Factory Correct Restoration Details

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by toms68cst

Keith et all,

Thanks for all of your comments and insight. Reading all of your stories is really interesting...

I guess I envision some guy running to the engine paint line and handing the painter these previously back-ordered alternator brackets at the last minute with instructions to bolt them to the block and paint them with the block.

Thank you for the kind words. I never quite know how much is "too much" and I use comments like yours to fine tune the quantity of info.

Re your vision: that's my point. The engine block and the alternator bracket are several hundred mile apart until they come together on the motor line in the vehicle assembly plant, and there's no painting going on then. The scenario you've proposed could not happen.

K

[burb71]

For sure Keith If you know that you know the answers, please chime in and share the knowledge.
When it comes to what happened at the factory the rest of us are just guessing!
You are now henceforth to be known as…Our man on the inside![/B]

[jlaird]

Very interesting topic and so cool to have somebody like Keith here to contribute!

[toms68cst]

Dang, I wish I had paid attention to how all the various orange brackets had been painted originally before I stripped them all. I should have paid attention to whether there were areas that weren't painted where they bolted up to the block. That might have helped explain things.

That Middle picture of the second set that Steve Hafner posted is an older picture of my engine bay taken right after I put things back together a few years back.

That third picture of the second set looks to include a smog pump AND an AC compressor set up. It’s pretty unusual to see that combination survive. Looking at that same truck, is it a manual or auto transmission? I can’t really tell. I don't see an automatic dip stick and it looks like a column shifter. (3 on the tree??)

[jimbosprint]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Thank you for the kind words. I never quite know how much is "too much" and I use comments like yours to fine tune the quantity of info.

Re your vision: that's my point. The engine block and the alternator bracket are several hundred mile apart until they come together on the motor line in the vehicle assembly plant, and there's no painting going on then. The scenario you've proposed could not happen.

K

So in the case of my top AC bracket that bolts with the intake manifold, do they leave the bolts out of the intake at the engine plant or do they back them out and put them back in at the assembly line? Would the bolt heads be painted orange?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

So in the case of my top AC bracket that bolts with the intake manifold, do they leave the bolts out of the intake at the engine plant or do they back them out and put them back in at the assembly line? Would the bolt heads be painted orange?

The bracket would be assembled (for the first and only time) at the vehicle final assembly plant. Assembling and then dissassembling and then reassembling the same part is frowned upon and avoided, since it increases the amount of labor required.

The engine would be received at the vehicle assembly plant in a large rack of 6 or 8 engines, already painted orange from Flint or Tonawanda.

The brackets would be provided by some outside supplier, probably in a big shipping "gong", or wire basket. These would be painted black already (some small items were dipped or painted black at the vehicle assembly plant, depending on the specific arrangements).

Bolts are received in small cardboard boxes and dumped into breadpans for lineside presentation.

The engine is hung on the beginning of the motor line as determined by the vehicle manifest or broadcast sheet and the parts are added as it makes it's way down the Motor Line (transmission, carburetor, accessory drive including A/C and power steering bracketry, exhaust takedown pipes, etc).

So - bracket = black. Bolts = black (or cadmium/silver, depending on location/application).

K

Here's a good link highlighting some squarebody assembly practices:

http://www.73-87.com/7387info/Assembly%20Line.htm

[Keith Seymore]

By way of background, the Camaro Research Group has an excellent overview of the assembly process at Van Nuys and Norwood. I have zero motivation to write a similar overview for trucks because this one is so well done.

http://www.camaros.org/assemblyprocess.shtml

K

[DreamRyder1963]

Originally Posted by rsavage

I've had three factory AC trucks of 67-72 vintage and they had fan clutches. Obviously I didn't have them from new so don't know if they were factory equipped with them or not, but it seems to me that they would have been.

I wonder if the a/c trucks got them while the non-a/c trucks did not. I assume that the where to offset the power drain from the compressor.

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by DreamRyder1963

I wonder if the a/c trucks got them while the non-a/c trucks did not. I assume that the where to offset the power drain from the compressor.

