1957 Thunderbird painting issue.

[Patrick brophy]

I am in the final stages of sanding ,getting ready to paint my baby bird.

While working on sanding the trunk deck while it is on a work table, I noticed when I would put some pressure on one side or the other, I could feel the trunk lid skin buckle. It would do the same on both side when I pressed down in the middle of the trunk on either side.

When I turned it over and looked I found that there was a gap between the pressed ,or stamped frame of the trunk body and the skin. There was signs of the trunk underside being sprayed with some type of rough coating, and the outline of the trunk frame was visible .There was a clear line that appeared to take the line of the trunk frame being tight up against the skin when it was sprayed.

Is this the normal condition ,or has the trunk skin become disengaged from the frame?

There is no damage to the trunk lid.

 

[55blacktie]

If you haven't done so already, I recommend posting your question on a Tbird forum. The next time I go out to the garage, I'll take a look at my 55.

 

[dmsfrr]

I've got a '57 Bird that may be ready for paint some day....
A rough sound deadening coating on the underside of the trunk lid skin, and insides of the rear fenders, is original to the car.
The trunk lid on this car also has a gap between its stamped frame and outer skin. 3/16 or a little less.

I expected to find something similar to the way the hood is done. Its frame is separated from the skin by several long-ish narrow strips of coated material (asphalted cork?) that is stapled to the upper edges of the stamped hood frame.
But the underside of the trunk lid has no evidence of stapled strips or any other material.
.