Budd Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 All -- I'm getting ready to recoat my hood hinges and springs, and while the hinge unit itself looks to be silver cadmium coated, I distinctly remembered my hood hinge SPRINGS were a "lime green" color when I removed them years ago. I went back to the photo's I took back then, and sure enough, lime green. Anyone else have this experience on their 1956 Buick (or 55 ?) I see most folks refinish them in underhood black or silver cad, even some have them chromed.I'm curious about the green though. It seems so oddball on the car where everything else is either dipped in dull black, cadmium coated, chrome, etc.Near as I can tell, this part of my car is untouched and original. I still have the crayon trim/color markings on the firewall, the firewall is the original fading Cadet Blue paint, the hinges look to be untouched and the silver cad is wearing off, etc. I could be wrong, but if anyone else out there has seen this, it might confirm my suspicions.Thanks,Budd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthbob Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 (edited) The springs on my 54 76R are Red.... Edited December 26, 2009 by stealthbob (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budd Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 I just looked through the archives of pictures I have of "OPB's" (other peoples Buicks) and found a half dozen examples of "lime green" springs on old, unrestored, crappy looking 1956 Buicks. I found examples on both Ionia bodies wagons and regular sedans. Only one picture I have shows a "restored" Buick with the green springs, all other restored Buicks have the springs over-sprayed with black paint.So the untouched and unrestored Buicks seem to have the green springs (under copious amounts of rust). So I guess I'm looking to the group to see if anyone knows different about the spring color, and/or if I can get some confirmation that indeed they were green! Can anyone guess why they were green? Maybe the supplier got a good deal on green paint?Cheers,Budd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budd Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Hmmm... so I wonder if the color was used to signify different lengths or tensile strength (if that's the right word) between the different model years. 1953 and 1954's have a different spring/hinge configuration and geometry than do 1956's.Budd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Hmmm... so I wonder if the color was used to signify different lengths or tensile strength (if that's the right word) between the different model years. 1953 and 1954's have a different spring/hinge configuration and geometry than do 1956's.BuddNot to be particular, but I believe it is called "spring tension" or "spring resistance" and I know that the car companies used to use that color coding for different tensions with stuff like carburetor springs and other types of springs. That makes perfect sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budd Posted December 27, 2009 Author Share Posted December 27, 2009 Yes, thanks Keiser-- that was the wording I was trying to imply with the "tensile" comment above. So, I'd buy that argument, that the funky color of the springs was meant to identify it for the appropriate application, 1956 in this case. Possibly red for 1954.Budd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 From my '56 Special page, they appear to be black. However, mine is a Canadian-built car. The car is unrestored. I'll try to take a look when I'm out there tomorrow / Monday. Like the under side colour of the hood, it could also be plant-specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budd Posted December 27, 2009 Author Share Posted December 27, 2009 From my '56 Special page, they appear to be black. Some of the ones I have pictures of also look black-- but I can't be sure if it was actually "black", or it is many years worth of rust and oily grime obscuring the paint. Let me know either way, I'd be curious.Budd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I was told the big bodied cars used green springs. The hoods are bigger and used a stronger spring than the small bodies. Can't say it's gospel though............Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 My 56 Super has the lime green springs. I got the car in 1975 and have never restored it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George K. Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I have an unrestored 55 Super and the springs are red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budd Posted December 28, 2009 Author Share Posted December 28, 2009 Thank you everyone for the replies, this was a good discussion. So it looks as if the 1954 and 1955 hood springs were red (and different configuration to match the different hood hinge), and the 1956 hood springs were lime green. I wouldn't bet judging points on this, but it's good enough for me. I'll keep mine lime green (powdercoated).Cheers,Budd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 I rubbed down to paint on the Special and it was definitely black. The small versus large series comment makes sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Note the rarely seen, two-year-only, vacuum pump in "StealthBob's" photo! His 76-R has power brakes, no doubt.Sorry for getting off subject, but you almost never see these, and here is a really good photo of one! Would love to get a larger, high resolution version of that for the Bugle sometime--hint, hint...Bob.Pete Phillipspphillips922@earthlink.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthbob Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Note the rarely seen, two-year-only, vacuum pump in "StealthBob's" photo! His 76-R has power brakes, no doubt.Sorry for getting off subject, but you almost never see these, and here is a really good photo of one! Would love to get a larger, high resolution version of that for the Bugle sometime--hint, hint...Bob.Pete Phillipspphillips922@earthlink.netBetter yet it still works!I have more pics...I'll get some to your email in the next couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanZverina Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 For what it's worth, my '60 Electra is mostly original and it has green hood springs as well, but they are less lime and more apple green, close to the engine color for that year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 http://forums.aaca.org/f115/1956-hood-springs-275715.htmlSaw a 56 Super 4 dr sedan with black hood springs. 50K mile car appears to be original. See pics here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1957buickjim Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 The springs on my '57 Special Model 48 were dark blue..I think that it might have something to do with spring tension on the hood as well. Possibly a plant item at final assembly or something to do with hood weight and closing/opening forces.Jim Pickard BCA#4505957 Special 48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budd Posted June 7, 2010 Author Share Posted June 7, 2010 These should look good-and-obnoxious on the car once I get it re-assembled I spread these out in my homemade spring spreader and powder coated them lime green.Cheers,Budd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1957buickjim Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I know it's an old post, but I am also looking to see if anyone out there has different color springs on their 1957 Buick - is there a difference between the 40/60 and 50/70 regarding spring color, like there seems to be on the 56? Mine were a very dark blue, original. Any comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 70 Electra Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Like an earlier poster stated, 1960 Buick hood springs are green....but the color is essentially same as engine color (i.e. turquoise, not bright green like the 56 ones shown in the photos) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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