lbell101

Hi!

I've gotten the entire front suspension and steering off the car.
I'm in the process of cleaning the parts up (most are getting blasted now).
I'm not intending on getting **** about this as I will still drive this car.
But I still want to make the area look nice and somewhat original. So I need to know what the original finish was so I can simulate it.
It appears to me that the:
-A-arms were black
-Spindles, coils, calipers, rotors, and tie rods were natural
-Dust shields were plated with that goldish looking stuff (irridating? Cad?..)
Is this correct?
Thanks!

Rowdy Rat

Yes, the upper and lower control arms were black. It's actually a semi gloss that was a bit brighter than the frame. It's not mirror-like glossy, but it does have a shine to it... Much like a power brake booster. Typically (but not always) the bushings and shafts were painted right along with the control arm. It looks lousy, but that's generally how it was done (most of the restored cars use the exception and leave the shafts and bushings natural - I have to agree that it looks MUCH better).

As to your second question, you are correct on everything except the calipers. Originally, these were painted a low gloss black.

The brake shields are an interesting topic. The GM specs called for the gold dichromate wash after plating, but in practice, I've never seen gold dust shields on an original car... Just silver. The current judging standard for both NCRS and Bloomington Gold calls for silver on your '71, but obviously the choice is up to you.

That's a very nice '71 you have!

Regards,

lbell101

Thanks Stan!

I appreciate the reply - exactly what I wanted to know.
I think I will go the silver route on the shields as I can simulate that MUCH easier. Oh and definately contrasting colors on the a-arm bushings!
Thanks!