What finish was on these originally? Were they painted black?
Quote from: shelbydoug on February 14, 2021, 12:20:14 PM
What finish was on these originally? Were they painted black?
Bare steel from the factory.
??? I had so many Fastbacks etc. but I have rarely/never seen them in bare metal. And who the hell change the mount brackets? I also had survivour cars etc. and the brackets were black always. Was this only on shelby 67 that they were bare metal?
Bare steel on the cars I have seen.
It's not a part that unless the car was on a lift or you crawled under would be readily apparent.
I certainly never did that and as a result asked those who have.
A thank you to all who have responded.
I don't like flash rust so these two are definitely candidates for the new "metal paint". It actually does give the steel a dark, just blasted look. That seems appropriate since they certainly weren't the light zinc plated color.
Quote from: Kent on February 15, 2021, 04:30:43 AM
??? I had so many Fastbacks etc. but I have rarely/never seen them in bare metal. And who the hell change the mount brackets? I also had survivour cars etc. and the brackets were black always. Was this only on shelby 67 that they were bare metal?
Bare steel was a Mustang/Cougar thing from the factory not a Shelby thing . I believe they started being painted from the factory in 1970 Mustang production year.
This brings us back to the question of do I go original or just make it better then the way it was! Both sides have a strong case so its a personal thing. Many want original finish which means rusty brake calipers, motor mounts, drive shafts and other under car items. These cars were not perfection by any means, crooked poor fitting fiberglass, messy sloppy over spray, all over engine components, paint that had runs, drips, fish eyes, and a host of other imperfections. How you bring it back is very personal.
Quote from: 427heaven on February 15, 2021, 01:18:03 PM
This brings us back to the question of do I go original or just make it better then the way it was! Both sides have a strong case so its a personal thing. Many want original finish which means rusty brake calipers, motor mounts, drive shafts and other under car items. These cars were not perfection by any means, crooked poor fitting fiberglass, messy sloppy over spray, all over engine components, paint that had runs, drips, fish eyes, and a host of other imperfections. How you bring it back is very personal.
Getting a little off topic I think . Maybe a stand alone topic so others in the future can search for it better . The question was -"What finish was on these originally" it was not what is best or what should be done etc. etc. It is of course up to the owner of each car and what they think is best based on their expectations. The original finish question was answered as requested.
+ 1 not meant to distract- apologies if it took a detour for anyone.
1970 brackets were black painted both big block and small block and the long bolt hole was smaller diameter and the L brackets were plated not raw steel like 67-69.
It's odd. They are just something that I never remember noticing before. If I had to guess, I would have thought that they were in place when the engine compartment got painted?
I know that on the big block, the manifolds are right up against them so I'm wondering if paint even lasts on them?
I'm sure a service part would have been painted and I don't recall rusty original ones being sold.
As I said, I removed some of these and I have seen a lot fastbacks from 67/68 and also my shelby and other shelby´s I had but I can hardly remember that i ever saw them in bare steel. They were always black from what I have seen. And that 90% or 95% of the cars I had were later painted again in the engine bay is impossible because I see that. I had so many original paint, never removed engine cars but always black mount brackets. But maybe I´m wrong and yes its dark in this area so maybe I thought they are black. I will check this on the next mustangs more detailed.
Quote from: shelbydoug on February 15, 2021, 05:07:37 PM
It's odd. They are just something that I never remember noticing before. If I had to guess, I would have thought that they were in place when the engine compartment got painted?
I know that on the big block, the manifolds are right up against them so I'm wondering if paint even lasts on them?
I'm sure a service part would have been painted and I don't recall rusty original ones being sold.
Nope - not attached to the car when it was painted. If you want to go all the way reproducing the original look you can darken the welds to reproduce the original look of the welds and the bluing of the metal near the welds
Don't have any pictures nor have I seen them painted before 70 on any unplayed with Mustang examples not Shelbys. Use to spend up to three days a week in yards so seen a few. Of course just about everyone painted them black or another color back when these cars were only worth a few thousand dollars or less like so many other parts in the engine compartment
These days, "unfinished sheet metal" would automatically have an anti-oxidation "coating" on them, I suppose to resist "flash rust" that is fairly successful. ;)
In the case of these mounts, I'm without experience of the time so I'm relying on the experience of others that have it and as such I appreciate that input.
What you are suggesting to me about original production line condition is that there likely is no protective coating on the steel of any kind since you're suggesting the original blueing from the welds was apparent at least in your "expectations" in leu of actual "black and white" documentation?
That's fine with me. After all, that's what I asked for? No need to cut you off at the knees on this one.
In my own case, I'm undecided as how to go. No "restoration" that I am aware of is 100% authentic. A change here under the thought of longevity is certainly on the table for me.
This could be an example of where to apply satin clear spray paint to resist the eventual rust. It satisfies everyones needs.
Quote from: OldGuy on February 16, 2021, 08:38:20 AM
This could be an example of where to apply satin clear spray paint to resist the eventual rust. It satisfies everyones needs.
That stuff just flakes off and would be at most a temporary if not just a momentary solution. That's not my need.
Many - including myself have had problems with clears over time and once there is an issue its more difficult to address IMHO on the car when compared to bare steel and a protective coat such as oil or wax based product
Looked through my pictures can came up with a really nice and well maintained unrestored example of a bare steel early 66-69 style of finish. Example happens to be a 68 Small block built at San Jose
(http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/15/6-160221152340.jpeg)
And then a 70 example from another unrestored car
(http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/13/6-161119151233.jpeg)
If you choose to paint a faux finish that looks similar to bare metal you will need to coat with a rust inhibitor product just like you would if it were bare steel. Moisture can migrate through the paint (depending on what you use)and cause oxidation underneath the paint. Most clears are very prone to this. The under surface oxidation may not show up immediately. The rust inhibitor wax/sealer (many products out there.) will help mitigate the problem.
The paint I found that looks close is a Rustoleum with primer. It's just called "metal look" as I recall but it's down in the shop and not in front of me at the moment.
It looks very similar to the pictures that you posted.
I tried it on the 428's bell backing plate and I like it and am encouraged to go further with it.
My '67s as you see in the picture that I posted were painted probably by me and probably to keep flash rust off of them. I'll use paint stripper on them to see what they look like bare but don't expect to find much good there.
That part actually, for some reason doesn't seem to heavily rust. The pictures Jeff has of rusty ones are probably because they were laying unprotected by the engine in junk yards for who knows how long?
Now that I see these pictures, they look like the brackets that were in my '68 that I recall. I don't remember if I painted them or left them natural when I had the engine out?
That grey tone on your picture looks much like the "coating" used on bare sheet metal now to me.
I'd like to keep it original looking but want to be practical in that it's unlikely that I'll ever have the car apart in my lifetime again, but who knows? Maybe I shouldn't rev that '8 to 7,500?
I think that it's not so much that -03074 is going to appear in Concourse to bejudged...ever, it's just that I'd like to maintain the "original character" since the '67 500's are so unique?
Since I'm only a temporary caretaker and have already brought it back from the dead, I think it deserves that consideration. These things are awesome monsters that sometimes defy verbal descriptions and one needs to experience them to understand?
I almost feel like I'm a paleontologist and am bringing back a real tyrannosaurus Rex from DNA?