What is the color of the door jamb strikers?

[sdkar]

I have a 69 Camaro.  The door jamb strikers are currently painted the color of the car.  Were these painted from the factory or were they installed later and are they a different color?  If so, what color, natural, silver, black, etc?

Steve

[JohnZ]

They were installed in the Body Shop (to fit the doors), and were later painted body color; looks messy, but that's the way it was done.

[sdkar]

What about the door latches?  Were they painted as well or are they a different color or natural?

Steve

[JohnZ]

'69 latches were also installed in the Body Shop - both the latches in the door and the strikers on the lock pillar are painted body color.

[basecoupe#79]

So that would mean that the screws holding latches were also painted?  If yes, then I screwed up.  I removed each screw one at a time and cleaned them up.

John

[Brian K]

67 strikers and latches and screws are unpainted so is the trunk latch mounted to the lid (is the trunk lock painted with splatter paint? anyone know?) 68 and 69 this was changed, and it was all installed and painted to speed up production. Is this correct JohnZ? This is how I was lead to believe it happened. Sincerely Brian

[JohnZ]

Don't know about '67-'68, but '69 Norwood cars had the door latches (including screws) and strikers and the deck lid latch and striker in place when the body was painted, and the deck lid latch will show spatter paint.

[68rsssrag]

John is correct. I have done/dismantled 3 original 1968 NOR cars from 10/67 to 3/68 and all had minor body color overspray on the latch plus lots of splatter (very hard to remove this stuff after 35 years BTW). The decklid striker and bolts were painted heavily per the underside of the decklid.

Arno

[Farm Boy]

My 11E LOS 67 has no trace of paint on the door latches, door strikers, or deck lid striker.
I took these pictures back in 1985. At that time the paint was 100% original.

[JohnZ]

Wouldn't be unusual to see different latch/striker processes between Norwood and Van Nuys - Norwood was a Fisher Body/Chevrolet plant, and Van Nuys was a GMAD plant; Norwood followed the Fisher Body Operation Description Sheets to the letter, and the GMAD plants did whatever worked best for them and was most efficient, regardless of what the Fisher O.D. sheets specified.

[KurtS]

That's typical of what I've seen. The difference isn't the year but the plant. NOR painted them. LOS installed after.

[hotrod68]

Remember, too, sdkar, the replacement GM strikers have a Torx bit design, not an Allen hex as the originals, and they're painted black, not zinc as the originals. Ditto for the striker washers GM sells as replacements--they're black as well. You probably already know this, but just in case...

[Pex68]

Wait, little confused here!  So are we saying the for a 68 LOS car the strikers and door latches should or should not be painted??

[1968RSZ28]

Wait, little confused here!  So are we saying the for a 68 LOS car the strikers and door latches should or should not be painted??

After looking at my '68 LOS car = not painted.     

Paul

[Pex68]

REALLY???  Anyone else???

[Jerry@CHP]

The door hardware, screws and striker were installed after the car was painted in 1967 and before the cars were painted in 1968 and 1969.

Jerry

[Pex68]

So assembly plant has no bearing for 68-9, door latches/screws/strikers all painted-Correct?

[big iron]

Jerry,
Is the trunk latch hardware for the 67 also not painted?
Bob C

[Jerry@CHP]

Correct,

Trunk strikers in 67 are both ways.  Painted and plated.

Jerry

[Pex68]

Thanks Jerry, that's what I thought, just wanted to be sure!!!

[Dave69x33]

JohnZ,

Perhaps you can confirm with a pic of your latches, that triangular sheet metal paint shields were pushed into the door latch to prevent the paint from entering the inner latch area.  Typically, there will be some body color paint overspray on the back side of the latch as shown below.  The three screws that secure the latch should also be the body color; a small detail that many overlook during restoration.

Also, the trunk lid was attached and aligned in the body shop prior to the body color paint.  Thus, the trunk lid hinges and associated attachment screws should also be the body color.  Another mistake sometimes overlooked during restorations.

[1968RSZ28]

O.K., if Dave's photo above is considered "painted", then my latches are painted.     

I considered that overspray in my earlier post.     

Paul 

[Pex68]

I don't think shields were used.  The latches came all greased up from the manufacture and had a cosmoline type coating on them.  I believe the paint simply didn't stick to them and when the cars were prepped, and with years of use, it just came off.  if you look real close at the actual lock pawl in your pic, there's still a hint of paint on it which would suggest they were not shielded.

Great pic by the way!

[JohnZ]

I don't think shields were used.  The latches came all greased up from the manufacture and had a cosmoline type coating on them.  I believe the paint simply didn't stick to them and when the cars were prepped, and with years of use, it just came off.

That's correct - no shields were used; the latch was oily, and the paint just fell off.