color behind the grill

[Peter]

What is not clear to me is whether the right part behind the grill is originally in body color or black?

Pls your views, thanks, Peter

[JamesL]

It’s “black”… same as the colour inside the trunk or on the sill covers IIRC, which is not black but a super dark grey. It was painted black so the plate didn’t “shine” through the grille from the front. A real bugbear of mine when people say “expertly restored” and there’s a big shiny plate behind the grille.

[Peter]

Thanks James,

So color is DB 164.

Yes, you often see it on fully restored cars and I have to do it also on my car.

Peter

[dirkbalter]

This is what I understand it is supposed to look like.

[Lars G]

Yes! Its correct, alot of restorers forget both the right side of the grill and the air filter space.
It should also be black around air intake under the windscreen and around the center speaker on the dashboard.

Sorry for the bad picture, but that was the way my car looked like!

[stickandrudderman]

It's matt black, not the dark grey of the boot interior, and is simply brush painted.
I see so many "professionally restored" cars that lack this very important detail.

[Jonny B]

Here are photos of the areas in question to show the nature of the application. These are from an original owner restoration done a number of years ago. These were used in Pagoda Notes Vol 4 no 1.

[dirkbalter]

I also understand that these were painted by hand with a brush and not sprayed and are not necessarily all identical.
In addition, I red somewhere that darker color cars don’t necessarily have them?

[neelyrc]

Dirk, definitely matt black even on darker colored cars, at least on my dark olive (291) chassis 07749.

[dirkbalter]

Dirk, definitely matt black even on darker colored cars, at least on my dark olive (291) chassis 07749.

Ok. That clarifies it. Thanks.