Norwood Paint Sequence
 

Questions about Norwood's paint sequence for F's unibody in 1970. After body paint, what was the order for the firewall/cowl and dash areas? Was the dash painted first then the blackout or the other way around? And when was the windshield installed during all of this?


Thanks for any help.

I would assume the process didn't change a great deal from the 1st gens. :dunno:

http://www.camaros.org/assemblyprocess.shtml

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https://www.norwoodassemblyplant.com/

Sorry this took so long. I spoke to the paint department Supt, who just lost his wife.

Anyways, the painting of the 1970 firewall and the dash areas referred to as the black out operation (BO) and Instrument Panel (IP) both occurred in the positions shown on the plant diagram within Lacquer booth #2 located on the 2nd floor of the plant. Black out operation was first in line followed by the Instrument panel.

The windshield install was completed later in the Hard Trim Department while the body was still on a build truck on the main trim conveyor. The windshield was installed in the configuration as pictured. This was the glass installation element group.

Very Cool! Thank you!! This clears up somethings, I always thought BO happened after body paint. Around the windshield lip-edge, is that glass-seal primer or blackout? It also appears that the clips were installed before body paint. When the instrument was painted, was it masked off? If so, did they use a shield designed for that purpose? Notice that the fender support was painted body-color. Again very cool, it's like walking back in time. When my car was being built in April '70, the crowds were starting to cheer-on the Big-Red-Machine at Crosley to their first NL pennant in ten years.

Shields were used in paint for both elements and the IP was the most problematic for overspray. There was minimal taping. If taping was required then that became a two man element in separate element stages on the masking line.

Clips were installed in trim. If you have Echoes the print you need to look at is the second floor. You are looking at one Factory with Fisher Body acting as a subcontractor to Chevrolet. When you find the Fisher Body paint booths look to the left where you will see the hard trim conveyor (which was located below the surge (bank body bank as the hobby calls it) up on floor three) Next then follow the line and you will see the soft trim conveyor next in line. That long trim line is where the coach was assembled from the bare painted shell.