<VV> VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 103, Issue 54

[Steven J. Serenska]

Carl and other VVers:
> Exposed interior door metal painting
> The exposed side interior metal was painted to match exactly the colour of the interior door trim (vinyl). It is meant to simulate interior trim. Failing to paint the  interior metal work in this way is in my opinion the single largest error made by many Corvair restorers. It's rare that exterior colour is used on the exposed interior metal of a passenger vehicle. The few exceptions would be some heavy duty trucks. So simply have your painter match the colour of the side interior trim for those exposed interior metal areas. Another issue is of course ensuring that interior and exterior colour finishes in the correct areas
Is this correct?

I have always thought that a Corvair with a white interior had the 
interior door metal painted matte (if not gloss) black.  In fact, I have 
never seen a late Corvair with a white interior with white metal 
surrounding the interior white vinyl panel.  Wouldn't the white metal 
above the vinyl panel be *very* vulnerable to getting gummed up with 
gunk from a driver's or passengers' dirty, mucky biceps leaning on the 
door when the windows are rolled down on a hot day?

This picture of Kent Sullivan's Canadian Turbo Corsa with a white 
interior (from a Hemming's article) shows that the interior metal is 
painted black:

http://assets.hemmings.com/story_image/129287-500-0.jpg?rev=2

Is this incorrect?  I can't recall ever seeing a LM white interior 
painted otherwise.

I'm interested because I'm thinking of restoring the interior of my '66 
Corsa Coupe in white.

Anyone else?

Steven "possessor of eminently mucky biceps" Serenska

'65 Monza Convertible, white/red interior
'66 Corsa Coupe, originally yellow with a black interior, currently red 
with a black interior, someday yellow with a white interior...