My 69 with 350 and A/C came with a 4 row radiator and fan clutch. I think there may have also been a HD cooling option that also would probably have had the clutch and 4 row radiator.

[sodly]

Originally Posted by toms68cst

Keith et all,

Thanks for all of your comments and insight. Reading all of your stories is really interesting.

Here is a picture of my engine compartment before I rebuilt the 327 several years ago.

As I said previously, I can't say how my alternator bracket got to be orange. I checked all the date codes on my 327 and am convinced that all the major components are original and from around the same few weeks in the spring of 1968. The paint on the bracket was very hard and seemed original to me when I stripped it. (Not rattle-canned) There was no evidence of black paint underneath it.

I am pretty sure that I bought my truck from the original owner and there was no apparent repainting in the engine compartment.

As a child of the 60's and 70's, I do remember a day when used car dealers would re-paint engine blocks to make them appear extra clean and more saleable. This might explain why some engine components got to be the wrong color on some trucks.

I guess I envision some guy running to the engine paint line and handing the painter these previously back-ordered alternator brackets at the last minute with instructions to bolt them to the block and paint them with the block.

I've had the same question about 68 alternator brackets, at least on 327 trucks. At first I thought it was impossible that they were orange from the factory, too, but I have since seen a few very low mileage "survivor" 68s with the same orange bracket. Seems like more than a coincidence to me. Despite what the insiders are saying, I think you're on to something here. I don't think you're nuts. Perhaps there was some slight variation at one plant for some long-since-forgotten reason that's causing all this consternation today.

[RedRoad]

Drive train color question.

Vehicle: 1972 K20 Suburban built Flint plant

The NP205 transfer case is the original and looks to be red oxide primer, the rear drive shaft shows no sign of any color and is covered in surface rust but the front shaft has what looks to be red oxide on the front female section which connects to the diff.

Were both drive shafts (both the small female end and the long tube) on both the front and rear painted red oxide matching the transfer case or left raw? Most paint them black but Id rather follow what is factory.

For the front and rear axles and springs, were they also painted black from the factory? Only the rear diff cover shows any evidence of black paint.

Any low mile 4x4s out there with unmolested undercarriage? Pics?

Thanks for any info

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by Steve Hafner

. . . .

Here's a little detail that most people don't bother to do . . .

The cover over the driver's side exhaust manifold to add heat to the air cleaner was painted BLACK from the factory. ( as can be seen in the picture below, of the 350 engine in the 1970 pick up with 80 miles that was for sale a couple of years ago.)

I found some high temperature black paint for my restoration and it's staying on pretty good - so far !!!

This picture also shows that the black paint in the engine compartment was "glossier" then most people think too !!!

. . . .

Sent an email to POR15 with some questions, including a black top coat for that heat stove. No response yet.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by RedRoad

Were both drive shafts (both the small female end and the long tube) on both the front and rear painted red oxide matching the transfer case or left raw? Most paint them black but Id rather follow what is factory.

For the front and rear axles and springs, were they also painted black from the factory? Only the rear diff cover shows any evidence of black paint.

Thanks for any info

Drive shafts were either raw or chassis black. There was no place on the line where red oxide was sprayed after the chassis was assembled.

Front springs, rear axles and springs were drizzled with chassis black in a small booth right before body drop. "Painted" is a bit generous, as it was not a full bodied "spray" but more of a drizzle in the general direction of the chassis, using the cheapest black paint that you can imagine. The amount of coverage was hit and/or miss at best.

K

[tommys72]

I love all of the information Keith has here. Anywhere he posts actually. Makes ya feel like you're on the line building one of these trucks.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by tommys72

Makes ya feel like you're on the line building one of these trucks.

...except there is no smell....



K

[toms68cst]

It's interesting to me that the discussion about transmission color came up.

When I had my engine our several years ago I also had my CH465 out. After I cleaned it up, It was clearly had been painted some sort of a red primer color. I simply took red primer rattle can paint and re-sprayed it. It still looks good 10 years later. It looked to be a very close match to the original paint.

