1969 GT 350 disc brake finish

[aboss4tg]

Another detail question. 

On the front disc brake pads, are they natural color/finish or the metal body painted similar to the rear brake drums with the Black paint applied so not able to see thru the rims.

[Bob Gaines]

Another detail question. 

On the front disc brake pads, are they natural color/finish or the metal body painted similar to the rear brake drums with the Black paint applied so not able to see thru the rims.

The outside face of the caliper which is the part that is seen through the spokes of a wheel such as the 69/70 Shelby wheel was  brush painted a flat or semi gloss black so as not to show rust. just like with the rear drums the paint was applied with a brush so you should see signs of irregular brush strokes and not the rounded edges of spray painting.

[TOBKOB]

Here are a couple of shots of drums and rotors on #2060...

TOB

[TOBKOB]

Another shot showing how neat they applied the paint...

[Special Ed]

Never seen black paint on rotor hub face as that area isn't seen after wheel is installed.

[68stangcjfb]

Would the black paint on the calipers apply to '68 Shelby's with optional wheels & Mustangs with styled steel wheels?

[Bob Gaines]

Would the black paint on the calipers apply to '68 Shelby's with optional wheels & Mustangs with styled steel wheels?

68 Shelby's had steel wheels that completely obscure the calipers from view.

[aboss4tg]

Appreciate your responses.

With the front brake pads installed you see the metal backing of the pads showing the Gold finish. Are these painted to hide the finish?

[Bob Gaines]

Appreciate your responses.

With the front brake pads installed you see the metal backing of the pads showing the Gold finish. Are these painted to hide the finish?

I believe you are over thinking it. Just the outside cast iron was meant to be covered so to eliminate the flash rust look through the spokes.  After the caliper assembly is installed a quick brushing with the paint brush . I doubt it was intentional to get into cracks and crevices. Given this scenario there is a range of coverage seen from one to another.

[pbf777]

     Right or wrong from the perspective of "correctness", and one realizes that Shelby's preparations may not have always been correct, but the surfaces that are clamped upon mounting the wheel, that is the axle face, front & back of drum or rotor hub were not intended to painted, at least from the engineering perspective, and were not from Ford Motor Co., originally.

     The cause for concern if painted, first would be the unknown coefficient of friction value provided between the painted surfaces, and also that in service the paint will migrate out from under the loaded surfaces, and may effect the resultant clamp load provided by the fasteners, depending on the thickness and sum of the material lost.  Hence, the wheel may fly-off!        The steel wheels were allowed to be painted due to the limited area engaged, and generally the paint present was immediately displaced upon the first installation.  One will find that most alloy wheels presenting more surface contact area are also devoid of paint on the surfaces in contact, either appearing to have been machined post paint application or perhaps only masked prior to paint application.     

     Scott.

     

[Bob Gaines]

     Right or wrong from the perspective of "correctness", and one realizes that Shelby's preparations may not have always been correct, but the surfaces that are clamped upon mounting the wheel, that is the axle face, front & back of drum or rotor hub were not intended to painted, at least from the engineering perspective, and were not from Ford Motor Co., originally.

     The cause for concern if painted, first would be the unknown coefficient of friction value provided between the painted surfaces, and also that in service the paint will migrate out from under the loaded surfaces, and may effect the resultant clamp load provided by the fasteners, depending on the thickness and sum of the material lost.  Hence, the wheel may fly-off!        The steel wheels were allowed to be painted due to the limited area engaged, and generally the paint present was immediately displaced upon the first installation.  One will find that most alloy wheels presenting more surface contact area are also devoid of paint on the surfaces in contact, either appearing to have been machined post paint application or perhaps only masked prior to paint application.     

     Scott.

     

Scott, you are mis informed if you think the rear brake drums of deluxe wheel cars were not brush painted the black out on the Ford assemblyline . Regardless of your explanation it was apparently not a big concern to Ford engineers given it was done during Fords watch.  This goes for steel (in the case of Boss) along with aluminum center deluxe wheels in the case of the 69/70 Shelby. In many cases the paint is still thick and wet when the wheels were installed given the drip marks transferred to the installed wheel in many examples. The extra drips on rims is more often seen on magnum wheels which of course were not installed at AO smith where the Shelby's were transformed. It is also covered in some of the assemblyline manuals.

[pbf777]

      I stand corrected, as I do not disagree with the observations pointed out by Mr. Gaines.  An example on my part, of a lack of thought before opening mouth (or typing)!          O.K. I forgot,.........please don't beat me!       

      But as a note, I think this instance is an anomaly and perhaps unique, and is an example of a "quick-fix" that perhaps wasn't "sighed off" on by everyone who would have been involved in the decision making process if coloration of the exposed drum surfaces had been intend in the original engineering endeavour.  As I believe has been suggested (I don't know, I wasn't there), the application of paint out of a bucket(?) with what appears to have been an oversized paint brush, sloped on inconsistently in coverage or density seems lacking in what one would anticipate in an efficient assembly line process.  I wonder even if so, perhaps there were instructions of what was to be covered and what was not, and although if so, a failure of execution existed, a situation salvaged perhaps by mounting the wheel knowingly before the paint was permitted to dry thoroughly, and therefore readily displaced upon torquing?

      But it still holds true and proper, I should have said: one "should not" paint these surfaces for the reasons stated, and Ford Motor Company (and others) most often practiced such with rare exception, but perhaps for "correctness" in this instance, just be sure to bolt your wheels on before the paint dries!       

     Scott.

       

[shelbymann1970]

      I stand corrected, as I do not disagree with the observations pointed out by Mr. Gaines.  An example on my part, of a lack of thought before opening mouth (or typing)!          O.K. I forgot,.........please don't beat me!       

      But as a note, I think this instance is an anomaly and perhaps unique, and is an example of a "quick-fix" that perhaps wasn't "sighed off" on by everyone who would have been involved in the decision making process if coloration of the exposed drum surfaces had been intend in the original engineering endeavour.  As I believe has been suggested (I don't know, I wasn't there), the application of paint out of a bucket(?) with what appears to have been an oversized paint brush, sloped on inconsistently in coverage or density seems lacking in what one would anticipate in an efficient assembly line process.  I wonder even if so, perhaps there were instructions of what was to be covered and what was not, and although if so, a failure of execution existed, a situation salvaged perhaps by mounting the wheel knowingly before the paint was permitted to dry thoroughly, and therefore readily displaced upon torquing?

      But it still holds true and proper, I should have said: one "should not" paint these surfaces for the reasons stated, and Ford Motor Company (and others) most often practiced such with rare exception, but perhaps for "correctness" in this instance, just be sure to bolt your wheels on before the paint dries!       

     Scott.

     

While from an engineering perspective this is all true I will say I have been painting rear drums "cast iron"(and black centers) paint for 35 years now on restorations and have NEVER had a wheel fly off of any of my cars. Maybe due to correct torque specs of the wheels and re-checking them soon after a  test drive?  Gary