1964 original paint/finish colors for suspension and steering components

[KongaMan]

What are the original paint colors/finish for the following pieces on a 1964:

- Upper control arms
- Lower control arms
- Knuckle
- Springs
- Front suspension/steering parts (sway bar, center link, brake reaction rod, etc.)

- Rear control arms

- Rear axle housings
- Pumpkin
- Rear pumpkin cover
- Carrier

- Rear axle hubs and retaining collars

- Brake backing plates

 

On a related note, does anyone have an opinion on Seymour Cast Blast (or something similar) on cast iron parts like the master cylinder etc.?

 

Thanks.

[RivNut]

Black

[Scott Mckenzie]

 http://www.eastwood.com/por-15-top-coat-chassis-black-13720.html

Give this a whirl.

[KongaMan]

3 hours ago, RivNut said:

Black

Everything?  The exact same finish?

[JZRIV]

I know in 66 most of those parts were bare steel and the lower extremities were sprayed with a VERY haphazard application of black asphalt based paint so rust wouldn't show when on the car lot. Some cars got more and some less. I have seen a large variation.

 

If something like control arms or reaction rods painted they would have been dipped and you'll find thicker paint at one end where it dripped dry. Brake backing plates were gold cadmium in 66. When you remove the backing plate look at the area where it was sandwiched against the axle sealed from the atmosphere and see what the finish is. 

 

This may be irrelevant if 64s were done differently for some reason. 

[KongaMan]

You've kinda glommed on to what I'm getting at here.  I'm not sure how many of these parts were finished at the factory or how consistent that finish was (either with respect to color or application).

 

If I'm gonna rip these parts out for a refurb, I figure there's a good chance I'd be well advised to do more than hit them with the pressure washer before I reinstall.  I'm not going to bolt in bare or rusty parts, but -- by the same token -- this is not a restoration project.  Think of it as attentive maintenance.   If I've got to paint a control arm or a tie rod, I'd like to at least do it in a way that's both plausibly original and durable.  Similarly, I don't want to paint a piece that was plated or use chassis black on the rear axle if it was originally unpainted cast iron.

[JZRIV]

To answer question above the Cast Blast or Plastikote Rebuilders Cast Grey is an excellent choice for duplicating a cast finish without the rust that develops soon after. Attached pic is my 66 axle. The diff housing was cast paint and the tubes were a paint that simulates bare steel. I made a personal choice not to recreate the sloppy black paint applied by factory. Its hard for me to do something so poorly. The factory application was so sloppy it would get on the exhaust and anything in its path as there was no attempt for masking anything. 

 

[60FlatTop]

I found that Valspar satin black polyurethane has the best look for keeping the car original. All of the others I have tried are too glossy or not really "black" enough (they have a hazy tint of some sort).  An epoxy primer and satin black job was done on my Riviera around 1995 and still looks good today.

 

 

Bernie

[KongaMan]

On 9/5/2016 at 9:02 AM, 60FlatTop said:

I found that Valspar satin black polyurethane has the best look for keeping the car original. All of the others I have tried are too glossy or not really "black" enough (they have a hazy tint of some sort).

IMHO, this is key -- and valuable info.  There are any number of finishes that are reputed to go on easy, lay down well, and be durable, but there are also obvious examples and vented frustrations about how the results didn't quite match the expectations (e.g. "I sprayed semi-gloss but it's so shiny it's blinding.").  There's no mandate that you must duplicate the original finish -- and, certainly, some folks don't want to -- but I've always thought that it's helpful to know where the line is before you decide to cross it.