Dave, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We had a 50 foot high tree come down in our yard so have been busy dealing with that. Here is a picture of my 68 Beaumont`s firewall. It still has the original dash markings on it from the factory and it is a semi gloss black. The car was a original Calgary car. Here are a few pictures. George
-- Edited by 427 on Saturday 13th of September 2014 09:46:33 PM
There does not appear to be a consensus on the firewall color for the 68 Beaumont. Anyone have any updated opinions on this? I will be repainting my firewall in the near future and would like some input. It appears to be factory paint on it now and it is black. There is some color by the fenders but that is overspray from a repaint. Thanks,
There does not appear to be a consensus on the firewall color for the 68 Beaumont. Anyone have any updated opinions on this? I will be repainting my firewall in the near future and would like some input. It appears to be factory paint on it now and it is black. There is some color by the fenders but that is overspray from a repaint. Thanks,
This picture is of a 68 wagon that came from a wrecking yard in Lethbridge about 20 years ago. This one certainly would not have had a change in firewall colour prior to this picture and it's body colour if that helps at all.
Were all Beaumonts built in the same factory? Sometimes it depended on where they were built. My Chevelle had plastic inner fenders whereas others built in a different factory had steel....Just a thought.
One indication as to whether or not the firewall (and trunk) are body-colour is the presence of a "9" beside the 2-letter paint code. From what I have observed it seems that 1968 was the last year for the body-colour.
The Auto Pact had GM Canada producing many cars for the U.S. and by 1969 they were busy making cars more like the U.S. They started offering more axle ratio choices, air conditioning was still a new thing but would get more popular. Paint changed to acrylic lacquer for '69, matching what they were already doing in the U.S.
More of Oshawa's output was being sent Stateside and the cars were now like the U.S. cars, which makes it easier when your product from different plants are consistent with each other. With the Auto Pact, for every car sent from the U.S. plant, we in turn would produce one to send to the U.S. That is the raison d'etre for the new-for-65 Ste. Thérèse, Quebec GM plant. Originally it was to build all cars destined for the U.S. Starting in 1966 models, all at Ste. Thérèse cars were painted with acrylic lacquer and had black firewalls & spatter painted trunks, just like the U.S.-built cars. Meanwhile on Oshawa, cars were still being painted with acrylic enamel with body-coloured trunks & firewalls.
A "3" in front of the paint code on the trim tag would denoted a Ste. Thérèse build with lacquer paint, while a "9" would indicate an Oshawa car with enamel. Look for that code.
Only Oshawa was building Beaumonts, and also would send out CKD cars to be assembled at other GM factories around the world.
__________________
67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
This picture is of a 68 wagon that came from a wrecking yard in Lethbridge about 20 years ago. This one certainly would not have had a change in firewall colour prior to this picture and it's body colour if that helps at all.
And here's a shot of an unrestored, original paint 68 Beaumont with 74,000 miles. Certainly the firewall is original and it's a green car.
I've been following this thread closely as my 68 2+2 has a black firewall and I was told it should be body color. While it's in the body shop this spring, I was going to change it to body color, but now I don't know.
I have observed many, like many here on the site. A lot can transpire to a "third hand Chevy" over the course of weeks if not decades.
It is also an interesting topic, just like the 1-speed vs. 2-speed wiper setups on the 65's.
A few things I can add as evidence:
A 46k mile Oshawa-built '68 Impala Custom coupe, 307 Powerglide. I've seen a bunch of these over the years, starting with 1968.
Here's a 20 year old print screen. Note upgrade with Vintage Air added:
Here's a 1968 Pontiac 2+2 with a factory L36 / M20. Owner added open-element air cleaner & chrome valve covers with Tonawanda decals (which were replaced or covered with 427 decals for production Pontiac installs). And hey, isn't that alternator mounting for a long water pump (1969-on)?
1968 base 731-series Beaumont 2-door post with a blue valve cover on a basically stock 250 (note 1968 only air cleaner) & updated braking (unless you want to believe a 250 Powerglide el-strippo would have expensive factory 4-piston disks). Mind you it was just a tic box away.
A 2004 restoration photo of an unmolested 1968 Oshawa-built Chevelle SS396. All good except the missing smog pump (a problem for victims of over zealous MOE inspectors at any Southern Ontario cruise). Owners literally threw the smog stuff out when new way back when.
This one is a factory L35 4-speed disk brake car.
Now vacuum reservoir colour or finish on 67 / 68 models is a study unto itself... But that's another story.
-- Edited by CdnGMfan on Thursday 9th of March 2023 01:06:47 PM
HI I 1968 G M Went from enamel to lacquer if you had factory splatter paint in your trunk you have a black fire wall . If you have a painted body colour trunk you have a body painted firewall.
HI I 1968 G M Went from enamel to lacquer if you had factory splatter paint in your trunk you have a black fire wall . If you have a painted body colour trunk you have a body painted firewall.
Interesting. Seems to me now that you mention it you might have posted about that here in the past but sometimes the memory bank is full and doesn't retain things.
Any idea with the wagons how it was done?
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
Great information. Looks like my trunk had splatter paint and it came with the black firewall. Couldnt find a number in front of the two letter paint code. The trim tag lists paint as QQ.
If the group here, whom I would consider to be among the most knowledgeable of Canadian Pontiacs (and GM of Canada brands) can't come to a consensus, then it sounds like you could paint it either way and not be wrong.
Perhaps the car itself will tell you - be a detective, think about how it would have been built, carefully scrape layers or look behind things that don't look like they've been off since the car was built. Or places that a previous owner wouldn't have bothered to paint over. The clues will probably tell the story. IMHO.
Great advice. I will do the detective work. I thought I was the only one who thought there was no rhyme or reason to the 68 Beaumont firewall color - guess not. Great discussion though. Thanks. Ken
Here is my freshly painted Butternut Yellow, with original firewall paint.... perhaps the colour of firewall depends on colour of the car?? A Butternut firewall would get fairly dirty and look crappy, hence the black me thinks.
Here is my freshly painted Butternut Yellow, with original firewall paint.... perhaps the colour of firewall depends on colour of the car?? A Butternut firewall would get fairly dirty and look crappy, hence the black me thinks.
And I assume your trunk is spatter paint then?
__________________
1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
.Note to self, I am not going to buy any 68 cars. 
