Topic: 1978 Rear body panel color

[skiroulekid]

On the rear body panel/tail light panel, is it supposed to be painted the color of the car or painted satin black or something else? This is on the outside and not inside the trunk which is to be painted black, I think.  Thank you John.

[RENOVATIONS]

Tail panel is body color

[kev 190164]

On the rear body panel/tail light panel, is it supposed to be painted the color of the car or painted satin black or something else? This is on the outside and not inside the trunk which is to be painted black, I think.  Thank you John.

sorry to jump in but have you just fitted the tail panel if so is it an easy job to do. also were did you buy the panel from and was it a good fit. cheers kev

[Wallington]

Tail panel is body color

Unless a W50 Formula, which uses accent colour, a Y88 is black.

[ta78w72]

The inside of the trunk should be a gray white splatter.  If the car was undercoated, they sprayed the inside of the trunk with the black undercoat.  On the tail panel, around the rear lights. it was body color in the beginning of the model year but went black after that (sometime after January or thereabouts, there's a technical bulletin on this).  There are general exceptions like the W50 formy.

[skiroulekid]

Thanks much for the information, I didn't have to replace the panel but it had been repaired years ago and who ever repainted it , sprayed it black, even up to the trunk seal above the tail lights which I didn't think was correct. I don't think it is a W50 or a Y88 but I'm not sure.  Thanks again, John.

[Wallington]

Here's a Y88 stripped back showing extra black rear panel and masking pattern. 2-tone Formulas were the same, just in black or gold and extra triangular masking pattern behind bumper to join up with lower stripe paint. I haven't seen any good photos of March '78-onwards Formula / TA 's in other colours but makes sense that any with the black would also have the matching black-outs, to bring in the newer 79 model. Paint coverage is only where needed, even then it is only just!

Note the paint masking uses the angular trunk metal fold. Also, the black over the spoiler end corners. Some gold in the gaps may look bad since not all were perfect gaps. Black with gold Formulas are the perfect opposite, with gold patches there. Regular TA and Formulas may not have this colour change. In fact I don't recall seeing it outside of Y88's and W50 Formulas, although haven't looked too hard either.






Here's some more:

Yellow and Black W50 Formula, same as TA for top half, has small black corner touch ups too:




And a Black and Gold W50 Formula, opposite the Y88 above. Can see they only wanted coverage for trunk top, centre panel and top edges really but a continous paint flow along the back and down onto stripe. Doesn't seem to have the bold masked off top corner patches:

[skiroulekid]

Thanks for the pictures, they are very helpful. The 1978 T/A I'm doing is gold and the back was painted black up to the trunk metal fold like in your first picture, but I don't think it's a Y88 but I'm not sure. I don't see any Y88 on the cowl tag, how can I tell.  Thanks again, John.

[Wallington]

Regular gold TA after March 78 should appear the same as pic.
Apart from all the gold trim pieces and t-tops, a genuine Y88 can be detected by tan steering column, special extra decals and lining, or the usual PHS or buildsheet and build date. Norwood builds may have it listed on body plate.

[skiroulekid]

Thankyou very much for your help.  John.

[skiroulekid]

The T/A I'm doing was made in the 5th week of march, should it be like the one in the picture? Also, the area around the fuel tank filler, should that the body color (Gold) or black?  Thanks again, John.

[Wallington]

The running change was posted on 9th March '78, so given perhaps a few days to pick up on it and a few that may have slipped through, by the last day or 2 of March you can assume it had the blackened tail panel centre and lights as per pics above.

[skiroulekid]

Thank you so much for your help.  John.