What is the correct color for 70-72 crossmembers?
I've seen black and silver. Which is it?

 

I don't know what is correct but on my W-30 I am doing, Under the washers it was still very clean. Mine was silver or bare steel. My car had no undercoat so on a car that was undercoated I would not know.

 

Most of us are restoring these cars better than they ever were. Most of the parts were poorly painted or not painted at all. They usually coated the whole bottom with black,so they looked good on the car lot.
I would like to get all of the chassis' to my cars done within a year,and focus on getting them painted in the next few years.
I found a few private painters to research. Looks like $10k is the average number for a paintjob. Same as Thornton.
I've had my one 70 since 1995,and haven't finished it simply because I can't find the right painter. It's not the cost,it's making sure it's the best possible.I've seen way too many people claim to be awesome painters,only to look at some of their work an realize that they suck.
The guy that groomed me was one of the best around,but moved in the 90's.He would do all of the work,then stick his wife in the booth to spray them.They were amazing.

 

Brian their is a guy somewhere in the Erie area that did excellent paint I will have to see if he is still around he was about 5 yrs ago. A buddy of mine would use him when he needed paint work done high quality stuff. I will get back to you asap.

 

There are painters here,but usually not up to my standards. A lot of jobs look like show-quality,until you get all over it.Just simply wash,dry,and wax a car,where you see every angle and inch,and you can soon pick out a good job from bad.
Then there are the stripes. They make or break the whole job. How some people can have gorgeous paintjobs,then butcher the whole thing with lousy stripes,is beyond me.

 

The trans crossmembers were painted black from the factory. I have disassembled many cars from all over the country (well over 100) all were painted.I have owned lots of original low mile cars all were painted. When we do a restoration we paint the crossmember.

Greg

 

That's what I thought. All of mine were black,but then I saw Inline Tube's 72,and a few of their others,and some of theirs had silver crossmembers,so I wasn't sure what the reason was.

 

They think thats correct but its not for an Olds.

Greg

 

Could the black color,then possible lack of paint have anything to do with pre & post strike?
I am guessing when I saw them silver,they were supposed to mimmick bare steel.

 

i would go with the ram air black
.................................................. .................................................. .....................

 

How about the driver side valve cover with an "X" on it towards the front of the car like theirs has. In all my years of owning and looking at 70-72 Cutlii I have never seen that on any other car but theirs and those that copied their car.

Not saying it didn't happen but I see a lot of stickers/markings on cars I bet never were on there in the first place.

 

lol, That was a 72 W-30 only thing. My 16,000 mile 72 W-30 still had the X but was marked with a thin marker and not a thick one like theres. At the nationals I seen it on several years and even 350 engines.

 

The crossmembers are not actually painted they are ecoated just like core supports,sheetmetal etc.

Greg

 

Yes,but black sounds like the color. I plan on doing all my crossmembers in a batch together,then pick out the best ones.