1978 FE7 spring paint

[Charlie P.]

Where these springs always painted? I am checking out a super low mile '78 and the spring doesn't look like it was painted. I know stuff rusts even in the garage, but I would expect to see some paint. I am going by a photo at this point, however.

Thanks,
Charlie

[Ron G.]

[Charlie P.]

Re: 1978 FE7 spring paint

Thanks for remembering me Ron. Hope to see you at a future event, assuming I come up with the right car eventually. Hoping to get back to Bowtie/Top Flight judging with a C3, but will have to be with plastic bumpers to fit the budget. Thanks for the input on spring paint.
Charlie

[Tom R.]

Re: 1978 FE7 spring paint

Charlie,

Glad to see that you were still active in the hobby. I have done a ton of research on rear springs with the folks that actually painted them. Depending on the year on the Corvette, Early midyears seem to have been painting it on the top of their leafs only and they are bare metal on the bottom portions. Midyear and most C3’s were painted with a dip painted with a coating referred to as 200 L Weld through primer. I was able to obtain some of the original paint which was manufactured by Inoklad where it was purchased from a supplier in Michigan.

I've looked at a many low-mileage late model C3s, like Pace Cars and have always observed how thin the gray paint is so to learn that the 200 L Weld primer may have been the paint, does not surprise me. But a dip sounds like paint would have been thicker than a spray. I'm assuming the 200 L Weld is gray. Looking closely, the broadcast code can be seen on low-mileage vehicles but the blue pastel stencil can be seen but barely. This includes FE7 springs

As far as you looking at a super low mileage car and saying that the spring was bare metal, I am not surprised. As usual, never say never. After speaking with line workers were the spring was manufactured, they said they stopped painting just the top portion of the leafs, because it was easier just to dip the whole leaf. My experience is that usually 65 Corvettes through mid 70s are fully painted. However, I am not fluid in late C3 corvettes. Hope to see you soon sometime.

I'm assuming when you refer to the leaf, you're referring to the individual springs. Ron, if I send you a laminate chip, can you paint it for me that I can use as a color swatch match? I've made a number of black chassis paint chips I use when looking at chassis.

[David W.]

Re: 1978 FE7 spring paint

The FE7 leaf for 78 is a primer gray. Looks to be sprayed. See pics

[David W.]

Re: 1978 FE7 spring paint

Be advised the pics show the color only and is a std suspension. If I remember correctly the FE7 has black unpainted plastic spacers between each gray leaf.

[Ron G.]

Re: 1978 FE7 spring paint

The 200 L weld thru primer was extremely thick.