Plate behind fuel pump 1963

[Jerry C.]

Should this plate be natural finish? Thanks in advance

[Ken A.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

Black semi flat dipped.

[Timothy B.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

Me thinks natural steel..

[Bob J.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

Me thinks natural steel..

I agree, they're natural steel.........black painted ones were sold through GM parts.

[Rick A.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

agree, natural steel

[Joe L.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

I agree, they're natural steel.........black painted ones were sold through GM parts.

Bob------

I agree, too. All original plates were natural steel. However, I've never even seen a SERVICE plate that was anything other than natural steel.

These plates often RUST rather quickly. The main thing that keeps them from rusting, in whole or part, is the oil dripping down from leaking valve covers. This coats the plate and prevents rust.

[Bob J.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

Joe,
Maybe Calif guys get them in bare metal since Calif stuff doesn't rust.
Everytime I bought one through parts (in FLA) it came in black. Most of the common parts usually route through a Jax or Atlanta GMPD warehouse down here, which I'm sure is different for west coast orders.
Maybe GM knows everything bare metal rusts in the swamp.. Different warehouse(s) = different finish????
I'll look around this evening and post a pic if I still have a NOS one.
Bob

[Jerry W.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

I painted my plate during resto with a steel color paint to prevent future rust...no points deduct at Regional Judging

[Joe L.]

Re: Plate behind fuel pump 1963

Joe,
Maybe Calif guys get them in bare metal since Calif stuff doesn't rust.
Everytime I bought one through parts (in FLA) it came in black. Most of the common parts usually route through a Jax or Atlanta GMPD warehouse down here, which I'm sure is different for west coast orders.
Maybe GM knows everything bare metal rusts in the swamp.. Different warehouse(s) = different finish????
I'll look around this evening and post a pic if I still have a NOS one.
Bob

Bob-------

I think it's probably a question of when the SERVICE parts were manufactured. The ones I'm referring to are the older examples. These are the ones packaged in the "cellophane" packages with the "greenish" printing. All of these that I have seen were un-painted and have the little square of "anti-corrosion" cardboard packaged with them. They still often rust in the package, though.

Later examples packaged in the "poly" bags with blue printing and a bar code are likely the painted versions. This kind of follows a trend in the finishing of SERVICE parts.

By the way, the GM #3719599 plate, first released in 1955, is still available from GM to this very day. Of course, there are quite a few engines "out there" that use this plate.