63 Rear suspension finishes

[Michael G.]

I left my new edition of 63-64 JG at home and I'm 250 miles away working on my car. Can someone look in the new JG and tell me what it says the finishes on the differential, rear strut rods and differential yokes need to be?

Thanks,

[Tracy C.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

Natural as cast for all... Blackout paint no more.

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

Natural as cast for all... Blackout paint no more.

Tracy,

Really? It really says that?

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

That's the way mine are.

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

The 5th edition of the JG was corrected and had it right, stating that the rear suspension and drive components were coated with chassis black. And now the new 6th edition suggests these items were natural? What happened?

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

i don't know what happened, but I'm taking off the blackout that passed last year, so I can have it judged in July. What a pain....

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

i don't know what happened, but I'm taking off the blackout that passed last year, so I can have it judged in July. What a pain....

Well, if this is true, it's a shame because now a lot of owners will have to do the same thing you are doing if they want to conform to the new 6th edition.

I have to wonder who submitted that incorrect information as a correction for the manual and where they get their information??

[Tony S.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

The 5th edition of the JG was corrected and had it right, stating that the rear suspension and drive components were coated with chassis black. And now the new 6th edition suggests these items were natural? What happened?

Michael, the new '65 chassis section is being re-written now. The writers of the new chassis section have identified so many original, unmolested '65's with blackout paint on the half shafts and other rear suspension parts, that I'd like to actually see if there are original '65's that don't have blackout paint on these rear suspension areas. I'll let the '63/64 team deal with these issues w/o my comments, but there is no question that '65 had many many cars with blackout paint applied to rear suspension areas. No question about it.

Tony

[Tracy C.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

I asked Carlton about this at the Judging retreat and he said it was the descision of the judging team to remove the reference to Blackout finish on the rear suspension. So while we were there I asked if he wanted to take a look at the VERY original Daytona Blue 64 sitting there as one of the cars used in the school and he declined. Even Stevie Wonder would have noticed the remains of factory blackout paint on the rear suspension of that car.

over and out...

tc

[Tony S.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

I asked Carlton about this at the Judging retreat and he said it was the descision of the judging team to remove the reference to Blackout finish on the rear suspension. So while we were there I asked if he wanted to take a look at the VERY original Daytona Blue 64 sitting there as one of the cars used in the school and he declined. Even Stevie Wonder would have noticed the remains of factory blackout paint on the rear suspension of that car.

over and out...

tc

Tracy, that Daytona Blue '64 at the judges' retreat was a very cool car, and yes, it showed obvious factory blackout. The upcoming 1965 6th ed JG will state that these rear suspension parts may exhibit blackout paint from the final chassis blackout process before body drop. The photos that we selected for the new '65 JG will show the rear suspension with signs of obvious factory blackout paint.

Tony

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

I don't know who decided that there was no chassis black on any of the rear suspension/drive components for 63-64 but....

There's a big difference between 63-64 and 65-67 when it comes to rear suspension/drive blackout. On 65-67, the blackout was done after most of the chassis was assembled and this occurred on the chassis line, just before body drop. There would be overspray on the rear end housing and most often, runs/drips on the 1/2 shafts. When the half shafts on a 65-67 received this coating, it was typically only on one side.

The process for 63-64 was an entirely different story though. The nearly complete rear drive assembly was coated before it even left the basement of the assembly plant. (minus spring)

The complete rear control arm assembly arrived at the plant COATED with chassis black. That assembly included the control arm, backing plate, spindle support, brake drum and even included the parking brake cable. We know it was coated as an assembly because the spindle hub has the coating only on the center hub portion.

After the drive assembly was completed in the basement of the St Louis plant, the assembly was coated again which almost completely covered the differential (minus drive flanges) and completely covered the half shafts.

When completed, the leaf spring and cross member were added so their coatings were different.

In the last several years, I and others have posted a LOT of original factory photos of brand new 63 and 64's that absolutely positively showed complete coverage of chassis black on this assembly. Every last one. That along with the many many original unrestored cars that still clearly show most of the original coating still exists.

I've posted many of these pictures over the years. So have a lot of other folks.

It's easy to prove that the rear susp/drive assembly was coated but I don't think it's at all possible for anyone to prove that it wasn't coated.

I would really like to hear, on this discussion board, from some of the folks on the 63-64 revision team that can show us any actual proof that there was no coating on these items.

I was told many times by several in the position to make corrections that any changes/corrections in the 63-64 JG required PROOF. It took a ton of info and an original dated print to finally correct the 3859326 water pump error in the JG so I have to assume the same would have been required to make the change for the rear susp/drive coating change.

These corrections are not a secret so lets get it out here on the board and discuss it. That's what this place was designed for.

[Tony S.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

Great post.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

Here's the TA from the complete rear susp. & diff assy off a Jan/Feb '64 car (going by the casting and assy stampings) that was removed and stored since 1968. I bought these parts in 2006 just to get the diff. The trailing arm (see thumbnail below big pic) has thick blackout "coating". I used a rag with Varsol to expose the bare steel underneath; it certainly wasn't paint. Notice the cracking in the coating.

Big pic is one posted before, of a Motor Trend '64 road test; car is on a hoist and black "stuff" can be seen almost everywhere (not a neat application -- drips & runs everywhere ).



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[Michael H.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

Here's the TA from the complete rear susp. & diff assy off a Jan/Feb '64 car (going by the casting and assy stampings) that was removed and stored since 1968. I bought these parts in 2006 just to get the diff. The trailing arm (see thumbnail below big pic) has thick blackout "coating". I used a rag with Varsol to expose the bare steel underneath; it certainly wasn't paint. Notice the cracking in the coating.

Big pic is one posted before, of a Motor Trend '64 road test; car is on a hoist and black "stuff" can be seen almost everywhere (not a neat application -- drips & runs everywhere ).



a

Great picture Wayne. Thanks. Pretty obvious that the 1/2 shafts are coated black.

Here's another of a new complete rear assembly being lowered on to the chassis. The assembly was completely painted before the spring and cross member were installed. This is exactly what the assembly looked like for every new 63 and 64.

Would the judges deduct for painted diff and 1/2 shafts at the current event?

[Tony S.]

Re: 63 Rear suspension finishes

Speaking solely as one of the 1965 national chassis judges, if an owner presented a 1965 car with appropriate chassis blackout, I would give that owner a smiley face on his judging sheet w/o any deductions!