Body shell color RRC

[KrisDR]

Can anybody tell if it was an option to have the actual body painted in the same color as the panels? Both my 89 2d and the 94 4d have a black finish while I see some cars with the complete same color inside out. Are all these cars restored and resprayed or did some leave the factory like this? In addition, my mechanic told me that certain markets (Spain, portugal etc) received less protective coating than cars destined for the more Northern countries. Could that be the case?

[mickeyw]

My 1990 4-door is body colour under the carpets etc. The 1972 2-door I welded up decades ago was also body colour throughout.

[paintman]

My 4 door 86 C has the black finish.

[KrisDR]

I need to correct myself. My 94 with 4drs is indeed body color (not sure what I was thinking ). It's only the two door which has the black finish.

[Simon_CSK]

From what I remember there was a period when all shells were black and the body coloured whatever. I think this occured after the shells were welded in 1986/87 or 88 certainly my CSK is black 

 

[SteveG]

The body frame was originally painted body colour, including the rear pillar, before they added the vinyl around 73/74. Then I think in 1981, with the introduction of the 4 door, they painted the whole of the body frames in black. I suspect this was to blend in the extra pillar of the 4 door, and make it less obvious. 

Then around 1990/91 they started to paint the body frame in body colour, but the exposed visible parts like the top of the pillars, windscreen surround  etc. were still painted in satin black. I’m not sure if they did this on the post 90/91 2 doors too, i’ll Have to look at some pics etc. to check.

cheers

Steve

[Davo]

I think they all had less protective coating!  I can't imagine that shambolic factory going to any extra effort for different regions. 

I had a '79 wreck that was all body colour, and my '83 is all black underneath.