Firewall Paint

[Seven]

I'll be painting my firewall, inner fenders and core support as part of an engine swap project.  So I'm wondering what paint I should use to match the factory finishes for a 1979 Trans Am?

[roadking77]

A semi gloss black is correct. I read at sometime what the percentage should be but I dont think it really matters unless your building a 73 SD car.

On my 77 I used spray bombs with 'underhood black' satin that I got from Eastwood. I figured on spray bombs to make touch up easier. Havent needed to though to date. On my 79 I spayed gloss black with the gun. Not correct but I thought a bit of an upgrade was needed. A bit of poetic license, thought the TATA was special so the engine compartment should be brought up a notch.

Thats one thing I like about the early mopars, they have a body coloured engine compartment.

[79W72]

I have the same question.   I doing a ground up resto on a 78 S/E.  Though it is not a 73 SD, I am going for a concourse restoration.  If anyone has a recommendation for the paint code/type /brand for the firewall, Front sub-frane, inner fenders I'd appreciate it.

[Wallington]

often mixed on site so batches and sheen could vary. If you have it apart, subframe and suspension parts, inner fenders, are perfect for powdercoating. Concourse to some means perfect everything, others it means as original and slapped together, bare metal parts with underbody deadener overspray and the like.

[roadking77]

Agree with Wallington, semi gloss black should be acceptable. I read years ago what the percentage was but dont remember and honestly it didnt make any sense to me. Say for example 10% gloss? How dull is the base, and what is the level of gloss you're starting with? Too many variables. For originality pull up photos of Tenth Anniversary cars. There are quite a few for sale with low miles and factory original (more so than the average t/a). I would say all cars are over restored, mine included. A lot of parts were left natural which surface rusted right away. Good original examples are really a mess underneath especially if they were undercoated.

[Seven]

I've used Eastwood extreme chassis black in the past for frames and A arms, and their underwood black for inner fenders and core support.  In my more recent searches, I found Ames under hood detail paint that's supposed to have the right amount of gloss to match Pontiac factory finishes.  So I going to give that a try.