1964 seat hold down bracket finish

[Ed S.]

What is the correct color or finish for the U shaped metal brackets that hold the rear of the seat rails to the body on an April 1964 AO Smith bodied car? Each seat takes 2 of these brackets, one per side. Another way to ask this is what is the accepted color or finish for judging?

The Judging Guide does not specify a color or finish for the bracket, just the bolts that secure them, black phosphorous.

Reproductions available from vendors look to be bare metal.

There is a thread on this subject, which includes a comment by John Hinckley - he says these brackets on AO Smith cars were zinc chromate green with body color over-spray; https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...Bracket-Finish

All that said, what is the current conventional (accepted) finish for Judging of an AO Smith car, zinc chromate or something else?

Thanks for your advise.

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 seat hold down bracket finish

Ed
I would go with John H. response as all the AO Smith seat brackets were green under the car as were the seat belt brackets, so it sounds logical that the u-bracket outborad was the same with body color or interior color as the depression in floor was painted before the carpets went in.

[Ed S.]

Re: 1964 seat hold down bracket finish

Ed

That's what I was thinking. I the absence of a specific description in the Judging Guide, John's opinion carries a lot of weight and credibility. Zinc chromate (or a simulated substitute) it will be. Thanks for the sanity check.

[Edward J.]

Re: 1964 seat hold down bracket finish

Heres a pic of a St. Louis 63 original may vary on the brackets as explained

[Ed S.]

Re: 1964 seat hold down bracket finish

Yes, the color of the brackets in the picture appear to be a semi or flat black and that is consistent with what John Hinckley said about St. L. cars. They sprayed or gang dipped a lot of the brackets and support pieces in a black paint before installing. AO Smith didn't have that capability.

And in the picture you posted it also appears that the outboard bracket (at the bottom of the pic) looks to have some blue (body color) over spray on it - also consistent with John's explanation. This is good stuff. Thanks. For what it is worth my small (approximately 2 x 3 inch) steel plates that go under the brackets were equal parts of zinc chromate, surface rust and Daytona blue over spray. Thanks again.