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Posted by: jnp914 Sep 30 2003, 12:14 PM

I am confused. On a '71 are the plastic headlight surrounds supposed to be the natural light or white plastic or painted black?

or something else?

Posted by: JmuRiz Sep 30 2003, 12:20 PM

As far as I remember, the '73 and before had a natural white bezel. The '74 and later had black ones. As far as I can tell all the repos are black. I had to get a black one for my '73, since none other was available. So I just spray canned it white to match my driver's side one.

Posted by: seanery Sep 30 2003, 12:24 PM

If you have to paint them, Krylon makes a plastic paint that will actually last.

It's called "FUSION"

Posted by: vortrex Sep 30 2003, 12:39 PM

my '73 had black ones that looked original, but who knows.

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 30 2003, 12:41 PM

tell me more about da paint.
i got used black ones, they cleaned up ok, but they could use a layer of new paint ...

Andy

Posted by: seanery Sep 30 2003, 02:00 PM

http://www.krylon.com/product/gp_product_detail.asp?sgID=GP07

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 30 2003, 02:55 PM

schank you sör ...

Posted by: GWN7 Oct 1 2003, 03:02 AM

They also came in Grey. I was told that they were added to "special order cars" My 71 has them in grey.


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Posted by: jnp914 Oct 1 2003, 07:59 AM

That is actually what my '71's look like, under the crappy black spray.

Next question: solvent or sand?

Posted by: seanery Oct 1 2003, 08:02 AM

If you're gonna use "Fusion" I'd lightly sand to remove old paint then follow can's directions. It's very easy.

Posted by: -P- Oct 1 2003, 09:44 AM

I sanded mine, primered, and then painted. Didnt use the paint reccomended above, but a flat black. Turned out nice. The original unpainted color on mine was a beige.

Posted by: jnp914 Oct 1 2003, 01:12 PM

I always like to see a pipe wrench in the middle of a project

Posted by: Jeff Bowlsby Oct 1 2003, 01:19 PM

I have never heard of anything but the white and black ones.

White=73 and earlier
Black=74 and later

Betcha the 'beige' and 'grey' ones are just old giveng them an off-color look. Somebody Bleach the grey/beige ones to see what happens!

Posted by: vsg914 Oct 1 2003, 03:03 PM

I read the LE's had thier own color. Tan I believe. It's on Bowlsby's web site IIRC.

Posted by: GWN7 Oct 1 2003, 07:00 PM

I'd try the "bleach" on them, but the car is stored up at the farm for now. They look pretty clean and are evenly grey. Which makes me think they were made in that colour.

If I was going to paint them, I think it would be to match the body colour and not the current FugUggly yellow it is now. Originaly it was Gemini Blue Metallic (special order paint) and will be so again someday.

nother pic of them....

mabey it's a 71 LE?


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Posted by: tracks914 Oct 1 2003, 07:40 PM

And claw hammer for pulling nails out of those fenders

Posted by: -P- Oct 1 2003, 08:15 PM

damn strut washer/collars/whatever they are called.

Posted by: meursault Oct 2 2003, 12:00 AM

I think you guys are thinking of the headlight mechanism surrounds, which were grey for some '74 cars.

The white headlight surrounds haven't stayed very white over the years, so far as I've seen. I've seen them turn to light grey/ beige/yellow. Variance could be dependent upon what kind of dirt the car has trapped in the headlight buckets.

Posted by: GWN7 Oct 2 2003, 07:40 PM

I know what you mean about the headlight mechanism surrounds. I have grey ones on my 74.

The 71's headlight surrounds and the buckets were clean when I brought it home. The reason I had them up was to check for junk in the buckets and found the grey surrounds. That's why I took pictures of them, grey, unusual. The car spent the last 3 years under a tarp in Tennessee and I was told it was stored in a garage when the PO bought it in California. He bought it from a fellow USMC. These would have had to be submerged evenly in something to make them the colour they are. If it was ozone oxidation (age colour change) then all the one's from that age should also be the same (grey)

Posted by: Bleyseng Oct 2 2003, 07:56 PM

Well, thats kinda cool then if they are grey. I still have the ones out of the 70 I had and they are white. Kinda dirty white but cleanable.

Geoff

Posted by: fly Oct 7 2003, 12:50 AM

When painting plastics black, I have had great results with exterior trim black. Avail at most body supply places. It will hold up to weather and is flexable.