Factory paint sequence
 

Trying to make this restoration (66 C20 long bed stepside) as accurate as possible. Painting the bed this is what I understand so far please correct me if I'm off.

1. Bed is assembled, sides/front/rear crossmember/tailgate
2. Painted wood is installed then masked off
3. Bed is painted

Here are questions,
1. What is on sheetmetal at the point it is assembled? Primer? What color?
2. Were rear fenders installed when bed painted?
3. Any further treatment to underside of bed? IE: sound deadner/blackout?
or looking underneath after paint would I see mixture of primer, bottom of painted boards and body color overspray?

I know this is a lot but thank you

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

On a Chevrolet, the bed is completely assembled before painting. Evidence of this is all fasteners are body color except the bolts to bed to frame

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

some pictures of a new truck take off step from a Chevrolet 1964 . You can see the evidence that it was assembled before painting . Almost all this era trucks had black primer as a base for everything on the bed . Little to no overspray underneath but I can imagine fenders getting some. The undercoating, It may or may not be done on assembly line? Or dealership? Also notice the sealer used between the fender and step still on the step. This was done between the fenders and bedside as well

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

Also, we learned from the new Lambrech trucks that some sort of black paint was sprayed on the bottom of these trucks after they were assembled. Evidence of this was found on the mufflers and exhaust. Would have to look if they had undercoating on them as well.

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

On a Chevrolet, the bed is completely assembled before painting. Evidence of this is all fasteners are body color except the bolts to bed to frame

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

Very helpful thank you. So do you think they got undercoating/Deadner from factory?

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

In the 1965 Chevrolet Data book they specify with the interior "Custom Comfort option" that a Full undercoating was done as a "Sound Deadener" . In the standard interior or vinyl seat they talk about only doing the doors inside. With my own low mile trucks, one in particular, an 8700 mile 1965 K20 stepside , I have found the underside front inner wheel well and firewall area were undercoated against flinging rocks from the tires. Id have to think the rear would have been done that way as well. That would be a "Standard undercoating" .

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

Is that the shingle/roll-on roofing like stuff I pealed up and cursed when restoring my 65, Custom Comfort Cab?

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

No , We are talking about the spray on undercoating underneath the floors and in the doors

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

Revisiting this. If the bed Wood and strips were painted before, they were put into the bed would the fasteners holding it down be unpainted?

Re: Factory paint sequence
 

The bed strips , all these bolts are , pressed in, ORIGINALLY , to the strips so they are painted. The perimeter bolts bolting the floor to the outer sheet metal are body color except the ones on the bed holding down the bed strips . The bolts holding the bed to the frame are cad plated and not painted as they were put on after everything was painted. This explanation is for Chevrolet, GMC is different.