Color under rocker panel

[Justin]

I am trying to work out whether the paint color under the rocker panel trim (not right below it but where the join is) should be body color or black. Mine is all one color now but I would like to know what is period correct. I had been told that the lines look a lot cleaner if you have black paint running along the body join bit. Hope I explained it properly.

[joe912]

Justin:

As far as I could see this is a concours question , and I have seen a lot of cars with body color paint on the bottom but we need to understand that these cars are not 100% percent original and it is tough to see on the books nor magazines because they do not have that level of detail unless you have an "Original Porsche 911 Restoration book" . Common sense dictates that those parts are not body color but I could be wrong.

I believe a black/gray will be more period correct, actually when I was painting my 912 they painted those parts along with the Fender wells in body color and did not like the looks so I finished it with sealer compound which is a gray color , the thing was that at that particular time I did not have any idea of what will be like and did not have a book to check it.

Hope I helped a little bit .

[pwd72s]

I can only tell you how the factory did it on my '72 model...which may or may not be helpfull for a guy restoring a '67...(edit) What amazes me is that this is even a question for debate. To my mind, these are still relatively new cars...I mean, think of trying to restore a Stutz Bearcat?

[Justin]

Actually, I am seriously not trying to debate it - just curious. I want to have some touchup work done around the jack receiver and it was mentioned to me that not only was it more "original" to have it in black or, I guess, gray, but that the lines on the car will look better with this done.
I have been checking out photos on the "show ride" thread and it has been hard to tell whether, in some instances I am looking at a shadow or black. I am coming to the belief, like Joe912, that black or grey on that part will enable the lines to look cleaner on the car. My guiding principal is that I want the car to look good and then if it conforms somewhat more to original I get a bonus.

I don't think I am a "concours mimosa" as my I had my car painted in a 7 year younger color just because I liked it more.

[gruen911]

Justin,
I sprayed mine mat black and sealed with Por 15. Because this is an area that becomes dirty and damaged by road rash quickly, going with the original paint color (especially a bright color) will make the car look ****ty after a few hundred miles. Whatever color you go with, definitely make sure you use anti-rust undercoating. Otherwise, eveytime you hit a puddle it will bother you...

[Justin]

thanks gruen911. You have further helped my make my decision to go with black. I will also look into the anti rust stuff as rust, or the prevention of it, is the catalyst to this whole thing as some of my painted underbody near the jack receiver had been beaten up a bit.