suspension paint color

[dodgeb]

I have a 65 barracuda that I'm doing a brake job and suspension bushings on and would like to repaint but can't find out what original color of everything under there was. Any ideas?

 

[2 Darts]

Pretty sure the upper control arm was black and not so sure about the lower control arm being left "natural" The control rod was black, too. May want to ask question on Early A-body thread, too.

 

[dodgeb]

Thanks for the answer. It's the first real response I have received from two weeks of emails and searches. Does anyone know the color of the backing plates and drums?

 

[RAMCHARGED]

Most drums & backing plates were natural.The drums got red put on with a brush on the mounting face if the vehicle was equipped with styled road wheels(magnum 500)

 

[AdamR]

control arms were natural unless they were replaced. The replacements were black. Most parts were unpainted as cast. In other words rusty.

 

[dodgeb]

Thanks for input! Couple more ?s Were the upper arms natural unless replaced? How about the spindles they look black in the pics. How about rear end and leaf springs?](*,)

 

[AdamR]

Most upper control arms were natural. Replacements were black. Lowers were bare and coated with cosmalean (spelling?)
I have a good article on this some place. I will dig it out.
Not sure if the spindles were natural or painted.

 

[dodgeb]

Great pics thanks for all the help.

 

[375inStroke]

Most everything was unpainted. Earlier cars had some things painted that were later left natural, but I'm not sure what and when. I think backing plates were not painted, but sometimes black phosphate plated, which looks like thin flat black paint if you want to duplicate. The K-frames were always painted, and I've always seen power steering boxes painted black, unlike the pic above. I posted many pics I gathered from the net on this topic here: Proper Finish for Suspension Parts If you want to duplicate the Cosmoline appearance, there is this thread: Cosmoline

 

[AdamR]

Krylon Battery terminal corrosion control seems to be what they are using for cosmaline.

 

[dodgeb]

I was reading some of the old posts about cosmoline and there was a mention about pre 68 cars having black LCA. I did some more looking on my 65 and found black on the lowers, red on the shacks ( all 4). Does any of this sound right to any one? I am the third owner and the letters I received from the other two mention no changes to suspension parts.