Factory Primer: Red Oxide and Black, anybody work at a GM assy plant circa 60's/70's?

[lakeroadster]

Have you noticed that the factory seems to have painted the hood and dog house with black primer, and the rest of our trucks with red oxide?

I am kind of fixated on patina here lately.... and this seems to be a reoccuring observance of mine.

Do we have anybody on this site that actually worked at a GM truck assembly plant back in the 60's and early 70's?

Maybe these photos will get you guys doin the too.

[steverino66]

Apparently, at least on my 64 parts truck, it's red OVER black - you can see both on doors and hood side if you look closely; when I sanded a fender all the way down I found black on the metal (brought it in the house on my work shirt too).
I know this paint/primer is original because the pale green is everywhere and the truck had sat since 1984 in Texas when I bought it.

[jonzcustomshop]

I have run into this same thing with 567 chevy cars, on those I have heard that the front sheet metal was assembled as a unit on a seperate line, and joined with the body later.

[Bugeyev8]

My grandfather would have been the one to ask he sprayed cars at GM from the 50s to the 60s....too bad they did not use resperators back then...he died when he was 45 from lung issues....so whatever they had for primer and paint they had..it was toxic for sure

my 62 has black primer all over, not just the hood...there was no red oxide on my truck anywhere

[collins10672]

i have a 1966 cab with the original paint,built in flint michigan and it has red oxide primer on the roof where the paint has worn off.

[shrunken66stroker]

My 66 was all black, no red at all. And I sanded off every last bit so I know for sure.

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by Bugeyev8

My grandfather would have been the one to ask he sprayed cars at GM from the 50s to the 60s....too bad they did not use resperators back then...he died when he was 45 from lung issues....so whatever they had for primer and paint they had..it was toxic for sure

my 62 has black primer all over, not just the hood...there was no red oxide on my truck anywhere

Man, sorry to hear that about your grandfather.

[Rich 5150 69]

Maybe a a left coast vs a right coast, rust issue...?

[ChiefRocka]

My buddy and I were just talking about laying out a white patina paint job on my truck. I was concerned in making it as OG as possible and want to find out what color base primer was used ....

[collins10672]

i am not sure why the red oxide was used on some trucks.they may have been experimenting a little with primers for comparisons between the two for rust issues,who knows for sure!i have had trucks both ways and all of my trucks were east coast built trucks.primer was not the issue for these trucks to rust the way they have,it was the design of the body,poor workmanship and poorly designed drainage system of the panels.also behind every panel you will find rust lurking back there even if it is just surface rust because gm welded these cabs,doors fenders and etc. before any coating was applied to them.double wall panels that are raw steel on the back side is like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.lets use the fleetside bedsides for example,they are single walled panels and unless they are driven in lots of salt or mud they hold up pretty well considering they are almost 50 years old.the good solid trucks on here from the west are built like the east coast trucks that rust much worser,but there is one thing lacking in much of the west and that is lots of moisture.so bring a west coast truck east and leave it out in the elements and the rusting process will start speeding up on that truck also.i have owned several of these trucks and love this body style better than any truck ever built,but there was lots of flaws in workmanship and quality that could have been improved but were not.after the bodies were built gm should have used the hot dip galvanize method to help control and slow the rusting process.gm did not see it this way,they thought nothing of superior workmanship over their competitors and when the 70's came along (after 72) well you know the rest of the story,they lost market share and were knocked out of their top spot and have been paying the price ever since.also it is partly the owners fault also for not keeping every nook and cranny flushed underneath when washing their trucks too.but if they had built them alot better they would finally quit selling trucks if the older ones did not rust out or wear out and that is not in any companies best interest.

[Bears63]

It's black on the bed and most everywhere I've noticed on my '63

[kieth]

My 66 gmc is all black underneath.............hood, cab, bed, etc....

[creep]

My 63 GMC has bl;ack showing on the hood and fender and red oxide everywhere else. I can see some red oxide along the edges of the black though.

[creep]

According to the VIN, it was assembled in the Pontiac plant.

[GCncsuHD]

My 67 was black on hood and fenders, red on the cab.

[1/2Dozen]

Originally Posted by Rich 5150 69

Maybe a a left coast vs a right coast, rust issue...?

You may be on to something

[kart34]

My 1965 c-10 had red oxide primer over factory black e-coat.

[Heater63]

I'll ask my uncle, he was a painter in the Arlington TX plant in the 60's. They built cars then but he might shed some light.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Heater63]

OK, guys, this is from my Uncle Wayne who painted at GM Assembly plant from 60's until late 70's, mostly painting cars. Sounds like they were starting to do e-coating on some panels, which would explain why our hoods are black, and cabs are red oxide. He says:

"I don't know exactly, but the hoods, fenders, etc. were dipped primed, while the bodies were mostly sprayed. although later the bodies were also dipped. the oxide was thicker and could take more sanding. hadn't thought too much about it. when I left we were still hand spraying color coats, but that changer just a year or two after I left."

There's your answer John!

[Corts60]

My '60 has red on the body and black on the fenders as well. The hood I am almost positive has been repainted at some point, so don't count that red primer.

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by Heater63

OK, guys, this is from my Uncle Wayne who painted at GM Assembly plant from 60's until late 70's, mostly painting cars. Sounds like they were starting to do e-coating on some panels, which would explain why our hoods are black, and cabs are red oxide. He says:

"I don't know exactly, but the hoods, fenders, etc. were dipped primed, while the bodies were mostly sprayed. although later the bodies were also dipped. the oxide was thicker and could take more sanding. hadn't thought too much about it. when I left we were still hand spraying color coats, but that changer just a year or two after I left."

There's your answer John!

Uncle Wayne's the Man! Thanks Heater63, now we know "the rest of the story".

John