Paint Shocks on 1970

[George C.]

I am getting ready to spray paint the new black Delco shocks with Quanta Shock Paint.

I know that I need to cover "Made in Mexico" with JB Weld.

Any other markings need to be covered with JB Weld before painting?

[Joe L.]

Re: Paint Shocks on 1970

I am getting ready to spray paint the new black Delco shocks with Quanta Shock Paint.

I know that I need to cover "Made in Mexico" with JB Weld.

Any other markings need to be covered with JB Weld before painting?

George------

I don't think these shocks have "Delco" embossed anywhere on them. So, once you remove the labels there will be absolutely no way of a judge confirming they are Delco shocks so as to award partial credit for that.

[Edward J.]

Re: Paint Shocks on 1970

Joe, no matter how you dice it up, judging after market or Delco shocks it will be a 40% deduct of the point value, George I would not worry about putting JB weld on the letters. Just spray them and install labels make them pretty. the current shocks are not anything like originals.

[Peter G.]

Re: Paint Shocks on 1970

So leave AC Delco labels on or take off? There were no labels on original shocks just the Delco embossments and broadcast stickers.

I would take the "Made in Mexico" off by filling in with JB Weld before painting.

[Joe L.]

Re: Paint Shocks on 1970

So leave AC Delco labels on or take off? There were no labels on original shocks just the Delco embossments and broadcast stickers.

I would take the "Made in Mexico" off by filling in with JB Weld before painting.

Peter------


Personally, I would remove the labels. Here's why I previously suggested otherwise: I believe there is a certain amount of judging credit given if replacement shocks are Delco. In the old days, non-original Delco shocks could be identified by that brand embossed on the lower part of the shock tube. However, Delco no longer manufactures shock absorbers and shock manufacture is out-sourced to other manufacturers. These manufacturers do not emboss "Delco" on the shocks. The only way that they are identified as Delco is by the rather large, gaudy, stick-on labels. So, I do not understand how the credit for Delco-brand shocks can be garnered if the labels are removed.

[Terry M.]

Re: Paint Shocks on 1970

Peter------


Personally, I would remove the labels. Here's why I previously suggested otherwise: I believe there is a certain amount of judging credit given if replacement shocks are Delco. In the old days, non-original Delco shocks could be identified by that brand embossed on the lower part of the shock tube. However, Delco no longer manufactures shock absorbers and shock manufacture is out-sourced to other manufacturers. These manufacturers do not emboss "Delco" on the shocks. The only way that they are identified as Delco is by the rather large, gaudy, stick-on labels. So, I do not understand how the credit for Delco-brand shocks can be garnered if the labels are removed.

Joe

Years ago there was a credit given for OEM (AC Delco, Guide, Packard Electric, etc.) parts, but since Delco and the rest no longer manufacture anything we changed the judging criteria. We now strictly judge originality based on the deviations from original Configuration, Date, Completeness, Installation and Finish (CDCIF). It no longer matters who makes the part. Of course if an AC Delco stamp was on the original part, the lack of such a stamp would be cause for a deduction to the extent that the configuration is different. Similarly if the configuration of the part (shock absorber in the case at hand) tells us that the part was made after the car was built we can infer a date even if none is present on the part. So a service replacement shock, even if bought "over-the-counter" would receive a configuration deduction (perhaps also for reasons beyond the lack of AC Delco embossment) and a date deduction. Each of those metrics could be up to 20% of the available originality points for each shock.

To dig just a little deeper: the configuration may or may not be the entire 20% depending ont he degree of deviation, but the date is pretty much a go or no go.