Australian assembly

[fiveohs]

Stuey:
That's really what I meant. Aside from the panel gaps, which admittedly was pretty standard in those days for volume cars, I've noticed that funny 'hard chewing gum' stuff around the body wherever there may have been a gap. It's not filler, nor is it soft. Weird. Like a bodge, but definitely factory. For those that know 12's. look in the corners of the front suspension tower brace and you'll know what I mean.

That's just panel gap sealant, to prevent dirt and water from entering the gaps between the panels and causing rust. It's not meant to look good. All cars use it, it's just a bit tidier in its application these days.

Dave

 

[Alan S]

Ray Bell:

Alan S:
Ray,

The reason colours have played such a part is that in the trade, that was the simplest way of identifying them...

Why did you have to identify them?

Actually, I see little about identification or quality at all in the first part of your post, just statements about what colours the cars were painted and comparing those colours to other cars.

If you were talking about the paint flaking, that would be different.

Ray,

I think you are getting unnecessarily excited about nothing..it was as I said, the way they were identified in the trade. Why? because when you are selling ANYTHING you look for any advantage you may have over your opposition and whether we want to admit it or not; an imported car has more appeal than a locally produced one unless it's a Ford, Holden or a Korean throwaway mallet It's no big deal, no conspiracy, doesn't mean that the paint will or will not flake unless of course experience shows that a particular colour or brand has a tendency to do so, it's simply a case of saying that such & such a colour was on imported cars so when you saw one painted in that colour, you knew that it was imported. In some cases only academic interest, but non the less it identified it for what it was...not being said to annoy anyone just to make the point which was the point of the post in the first place and used as a way to distinguish..whether I'm right or wrong I am not really sure, just thought it was a way of jogging the memory, not done with any ulterior motive; sorry if you find it so upsetting

Alan S mallet

 

[Ray Bell]

Actually, the only thing I'm getting excited about is the irritating head-hammering smilies...

Now I see, however, the point you're making. You are talking entirely about Japanese models assembled here, while I thought you were talking about Renaults and comparing them to the Japanese cars.

My mistake, sorry.

But can those stupid hammers be thrown out? They do make posts more difficult to read than they need be.

 

[Stuey]

fiveohs
That's just panel gap sealant, to prevent dirt and water from entering the gaps between the panels and causing rust. It's not meant to look good. All cars use it, it's just a bit tidier in its application these days.

Dave

Thanks Dave, but I know what panel gap sealant is. I've used enough of the stuff. That's not what I meant.

Stu

 

[fiveohs]

Stuey:
[Thanks Dave, but I know what panel gap sealant is. I've used enough of the stuff. That's not what I meant.

Stu

The description you gave is the exact way I'd describe the panel gap sealant that they used in those days. On my 1984 Leyland assembled 505 they sprayed the gap sealant and body deadener unevenly under all the guards, so that it's almost non existant in some spots and real thick in others. The result is it's all lifting off. The guy who spray the stuff on was obviously pretty careless with his job.

Dave

 

[Stuey]

Dave, you know when some $$#@##$ pulls a chewy out and sticks it under a table and it goes rock hard? That's what I meant. A blob. Stuck in the corners of intersecting panels. Definitely not sprayed, it still has the thumb mark of the dude that stuck it there! Covered by the original paint.

Anyway, it's not important - it goes and goes and doesn't leak!

Stuey