67 Support arm finish ?????

[Jerry W.]

As I am doing a frame off on a 67 - I have not been able to pin point exact finishes on a few items. What is the correct finish on the tie rod support arm?
(The rod that bolts to the knuckle.)I know the knuckle is bare cast. Also I have not found an exact answer for the Caliper bracket. Archives suggested a gold finish. I have found nothing in the judging manual.I will have this car judged when done so I would like to the be as accurate as possible.Also while you are poundering my question I would like some advice on the rear bearing housing and caliper support. I have researched and it seems both a bare cast and a semi black may be correct.I chose semi black because of pitting. How is this judged? I sincerely appreciate this forum and spend many hours researching this restoration and find this forum very valuable. Thanks to all who participate!

[Rich Puleo]

Re: 67 Support arm finish ?????

Hi Jerry,
I've always done this: the steering arms (where the tie rod end or knuckle bolts through) are as cast / natural. The tie rod sleeves connecting each pair of tie rods are semi gloss black. Front caliper brackets are gold cad. The rear spindle supports & caliper supports I've always done as cast. I don't have the manual in front of me, but if it allows either finish, the black was definately the way to go because of the pitting. Keep in mind they did have a rather rough cast surface, and sometimes the numbers are hard to read on a clean piece anyway. There are some decent frame restoration books available that may help you with further finish questions & correct bolt markings. Offhand I don't remember the exact names, but easy to get. I think you can get through NCRS, also try Corvette Central, Mid America, etc.
Good luck!
Rich

[Craig S.]

Re: 67 Support arm finish ?????

One of the books you are referring to is the Tripoli frame restoration guide and you can get an NCRS discount on the website...Craig

[Gene M.]

Re: 67 Support arm finish ?????

I would say Rich has nailed this very well. The only minor point I will add is the caliper brackets were zinc plated and the chromate (gold hue) varied to the plating process so they could be goldish to rainbow to silver. I wouldn't get hung up on the plating color too much. The Corvette mid year suspension does have a handsome detailed look when efforts are made to duplicate the original finishes. Don't forget to leave the machined pads bare as this impresses the judges. E-mail me if you want more detailed questions answered.