You’re Doing it Wrong !! Two tone Paint

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AuroraGirl

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Probably since the finnish being perfect perfect wasnt an expectation and thus when building it, the one assembling it 1) wouldnt realistically put extra time or effort to line up when shims etc were done but would be downright inefficient if the norm wasnt to have it perfect. I think, personally, paint lines lining up is more important than gaps or panels when it comes to most situations. like i dont care if the cab was slightly lower than fender if the line of paint was strikingly straight and true front to back like on your PFP truck :)
 

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I knew I had seen another factory combo - this one follows the body lines.

Not sure now if I like it better or not ...



 

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bucket

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The top level Two Tone paint trim package ( Exterior Decor Package ) on 1981-1987 Trucks.
It’s a great look when done right… that being said, it’s becoming much more common that guys are getting it all wrong when repainting their trucks.

The center contrasting paint (Band) will gradually dip and follow the contour of the hood. The front corner should land at.. or slightly below the height of the grille.

What I’m seeing more often than not on repaints is the band painted way too high at the front. Even Professional paint guys at reputable shops are guilty of this! This mistake immediately draws your eye and tells you something is very off.

Here’s some pics of the Wrong way and the Right way…
Wrong Way
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Wrong Paint Detail

Amen brother!!!!!!!

That's been a personal gripe of mine for years! All them high dollar trucks that are supposed to look like a stock scheme but they can't even take the time to lay it out right.

Even aside from that, the way the factory laid it out "fits" the best. No matter what type, stripes and lines have to jive with the body for it to be pleasing to the eye.
 

gmbellew

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I knew I had seen another factory combo - this one follows the body lines.

Not sure now if I like it better or not ...



that is only on the 89-91s. my 90 suburban has that style.
 

Keith Seymore

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Probably since the finnish being perfect perfect wasnt an expectation and thus when building it, the one assembling it 1) wouldnt realistically put extra time or effort to line up when shims etc were done but would be downright inefficient if the norm wasnt to have it perfect. I think, personally, paint lines lining up is more important than gaps or panels when it comes to most situations. like i dont care if the cab was slightly lower than fender if the line of paint was strikingly straight and true front to back like on your PFP truck :)

We built to "trends", that is, we got it pretty close and then ran every truck exactly that way, whether it needed it or not, until the repair foreman out back would call and demand we make another adjustment.

What we used to do for fender shims is tape a packet together, like 3 shims, and we would run those all day whether the truck we were currently building needed it or not.

Eventually the final repair supervisor would call back and say something encouraging, like "SEYMORE!! YOU IDIOT!! WTH ARE YOU THINKING?!?! ALL THESE FENDERS ARE RUNNING HIGH!! ARE YOU EVEN LOOKING AT THESE TRUCKS?!? TAKE A SHIM OUT BEFORE I COME BACK THERE AND SHOW YOU HOW TO DO THIS!!" I can just imagine the spittle flying into the phone mouthpiece.

So we would start running a new shim pack, like 2 shims, until he called again with his latest observation.

Basically it was to address "macro trends". You had about 45 seconds to complete the truck in front of you and move to the next one; that's not enough time to fit and re-fit each individual truck.
 

RecklessWOT

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Eh.... I think the wrong way looks fine. The correct way pictures do look better than the brochure photo though, maybe because the don't show the whole side of the truck.
To each their own, but your opinion is straight up wrong...
 

RecklessWOT

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I knew I had seen another factory combo - this one follows the body lines.

Not sure now if I like it better or not ...



That was in '89 when they gave up on styling. They already had the GMT400 trucks out and were jjust trying to switch things up on burbs and k5s to keep them relevant before they switched over themselves (hence the hideous side mouldings and 1500 badging, mirrors, quad 4 grilles, etc). They had to make the paint scheme look as equally half assed '90s "I don't care about style" as the rest of the lineup while still using old body panels
 
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RecklessWOT

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That's the thing about being a gearhead/hotrodder... Build what you want because you like it that way regardless of the "correct" or "factory" original way.
Just, no. **** that ****. Fur real.
However if I paid for a paint job and asked for a "factory" period correct two-tone I would be pissed if it came back with the wrong paint job (top photos), that shop would be repainting it free of charge.
Now you're making sense...
 

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Also - the cab (with doors installed) and box were painted all at once, on a paint line carrier.

The front end sheet metal was painted separately, in a different area of the plant.

K
I'm amazed any of it matched (color, lines, sheen, etc).
 

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I had an 89 blazer with the two tone paint. Always bothered me that the bottom of the front fender was the secondary’s color while the rear of the front fender was the primary color. Just looked half assed to me. They guys who do the straight across tape job not following the body line curve should just be slapped.

Ben
 

AuroraGirl

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thats pretty cool lol. I know production line perfection was on the late 90s buick minds(and those plants often made olds and chevy and pontiac carss depending ont he model, like the texas plants made the wagons and b bodies I think? Well anywya, watching the stuf from there era where they were making this hot-**** thing to reduce assembly time, complexity, etc, change the hardness of a rubber plug used to pull wires into a a panel to not yank the wires and instead bob in, having the IP 100% together outside the car with a magnesium back beam and having just very few parts as to reduce noise, the amount that has to be done at weird spots, and reliability of a whole quality, etc.

watching those gm emplotees try and hammer home how impoirtant door fitments on a roadmasters are is cool.
 

mtbadbob

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OK Yes, especially on 3.. it’s a little higher. but as we all know, there is always slight difference from the factory (Factories).

I’m just surprised painters don’t do a little research before their layouts.
I agree, totally. Being an Old's W car owner, it drives me INSANE to see the W stripes wrong on about 80% of restored W cars, especially since the Assembly Manual has all the factory specs on paint & stripe details.
 

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