'67 SB Front Shock Washer Color...

[Patrick T.]

I just got a pair of these washers from the Chevrolet Dealer for my car. The new and improved 4th edition '67 Judging Manual does not specify if the washer should be painted or natural. See yellow arrow below. Does anyone know what color, if any, it should be? Thanks, PT

[John H.]

Re: '67 SB Front Shock Washer Color...

Patrick -

Most old ones I've seen had a greenish/blackish finish that appeared to be a phosphate or oxide coating (not natural or zinc).

[Patrick T.]

Re: '67 SB Front Shock Washer Color...

Most old ones I've seen had a greenish/blackish finish that appeared to be a phosphate or oxide coating (not natural or zinc).
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Thanks John, I would have never guessed that. I have a can of Eastwood dark grey phosphate paint that I can shoot them with. PT

[William C.]

Re: '67 SB Front Shock Washer Color...

What you have is pretty close to original, I think your paint would just be trying to approximate the existing coating. They have a coating (phosphate) as they come from GM.

[Patrick T.]

Re: '67 SB Front Shock Washer Color...

Thanks Bill, but the picture is not of my car. I saw a '67 SB Duntov Vette on eBay the same as mine that went for some big bucks. There was at least 50 perfectly clear photos of the top, interior, chassis, everything. I "borrowed" them for a while for reference. PT

[William C.]

Re: '67 SB Front Shock Washer Color...

I still think at least the last time I bought them from GM, the coating was pretty accurate.

[Keith B.]

Don't Paint

They are fine. If you paint them you will get hit for a point. They are what I have seen on all the cars. Have them on mine and never cost a point.

Keith

[Wayne M.]

Recently purchased -- closeup pic

They were probably oiled after the black phosphate.
Bought a year ago for a couple of bucks each.

[Michael H.]

Re: Recently purchased -- closeup pic

Thanks for the pic Wayne. Looks like the color of the plating has changed quite a bit since the 60's and 70's. Originally, they would have been a dark/medium grey. The new parts look almost black.

[Peter L.]

Re: Recently purchased -- closeup pic

Michael - I agree that the new ones have a darker finish and as Wayne mentioned they also have an oily coating; but I'm wondering if the darker finish isn't the "same" basic processing and just the result of a variation in time, temperature, concentration, or something in the phosphating operation. Pete

[Michael H.]

Re: Recently purchased -- closeup pic

Peter,

Possible that time may have some effect on these but I still have a great big bag of these that I purchased in the mid 70's that are grey. They matched the color of washers on cars that were inspected at that same time. I would guess the current plating has changed for some reason. I have no idea how grey plating is done. That's a whole new and confusing world to me. Every time I think I know a little about plating, I learn that everything I knew was incorrect.

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 SB Front Shock Washer Color...

Patrick------

The originals were an oiled, phosphate finish. Phosphate finish varies from light gray to very dark gray. Were the originals more grayish and current more blackish? I don't know; I've not seen every original. However, knowing that phosphate finish normally varies from light gray to very dark gray, it would be hard to rule out that originals could have varied. The ones that you have appear very grayish to me. I would leave them just as they are.