I'm close to painting my sa22, I need to know

1) Whether the dark silver was put on the window frames before or after painting?

2) What parts of the rear hatch frame were blacked out?

3) Was the black semi gloss, matt or flat?

Thanks, Herb

 

Hi Herb
Presume you are referring to the DOOR frames?
1) actually a soft, semi-gloss black on any SA I have looked at. As some age these can def appear silver-ish or Matte with UV exposure. My brochures show a deeper black than that.
As to WHEN painted in manufacture? Black appears to be on TOP of my RED so guessing "after".
There is a def "lip" at the edge where the 2 colors meet.
2) on actual glass hatch, just the lower (rear) edge metal trim piece. Same semi-gloss black.
As is the LEADING edge metal trim on hatch SIDE windows BTW.
3) As said, I would suggest semi-gloss black.
When I restored my window frames I used BULLDOG Adhesion Promoter as a base after a light 120-grit sanding. Then painted with MORTON 230-13 _GLOSS_ black - yes: GLOSS. Which resulted in the soft semi-gloss I have! Don't ask my why!!
Pic attached, you be the judge.

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Early 79 SAs had grey versus semi gloss black. So it depends on the date of manfacture I guess.

 

Thanks for the info Stu, My car is a very early car complete with the right side hood prop, speaker holes in the dash, no map pockets, etc. The dealership referred to it as a '78 which, of course, did not exist. It was the demo given to the Colorado Springs dealership and could not be sold for six months. I bought it at 6 months with about 7k miles on the clock. Until I took it apart to restore, it was all original. Believe it or not the windshield moldings, the drip rails and the door handles were all a deep charcoal with a little metallic. The leading edges of the 1/4 windows and the trailing edge of the hatch were satin black. I have no idea what Mazda was thinking. Herb

 

1. it looks like they may have sprayed the window frames, and then the body color, there is/was always a tape line there.

2. the rear hatch frame is all blacked out, except that the body color part on the trailing edge of the roof goes almost to the bottom of the gutter if that helps. i'd take a picture of mine, but its black. pics are from a car that was for sale ages ago, you can kind of see how it went.

3. the black is a semi gloss, although the early cars aren't a straight black, and fade to an almost metallic grey.

 

Hi Herb -
I believe you
The very early cars are certainly as you say, because, of course, YOU are an original owner!
Is yours early enough to have the THREE drain holes in the rear hatch rim at the back?
At any rate you may have to either get a paint shop to custom spray something in a metallic, or go with what the later SAs had, which is the semi-gloss black.

AND-
If you have pulled the fr windshield trim, you likely broke most of the plastic clips that retain it - which is normal. unless you are planning a new windshield (which comes with a "clip kit") - you will need clips. The SA are bit diff from the FB (I make the assumption because I have seen two distinct kits offered). Cheapest I have found are _regularly_ sold on ebay for $12. If you search
"RX7 windshield clips" they should pop. Nice to have at assembly time...

What a great story - and congrats on sticking with your SA thru the decades it was "just an old car".
Another Q - the VERY early cars had a one-piece nose underpanel; so the valence on each side were combined and joined together buy a metal spoiler. Does yours?
Fascinating stuff.

Do post some pics of your restoration - lots of interest here I think.

Cheers
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

My car does have the three drain holes. That wasn't a trait of the early cars that I knew about. It did have the one piece chin spoiler but it was beyond salvage. I've replaced it with the three piece version with plastic chin spoiler. I understand that Black dragon sells the one piece version for $19 plus shipping. I might just buy one.

This car is special to me for many reasons. It got me through college and grad school. It was the car I taught my girl friend (now wife) to drive a clutch in. It's mine forever.

Herb

 

Were the SA22Cs painted with or without the gas door in place? Herb

 

with, its always primer under there, but they put the little spring on after.

so align the door, paint car, remove the one bolt, put spring in, and done.