1993 Cobra Registry

I'm doing a under hood restoration on my '93 Cobra.
It was a daily driver for years and looks it.
My question concerns the under hood paint on the firewall and inner fenders.

Was it originally base coat/clear coat the same as the body?

Thanks,
robj

No its actually just base with no clear. Different code all together if Im not mistaken, maybe someone else can remember.

Check this old topic out

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4483&hilit=engine+bay+paint

I had read that discussion but it didn't seem to definitely state if the paint was base coat /clear coat. With the black that mine is it's hard to tell.
I've looked at photos of Teal and Red engine compartments and the paint looks way too glossy to be base with no clear. That usually has a fairly flat look.

Its also a little hard to imagine the body shell coming down the line, getting the body painted and using different paint on the inner fenders and firewall. I'm thinking the fenders and hood were not yet on the car when the body was painted.

I did notice gray primer or electrostatic rust coating showing on the lower inner fenders at the firewall due to insufficient coverage of the black.

Mine is generally pretty dull looking but in some spots it's a little glossy, but not clear coat glossy. My garage buddy was over last night and he suggested compounding a small spot to see if the residue is black or "clear-ish".

I'm going to give that a try tonight and will report back.

robj

My engine compartment is real clean and very well-kept, but there is still a difference between the black clearcoat on the exterior of the car and the black paint under the hood, radiator support assembly, inner fenders and firewall. Based on my Cobra and a few others I've seen at shows, etc., I'm fairly certain Ford only used clearcoat on the exterior surfaces of the car.

M.A.,

When I clean up a spot on mine it definitely has a shine, but maybe not a 100% gloss, maybe more like a 80% gloss.

All of the base coat I've seen, prior to clear coat, has a pretty flat finish and reportedly doesn't hold up well. Do you think the inner fender and firewall was a single stage gloss?

thanks,
robj

Under the hood is 100% without a doubt non clear. Maybe your car was detailed at one point in time and the detailer used clear on all the under hood surfaces. I've seen detail shops that do that and its just a quicky clean up technique.

I'm the original owner so I'm pretty sure nothing was sprayed under the hood.

So the thinking is the firewall and fenders were single stage? Base with no clear does not have any shine to the best of my knowledge.
robj

if you go to a automotive paint supply store they will have a code for underhood colors, the colors usually have no metallic, and a single stage one step spray, it actually has a semi gloss, and it doesnt soak up grease and dirt like just base coat with no clear. I have used both Dupont and PPG for this.