58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

**Dan H.** · August 4, 2015, 05:18 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Thomas, some people just can't bring themselves to cover up all those inspection marks etc. which were UNDER the tar based over coat applied to the front assembly. Noland's book pretty much shows the real world as assembled.
Dan

**Tom P.** · August 4, 2015, 07:31 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

The INDIVIDUAL parts of the front cross member and suspension as well as the rearend, were forged, machined and assembled separately. As SOME parts were finished, various paint colors were applied at various locations. I HAVE INQUIRED VARIOUS TIMES ABOUT WHAT COLORS WERE APPLIED AND WHERE THEY WERE APPLIED AND WHAT THE INDICATION WAS FOR EACH COLOR------------------WITHOUT GOOD ANSWERS! It is abundantly obvious that NO ONE knows what color and its meaning is. SOME parts got painted prior to assembly (such as the front cross member/suspension). So, many people have duplicated colors at various locations as they have observed them during disassembly---------------without knowing exactly what each color means at a particular location. Over the years I've seen yellow, white, green, blue, orange and so far no one can tell me the significance of the colors/locations. I'm sure some colors were applied after a machining operation, inspection or assembly process. BUT WHAT???????????
Corvette frames (and most likely Chevelle, full size pass cars, trucks, etc) traveled UPSIDE DOWN on their assembly line as components (ie, rearend assembly, front cross member, etc) were installed on the frame. SOMETIME before the engine/transmission were installed in the completed chassis, the ENTIRE assembled chassis was painted black (as pointed out above).
Thus, with all of this said, any and all paint markings were covered up. Depending on the thoroughness of the line worker who applied the black paint, the various paint markings were completely or partially covered up. So, as also mentioned (as can be seen in Noland's book) the CORRECT finish on a completed chassis is solid black with NO paint markings showing.

**Brad K.** · August 4, 2015, 07:37 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

My solution to this dilemma was to first, do a blackout, then apply the inspection marks and lastly do another very light coating of blackout which will leave the inspection marks slightly visible....that seemed to satisfy even the most picky judges...no deductions

**Thomas H.** · August 4, 2015, 08:55 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Thanks for the info guys. I did one of those shoot first (black paint) and ask questions later posts. I took the images in Nolands book as the way to do it and assembled the front crossmember (with the help of Mr Parsons excellent article) then went over it all with black paint. Also relied on what I found on my 60 - black out over all markings.

Today while cruising the web I found this picture from a car that has scored very high in judging (99.2?). Look at all of the markings. Thinking I was possibly headed down the wrong path I had to ask the question.

markings.JPG

Black it is, thanks.

Tom

**Toby H.** · August 4, 2015, 09:02 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Tom,

i just just recently went through this process. If you go to gastanks.com (Quanta) I believe they have a complete inspection mark kit you can purchase as well as the correct frame and driveshaft stencils you will need. I think they will need your serial number to get the correct date on the stencils. The kit also comes with bulletins to show correct colors and locations for all inspection marks. The kit I remember was around $120.00. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Toby Hight (60237)

**Brad K.** · August 4, 2015, 10:15 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Personally, Thomas....I feel the car in the photo is a little too perfect for a car that was put together by factory workers hastily just doing their jobs at the rate of over a hundred per day. The exhaust blackout is too smooth (originally applied with just a hand held mitt that was dunked into a can) and the inspection marks are too bright and too carefully applied with straight lines and all. I thought the marks were very simply daubed on with a brush. But that is just my humble opinion....and the judges had their humble opinion as well.

**Tom P.** · August 5, 2015, 08:37 AM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

OK, let me shorten the question to its simplest terms so that there is NO confusion nor misunderstanding.

WHAT colors are (or were) applied WHERE?
WHAT does each color SIGNIFY?

Now that should make it easy for ANYONE to understand.
And here is my best guess---------------------NOBODY KNOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Dennis C.** · August 5, 2015, 09:02 AM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

While we have seen colored paint markings on various components (you can call them inspection marks or identification markings, it doesn't matter), on original cars, I am not sure that anyone is absolutely positive what every mark represents.

One thing I can tell you is I don't take a deduction for having or not having colored paint markings. Nor have I ever judged with a master judge who has taken a deduction.

Further, the 61-62 revised JM indicates no deduction should be taken. The updated 58-60 manual is not out yet, however, I would not be surprised if it says the same when it does debut.

Dennis

**Tom P.** · August 5, 2015, 10:26 AM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Originally posted by Dennis Crupi (38211)

While we have seen colored paint markings on various components (you can call them inspection marks or identification markings, it doesn't matter), on original cars, I am not sure that anyone is absolutely positive what every mark represents.

