63 door hinge primer

[Mark M.]

Can someone confirm the door hinge primer color for 1963. I've only seen green dichromate type on mid-years. All other birdcage parts are green here. A 63 I'm helping with is all stripped and shop that disassembled hinges states black was bottom color and no green. I'm not sure if hinges where ever apart before.

[Joe R.]

Re: 63 door hinge primer

Mark,

I have at least a dozen hinges from mid-years and I see no evidence of any primer before the car was painted. They have primer overspray and then car color sprayed on them as the car was painted body color. Does not look like they were primed or painted before they were installed.

JR

[Mark M.]

Re: 63 door hinge primer

Joe, I have and seen a number of these hinges and they are sprayed with the green dichromate anti rust paint before the factory put them on the car. The same paint used on the birdcage and A O Smith 64-67 floor pan parts. I just repaired a number of driver door well worn issues on a 66 BB coupe for a friend and its original hinges (we rebushed) are also covered in this green paint. After the factory painted these cars, you would have to look in hinge area with a light and depending on coverage of primer and final paint, the hinge primer could be seen. I'm wondering if 63 and maybe 64 hinges could have been primed by supplier anything other than this green? I found a hinge , a bit rusty, with what looks like black paint that had to be applied while it was off the car. Don't know if it's factory but the exposed area is 63-64 silver blue. Thanks for the help.

[Mark M.]

Re: 63 door hinge primer

Well after looking at A O Smith 65 in storage I'm doing, checked 66's A O Smith tag I worked on last week, it appears so far that the door hinges are left in the green paint when installed at A O Smith just like under body seat brackets, door access panels,shifter boot bracket,etc. The hinges I'm seeing in black must be St. Louis just like the parts they painted black before installing. Don't know if this is consistent on all originals but I've never heard this area discussed before. The light in my head blinked but it did go on.