Are the plastic body pieces on a 73 and 74 Painted?

Are the factory plastic body pieces on a 73 and 74 Painted or is the Plastic made the color of the car?


novamaniac

I'm pretty sure they are painted. Someone will know for sure, but just in case you don't get an answer.

if you are talking about the fillers between the bumper and the body, i believe that they are painted.

Greetings,

Yes they are painted factory body color. 1972 and earlier the front plastic piece was silver or gray in color.

Jason

I guess I'll be the first to say they are color core. I looked at three rear bumper fillers I have laying out downstairs and if they were painted then the factory did a VERY good job getting in on the underside where the clips go to hold it onto the taillight panel lip. I doubt GM would have spent the time to paint them on all sides (unless they were dunked into a vat of paint like some parts were done to paint them). I've also cleaned a few other original ones I have in storage with thinners and reducers and a fair amount of rubbing and never broke through to any other color than what was on the surface.
I will go out on a limb here and say that it's possible that the replacement parts may have been in black only and to match them to the color of the car, they got painted.
If you cannot find the right color or they are faded and not a good match then you could paint them. I painted the fillers on my 73 years ago with a candy paint and clear but we added a flex agent to the primers, color coats, and clear coats. If you do paint them off of the car, try and mimic how they are on the car and not slung over something to where when it is installed the finish is not affected.

Jim

my body pieces are painted

I picked up a pair of NOS front fender rubber fillers and they are different color than my car and was wondering if maybe they were made in a yellow color. I have had the car for 20 years and the paint always seems to crack. I kind of recall them being yellow underneath. Does someone have a original car to check to see if that is correct?

Jim, I see your point that maybe after the color core pieces ran out maybe they had a one color they would work from.

Thanks,
novamaniac

the core on my filler panels are like a vanilla color(original), wouldn't call it yellow

Mine are yellow.......My car is yellow though:D

Seriously though, they are like a light, light yellow, more of a vanilla like said above.

My blue '74 has been in our family since it was new back in May of '74. Originally, it was my parents car. I bought it from them in the early 80's. Looking at my filler, I'd say that my filler is molded in blue.