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by RedRoad

Drive train color question.

Vehicle: 1972 K20 Suburban built Flint plant

The NP205 transfer case is the original and looks to be red oxide primer...

Any low mile 4x4s out there with unmolested undercarriage? Pics?

Thanks for any info

I did my best to research original colors and finishes when my Flint K20 was restored (see link in my signature below). Will get it right on the next build The NP205 t-cases were painted "Chrysler Red"

[factorystock]

Black trim paint behind head light bezels disappear.

[Eagle9502]

Bumping up this valuable old thread.

[RedRoad]

Here is what I ended up with for the trans and t case. kept all the original hardware, wire wheeled and reinstalled. I originally tried Rustoleum red oxide but found it to be too dark red, ended up using Krylon red oxide and matched the orange color perfectly. Used Duplicolor cast iron high temp engine paint and it matched pretty good to cast parts I soaked in evaporust to remove surface rust.

The last pic shows the NOS flywheel shield that came in black, some others stated it was chevy orange but I think black is correct.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by factorystock

I suggest the best way to learn about how the factory did things for each year and model, search around for some super low mileage trucks the same year as yours and learn from them.

I still think this is the best way, there is just not enough detailed factory photographs available from GM from back in the day. Since this older post, we added the great time capsule thread. IMO, it ties in well with the factory correct theme.http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...capsule+thread

[raggedjim]

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the mix on the alternator bracket, the LIFE photo of the engine assembly plant clearly shows orange brackets. These may not be truck engines, but at least SOME smallblocks got orange brackets... And I believe the year on the photo was '59.

http://www.camaros.org/images/assemb...ly-engines.jpg

But the '68 engines brochure shows black...

http://paintref.com/graphics/brochur...vpickup_11.jpg

Rg

[davepl]

Originally Posted by davepl

Almost certainly just cast iron, but of course they rust in the first weeks. I used an Eastwood product, and POR-15 and others make similar. Haven't fired it yet, but from those I spoke to it'll stay looking like that for quite a while, and you can touch it up as needed.

Since it's four years in, here's a vote for the Eastwood product, since they still look like new-cast!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the mix on the alternator bracket, the LIFE photo of the engine assembly plant clearly shows orange brackets. These may not be truck engines, but at least SOME smallblocks got orange brackets... And I believe the year on the photo was '59.

http://www.camaros.org/images/assemb...ly-engines.jpg

Just to be clear: that's the Tarrytown vehicle assembly plant (not the engine plant) - but - it certainly does re-open the "orange" alternator bracket discussion.

I can say that's not the way we did it, nor would I prefer to do it that way given the choice (my concern would be that the bracket could get bent or damaged sticking up unprotected like that). It also points out that there can be some variation between model years, depending on what the individual program teams decide.

K

[mike16]

Originally Posted by toms68cst

There is one detail about my 68 327 that is odd compared to every other small block chevy from that vintage and nearly every original small block I've seen on this site. that is the color of the alternator bracket.

I am sure my 327 bracket was orange from the factory and that's what I went with when I redid my engine a few years ago. 99.999% of all other small blocks with orange blocks seemed to have black alternator brackets. I have seen one or two other orange-bracket 68/327 trucks show up on this site over the years however.

I've had a couple people over the years tell me I did my bracket up in the wrong color and have had to argue my point.

I agree, my 68 has 13k origonal miles on it and its alt bracket is orange. I have seen color pictures of a 65 chevelle engine compartment and the alt bracket is also orange. My 72's alt bracket is black

some of those engine pictures early in the post are NOT of origonal engines. too much pitting on the exhuaste manifolds which also should be orange, paint too thick, and heater hose fittings would have been installed befor painting and would have overspray on them. I'm going to stick my neck out and state that both aluminum intakes and valve covers would have some overspray on them

I rebuilt a '67 221 t-case back in the early 80's. it was painted a red primer color that was remarkably similer to rustoleum red. ditto for the 420.

if in doubt check out NCRS standards. not perfect but pretty close.