SPINDLE

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

Hi--I am restoring DOZA  3018-7 spindles---where they painted in factory, if so can anyone help with color--thank you--John                   P.S.--If anybody needs 3018 C I have 2 extras. and Mitchel has both 7 and 8 in really good shape                       

[J_Speegle]

No - Spindles were not painted at the factory or any place originally. There were cast heat treated steel then machined so you will have basically two different tone or finishes in the metal. One the darker cast surfaces then the bright machined surfaces.  You will also find a small spot on the spindle where a worker ground a spot and tested the metal leaving a small depression. How dark the heat treated surface were appears to be dependent on how fresh/used the cooling tank was when they were dipped

Some examples - your monitor may show lighter or darker pictures due to different settings

Test "patch" can be seen in this first picture - lower left on the back surface of the spindle



The "shadow" on the face (machined surface) is where the surface coating - oil - had been applied when the picture was taken


Hope this helps

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

Thank you

[Bob Gaines]

Some examples - your monitor may show lighter or darker pictures due to different settings








Hope this helps

As mentioned I would caution to those reading that the color on a monitor may sometimes not show a true representation. For instance if you didn't know better the picture Jeff posted would look almost black to some.  Black is not a true representation of what typically a new factory spindle looks like.   The true color has a dark blueish gray tint to it. 

[J_Speegle]

Just to provide some additional examples and similar but somewhat different lighting and camera settings.

Freshly cleaned 69 spindle (small suspension) before it was restored and reoiled. At this point the cast finish is very flat and chalky so when  oiled or coated the cast will darken somewhat and the contrast between that surface and the machine surface will increase




A NOS example - Still has a protecting coating/oil/wax that will darken the flat quenched finish like the ones installed on the assembly line would have had




And an original big suspension spindle on an unrestored car



Hope these all help explain what we're attempting to describe and help others going through the same challenges as you are


Helps allot that things don't rust as badly here locally

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

Thank you----perhaps I should just clean it with degreaser or perhaps brakes cleaner and follow with hot oil bath---

[Bob Gaines]

If the spindle has already been bead blasted then the original finish is gone and you would have to come up with a faux finish using paint etc. to duplicate the look . If it has not been blasted and is otherwise not rusted you may be able to clean it up and oil it . I know some spindles covered in grease are very well preserved and after cleaning need a minimal amount of touch up to make them look assemblyline. You will have to use your best judgment on what to do based on what your expectations are for a finished part.

[CharlesTurner]

Thank you----perhaps I should just clean it with degreaser or perhaps brakes cleaner and follow with hot oil bath---

If they're original, best to start with parts cleaner like mineral spirits.  Brake cleaner will likely remove any original paint marks.

Evapo-rust does something weird to spindles, turns the coating to a brownish/rust color.

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

Thank you very much ---spray 9 and dish soap

[bluemax]

Same basic subject, but a different question.

The attached picture shows the RH spindle off my 6S235. I have not started to clean it yet as my question concerns the yellow and pink paint markings.

The yellow "stripe" is much larger/longer than what I have seen on other "restored" cars. The pink color can be seen within the red circle in the picture.

Is what I have here considered normal and correct for my car?

[J_Speegle]

Same basic subject, but a different question.

The attached picture shows the RH spindle off my 6S235. I have not started to clean it yet as my question concerns the yellow and pink paint markings.

The yellow "stripe" is much larger/longer than what I have seen on other "restored" cars. The pink color can be seen within the red circle in the picture.

Is what I have here considered normal and correct for my car?

Some  (little or allot) of the originally applied paint marks have likely dropped or wore off over the years. How much - no one can say. These were applied with a fairly large brush with little care other than to serve the purpose to mark the arm with each color so workers on the line could identify the part quickly. 

Would not say this is a typical amount or as much as I've seen or documented on other examples but would not change what I found so that every car looks exactly like another - one reason I hesitate showing marks on forums. Took much of an opportunity to create a bunch of cookie cutter cars with each looking exactly line one another - unlike they were originally built.

[Bob Gaines]

Same basic subject, but a different question.

The attached picture shows the RH spindle off my 6S235. I have not started to clean it yet as my question concerns the yellow and pink paint markings.

The yellow "stripe" is much larger/longer than what I have seen on other "restored" cars. The pink color can be seen within the red circle in the picture.

Is what I have here considered normal and correct for my car?

Some  (little or allot) of the originally applied paint marks have likely dropped or wore off over the years. How much - no one can say. These were applied with a fairly large brush with little care other than to serve the purpose to mark the arm with each color so workers on the line could identify the part quickly. 

Would not say this is a typical amount or as much as I've seen or documented on other examples but would not change what I found so that every car looks exactly like another - one reason I hesitate showing marks on forums. Took much of an opportunity to create a bunch of cookie cutter cars with each looking exactly line one another - unlike they were originally built.

+1. There is a range of variation.