Diff Housing Assy Paint

[Michael H.]

I have a question on a 61. Is/was the entire differential housing including differential, backing plates, drums and axles painted as an assembly before it was installed on the chassis or was it coated during final blackout? (same question for all 53-62)

I think it was painted completely before installation on the chassis but I'm not sure.

If painted as an assembly, would the parking brake cables have chassis black on a foot or so on the ends that attached to the backing plate?

Would there be some pictures in the Noland Adams book?

[Michael H.]

Re: Diff Housing Assy Paint

So, no one has a clue about this? After 35 years of research on these cars, is there not one C1 member that knows how this was done? Or is there no interest?

[Gary C.]

Re: Diff Housing Assy Paint

Michael,

Easy there big fellow as they used to say on TV.

Good source for '61 is the MIRA report. A new '61 was taken completely apart. You can download it from Rob Musquetier's C1 registry site. Here's the download link http://www.c1registry.com/downloads/...e_Analysis.pdf

The photos are black and white. But they do show what was painted. Good example is the front wheel hubs with and without the chatter springs.

Gary
....

[Michael H.]

Re: Diff Housing Assy Paint

Michael,Easy there big fellow as they used to say on TV.Good source for '61 is the MIRA report. A new '61 was taken completely apart. You can download it from Rob Musquetier's C1 registry site. Here's the download link http://www.c1registry.com/downloads/...e_Analysis.pdfThe photos are black and white. But they do show what was painted. Good example is the front wheel hubs with and without the chatter springs.Gary....

Thank you Gary. I was beginning to think this was a very difficult question.

[Michael H.]

Re: Diff Housing Assy Paint

Michael,

Easy there big fellow as they used to say on TV.

Good source for '61 is the MIRA report. A new '61 was taken completely apart. You can download it from Rob Musquetier's C1 registry site. Here's the download link http://www.c1registry.com/downloads/...e_Analysis.pdf

The photos are black and white. But they do show what was painted. Good example is the front wheel hubs with and without the chatter springs.

Gary
....

Great pictures. I think I found the proof that I was looking for. In one picture, it appears that the center hub of the axle is coated in black which proves that the drum and all internal brake components were in place when the assembly was painted. If the axle was already installed, that means the center section/differential had to also be in place when the assembly was painted so the nuts, studs and gasket would also have a coating of black paint. And if the brakes and drums were installed prior to painting the assembly, that means that the parking brake cables would have been installed and would have black paint on at least the first 8-10" as they exit the backing plate. So we now know that the entire rear end assembly was painted in one piece.

Still no proof that it was done before or after it was installed on the chassis until I discovered something in another one of the pictures. The brake drum and axle hub has a very obvious great big X painted across it's face in what appears to be white or some other light color. I suppose this is a indication that the assembly is for the metallic brake option? (not sure on the option but in any case, it's there to identify something) That big X would have been applied before the complete assembly was painted. It wouldn't make sense to paint the X after the complete assembly is bolted to the chassis so that means the X was there before installation but after paint. That proves that the complete rear end assembly, including differential, backing plates, drums, all brake components and part of the parking brake cables arrived on the assembly line completely coated in chassis black.

Thanks to deductive reasoning and great pictures from Rob, I've learned something. Now if I can just convince the buddy that is restoring his 61 that this was the proper way to restore it.