Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
I have a 1968 that received a Local Top Flight and I am working off some of the dificiencies so I can take it to a Regional event. Most of the undercarriage and suspension is original and in decent condition and I was taking the hubs off to replate the splash shields and caliper brackets. I noticed that the origianl lower a-arms had the ball joints drilled out and new ones bolted in. Would you leave the origianl a-arms with incorrect ball joints on the car or replace with remanufactured a-arms? They might not match the rest of the undercarriage. Thanks for your opinion.
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Bill Hyndman
The 'Sound of Freedom' if not a UH-60 Blackhawk, then it must be a Corvette!
1962 Big Brake Fuelie
1965 Fuelie Convertible
1968 L89 Convertible
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Re: Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
Not knowing what your starting with it's kind of hard to say if new (Repo) or restored is right for you. Below are some before/after of shots mine, as you can see they were pretty bad when I started. I always have more time than money so for me it was an economic decision and since I had already most of the equipment to do it myself. New repops will cost you about $1200 and I don’t know how good they are.
In any case you will have repo ball joints which might cost you a few points anyway. The holes being drilled out for bolts creates a slight bigger challenge for you. They should be filled with weld ground smooth and re-drilled not that big of deal really. I agree however it might look funny to see new shiny control arms on an otherwise original chassis, I’m not sure how things like that are taken into account from a judging standpoint.
Mike -
Re: Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
William,
Personally I would seek out original lower NOS ball joints. If your search is unsuccessful then and only then I would consider reproduction ball joints. The repos are closer to the original configuration than over the counter Chevrolet joints. As far as the A-Arms themselves are concerned, they need to be painted a semi-gloss black. They should be at least 1 level glossier than the frame paint. The factory used a paint called black triclhorentine (not sure of the spelling) that was originally purchased from the Pontiac Paint and Varnish Co. that at the time was located in Pontiac, Michigan. However, they have been long gone and out of business for quite some time. The closes match is to use an arcrylic enamel and mix it to a semi- gloss sheen. If you wish to contact me, I can provide you with a 99.9% match by using a formula that I utilize. Hope this helps.
- Ron"SOLID LIFTERS MATTER"Comment
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Re: Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
Ron,
If that is triclorothane in the name of the original product, I am not surprised it is no longer available. We used to use a lot of it in electrical work because it is a water displacer, but it does have some very nasty side effects and we can no longer use it.TerryComment
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Re: Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
Yes, Terry that is what it was. It was like you say, nasty stuff. It was so nasty, that if you ever, and I know you have looked at a Corvette frame or any GM frame that is in need of restoring, there is always evidence of the A-Arm paint still there to see. It did not go away all that easy. Like I said, it was pretty much similar to an "acrylic" enamel paint with durability properties."SOLID LIFTERS MATTER"Comment
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Re: Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
The paint you are referring to is for sure no longer available but, unless it is a different company, Pontiac Paint and Varnish is still in business at the corner of M-59 and Woodward Ave. in Pontiac. It is a retail store that has been there for probably 75 years or longer.
JeffComment
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Re: Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
Yep,
If it's the same place they have a website too.
MikeComment
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Re: Original A-Arm Advice on restoration
That is news to me. I was told directly from Chevrolet Purchaing that they have been out of business. Thanks for the heads up Jeff."SOLID LIFTERS MATTER"Comment
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