One thing I can tell you is I don't take a deduction for having or not having colored paint markings. Nor have I ever judged with a master judge who has taken a deduction.

Further, the 61-62 revised JM indicates no deduction should be taken. The updated 58-60 manual is not out yet, however, I would not be surprised if it says the same when it does debut.

Dennis

And I understand all of that.
But the basic question still remains: What color was applied where, and, what do each of the colors signify?

THUS, if people are applying colors at various places, HOW DO THEY KNOW WHICH COLOR GOES WHERE FOR WHAT PURPOSE?
Is it a case of monkey see, monkey do, without any solid knowledge of why they are applying a color at a particular location?
Plus, as has already been mentioned, and as is already known, everything got covered up with black anyway.

Personally, I'm not into numbers and correct markings, BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT, when I rebuild frontends (as well as rearends) for people, and they ask me about the various paint markings, I am not able to provide a definitive answer--------------------------and so far, none of the NCRS gurus (the experts in perfectness) are able to answer that question either!

**Brad K.** · August 5, 2015, 12:05 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

I agree with you, Tom, that the answers to these questions are fuzzy indeed...Which kind of begs the question of "Why are they in the JG if they are not even judged?" I think the answer to that question is...... "Because we want to include every bit of knowledge that we can, even if it is unclear as to why or how it is done" This confuses new members to NCRS because all they are nervously trying to do is to create a car that will pass judging. Another reason is SOME NCRS members seem to relish the thought of telling others JUST HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE when in fact....they don't know how its supposed to be and are only repeating things that they've been told. Sorry if I am stepping on any toes here....

All these "factory workers" were trying to do by applying these marks was to somehow ID to their fellow workers and inspectors down the line that these critical front end components were tightened and torqued....that's all. There methods and techniques were not well defined. As long as they put SOME kind of marking on the components...that was OK. The message was sent. Probably....when they ran out of a color they went to another color. GM simply didn't want to kill a new Corvette owner by having anything going out the door NOT tightened and torqued. The application of inspection marks was an internal thing not intended for use outside the plant.....they had no idea that an organization as ANAL as NCRS would later arise.

So.... I feel we should all chill out and accept the fact that they are NOT judged and should never be....

And....one more time.....This is just my humble opinion!!

**Tom P.** · August 5, 2015, 01:57 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Brad,
This very same issue applies to various areas besides the front cross member/suspension. Over the years, I've seen various paint markings in other areas, particularly rearends-----------------both posi and non-posi. And again, NO ONE has definitively said that blue means this, yellow means that, white means something else, etc, etc, etc. What color at what location means what????????????
As I said above, I DO NOT CARE about the markings and colors---------------------but some customers do care, and I can't give them answers.
Below is just one example of a rearend I built for a customer (no names, but he is VERY WELL KNOWN throughout the NCRS community). The top 2 pictures are the rear after cleaning. The bottom pictures are the same rear after rebuilding. I duplicated as best as I could---------------------with NO CLUE as to the meaning of the colors!

**Gary C.** · August 5, 2015, 03:20 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Guys,

Most chassis part marks are "part identification" paint marks, not inspections marks. Front suspension part identification paint marks for tire right ends identify left or right thread as an example. That way the installer could just glance and see there are opposite threads.

An example of an inspection mark is the thin light blue paint line on a pinion nut.

JMTCW,

Gary
....

**Mike E.** · August 5, 2015, 08:27 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

When I worked the assembly line at Dana in Ft. Wayne, there were colors on ring and pinion, housing, etc. Ther was a color board that indicated what was what in terms of ratios, Posi vs non-posi, etc. Those were in-house I'd marks, and likely changed on a model year basis or oftener.

**Thomas H.** · August 5, 2015, 09:22 PM

Re: 58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

Good on going discussion. I can understand Tom P's frustration as I have asked many just what the colors / locations mean. I knew that some were part identification some indicate thread type (left / right) and some are actual inspection marks that may signify that a part has either been torqued to spec or checked some time during assy.

At the end of the day, the responses have confirmed my suspicions that most all of the markings got covered by the black out and are not necessarily judged for application or correctness.

Hopefully I get the car reassembled as accurately as possible in time for the October chapter meet. First time out and I will have touched just about every nut and bolt in this car, sometimes more then once...............

Tom

PS:

Guess where this inspection mark is from..............

P9071324.jpg

58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

58 Front Suspension Reassembly and colors

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