? on 1970 steering components finish

[Steve D.]

Okay,
the guide says some are natural finish but later on black was used. I have a May 27, 70 build. So what is the correct finish for the column,rag joint and steering box.

[Joe L.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

Okay,
the guide says some are natural finish but later on black was used. I have a May 27, 70 build. So what is the correct finish for the column,rag joint and steering box.

Steve-----


I think the "far-and-away" liklihood is that your car's steering box, coupling and steering column shaft were NATURAL finish.

[Mike F.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

Here's my May 18, 70 coupe.

[Jim S.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

In your above photo the lower steering column steering shaft and the demountable flange on the shaft appear to be painted black.

I have never seen any note on the Saginaw drawings that indicated that the steering column shaft or the flange was painted at Saginaw. If they were not painted at Saginaw, then the parts would have been painted on the line at St. Louis. This would have resulted in spray paint showing up on the flange and coupling assembly as well.

The steering gear assembly drawing 7806900 (with the flange and coupling assembly attached) indicates that the entire gear assembly was supposed to be painted black at Saginaw (except the pitman shaft, nut, and lockwasher). You have to assume that the flange and coupling was installed on the gear input shaft and that the paint note applied to it as well. Suprisingly, there is no note concerning paint (or no paint) on the flange and coupling bolt threads that attach to the steering column flange. Since St. Louis attached the nuts and lockwashers making the connection between the steering gear and the steering column, I would have thought that Chevrolet would have been quite picky about allowing paint on the bolt threads that could affect the St. Louis assembly plant operation.

Jim

[Edward J.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

Okay,
the guide says some are natural finish but later on black was used. I have a May 27, 70 build. So what is the correct finish for the column,rag joint and steering box.

Steve as Joe L. says its should be natural, The later cars I believe were maybe late 71 or 72. and even then I think its a question. Terry M. may chime in.

[Pat M.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

My 70's May 19 build components are all natural Steve, and I've not been told in judging they were incorrect:

[Chris H.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

Steve, here's a photo from my Jan 5, 1970 car. Chris

[Mike F.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

My 70's May 19 build components are all natural Steve, and I've not been told in judging they were incorrect:

Gottta laugh, your May 19 is incorrect for being natural and my May 18 is incorrect for being painted.

Mike

[Pat M.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

Gottta laugh, your May 19 is incorrect for being natural and my May 18 is incorrect for being painted.

Mike

Mike, you may have misunderstood my post, my natural components were judged to be correct.

[Joe L.]

Re: ? on 1970 steering components finish

Here's my May 18, 70 coupe.

Mike------


This is interesting. First off, I have never seen a 68-72 Corvette with a painted steering shaft and upper flange. Jim says it was not painted at Saginaw and I would say that there's virtually no chance that any such painting was done at St. Louis.

As far as the steering box goes, for this paint configuration to be original would mean that the steering box was component-painted. In other words, the steering gear CASE would have been painted prior to the assembly of the complete steering gear. That, in turn, would have required a significant process change at Saginaw. I'm not saying this is not the original configuration, though. Stranger things have been known to have occurred.