 93 year old original owner, and when I bought it, 99% of it was untouched. Half of the car still had the original paint on it, the original trunk mat was tattered, but still there and the top of the tank was indeed painted black. I seriously doubt the lady I bought it from "customized" it by squirting paint on it.

How do you know that the tank wasn't replaced at some point with that tank that you are saying is painted.

Unless you can show me a picture of a car that rolled off the factory floor with the gas tank painted black, I will stand by what has been said earlier.

 

[zookeeper]

The build date on my car is Jan 20, 1968 and it was built at the San Jose plant. I would bet money mine isn't the only car from that plant, at that time that has a painted tank top. Also, it's not totally unheard of for MCA accepted "correctness" be wrong.

 

[66 Restomod]

The build date on my car is Jan 20, 1968 and it was built at the San Jose plant. I would bet money mine isn't the only car from that plant, at that time that has a painted tank top. Also, it's not totally unheard of for MCA accepted "correctness" be wrong.

I wonder why Ford would bother painting a tank's top black, and not the bottom? Especially if it is covered by the original mat anyway. Perhaps the old tattered mat transferred the backing color to the tank over the decades in the confined heat of the trunk? There are so many small things done to save money on these and other cars, so it seems unusual for a tank's top to be painted for no obvious reason. Just wondering.

 

[zookeeper]

Who knows? I agree it does sound goofy, but that's the way it is, and I'm certain it came that way from the factory, given the sheltered life my car led since it was new.