While pulling my HK apart I started working on a list just documenting the factory painting process and noting some of the details that I found.
Not exactly sure when things were painted like the dash, upper dash suede, boot compartment, rear blackouts, front subframe etc.

Anyway its a work in progress so let me know if you think its dead wrong.

01. Install bare metal sub-frame on bare metal body (Dandenong)
02. Enter Grinding booth to smooth edges and deburr spot welds
03. Enter Wire brush booth, preparation for solder
04. Enter Solder loading booth
05. Enter Solder discing booth, filing and machining the solder
06. Enter the Body Metal Finish Line
07. Install doors
08. Install boot lid
09. Install radius rod brackets to the rear wheel houses. Sealer applied between surfaces
10. Install gearbox cross-member (V8's only?)
11. Degreasing
12. Enter 4-stage hot zinc phosphate booth. Its a metal treatment not a coating
13. Mini Auditing area. (Body tag may have been installed here with brushed red lead under it?
14. Enter phosphate oven
15. Body dipped in tank. This was paint not a thin etch primer
16. Enter the Primer Surfacer Spray Booth. Electrostatic red lead primer
17. Enter oven
18. Enter primer Touch-Up booth, more electrostatic red lead primer applied by hand this time
19. Enter Primer Surfacer Oven
20. Wet rub area
21. Enter Wet Rub Oven
22. Masking
23. Seam sealer applied to firewall, cowl, rear wheelhouse seam, air inlet to heater box seam
24. Deadener applied to rear wheelhouses back to and including beaver panel
25. Enter 1st paint booth - Body colour applied and not sure what else was painted here
26. Enter 1st oven
27. Masking
28. Enter 2nd paint booth, not sure what was painted here
29. Enter 2nd oven
30. Masking
31. Enter 3rd paint booth, not sure what was painted here
32. Masking
33. Enter 4th paint booth, not sure what was painted here
34. Flash-off area and infra-red oven, not sure if they had this in 1968?
35. Enter final reflow oven, not sure if they had this in 1968?
36. Transfer to Hard Trim Assembly Line
37. Cabin and boot compartment seam sealer applied
38. Hand painted black on the front guards near headlight surrounds
39. Hand painted black on lower rear quarter for spare wheel well outer
40. Hand painted black on the brake master cylinder
41. Final assembly completed after many stages
42. GTS stripes were added in the touch-up area after the vehicle was complete

Theres bugger all GMH production line painting photos from that era.
If you have any post them here.

Wayne

Wow Wayne.

You are very thorough.
Cheers
Nick.

It what point were the front panels (guards, bonnet & valance) fitted.

As I understand it, they were painted before fitting. This also allowed them to get paint into the front hinge area with the front doors closed.

I've seen many photos of them sitting on a stand (already painted) just in front of the main body assembly.

Dr Terry

It depends on the assembly plant Terry. Pagewood and I think Dandenong painted the front panels in the body plant and they were attached later. Elizabeth painted them later. This is assuming the body is destined for the local assembly plant. For Elizabeth bodies being assembled elsewhere obviously the front panels were painted at the destination assembly plant.

from what I've seen from removing cowl grilles on HK's is they don't appear to be painted both sides. when I've unpicked the cowl panel there isn't any paint (bare metal)in the middle area underneath on the top of the plenum but there is paint on the area under the grille and the screws holding the grille aren't painted. I presume the cowl is painted without the grille and the inner area is just overspray which is usually quite rough when you wipe your hand across it. probably the reason why there's so much trouble with rust in this area.

Heres the gearbox crossmember with its dipping paint and red-lead and metalic blue overspray.
See all those shiny silver bolts, they would have turned dark grey during the phosphating step and then dipped in black paint.

As much as I'm trying not to over-restore this car, I do like my shiny bolts.