To paint or not to paint? that is the question.

[showard]

I cleaned up my hood hinges and sand blasted them in my blasting cabinet preparing them for paint. I was asking my painter about them and his suggestion was not to paint them but to leave them natural. His thought was that after taking them on and off and the spring stretching that they would chip up and look worse than leaving them alone. He seams to think that they were not painted from the factory but I thought that that was factory paint that I sand blasted off. He would be glad to paint them if that was what I wanted to do. I was trying to remember what I have seen on other restored cars. I have seen chromed ones but I don’t want them chromed.

My question is: What are some of your suggestions? Do I paint it yellow like my car, or coat it with something etc?
(I am going to paint my car yellow and the engine bay will also be yellow.)



My hinges after sand blasting them.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Your painter has inhaled too many paint fumes and is now brain damaged. Of course you paint the springs rather than let them rust.

 

[Photon440]

They were painted from the factory and didn't chip up.

 

[Propwash]

Your painter has inhaled too many paint fumes and is now brain damaged. Of course you paint the springs rather than let them rust.

Hehehehehe......



Dave's not here man!

 

[moparcrazy]

Yuup...Paint them !!they will hold up better plus look Clean and No i don't think that its going to chip !! Good Luck with your Build...make sure to post some pic's !!

 

[showard]

Thank you,
That is what I thought. I will continue with my plan to have them painted.

- - - Updated - - -

Yuup...Paint them !!they will hold up better plus look Clean and No i don't think that its going to chip !! Good Luck with your Build...make sure to post some pic's !!

Thank you, I did start a restoration thread at http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?78137-My-charger-restoration-dream-car

 

[benno440]

a decent paint has some elasticity and will not crack over the springs. cheap paint most likely will, definetly paint them yellow, or spend $800 and get billet hood hinges witht the gas strut

 

[Cornpatch MO]

a decent paint has some elasticity and will not crack over the springs. cheap paint most likely will, definetly paint them yellow, or spend $800 and get billet hood hinges witht the gas strut

You don't need to worry about the paint chipping---what you do need to worry about is how you are going to get the paint in between the coils when the spring is not stretched. Also how to get on both sides of the linkage. Good Luck!!.....................MO

 

[5wndwcpe]

Hehehehehe......



Dave's not here man!

Extra slice of raisin pie to Will for the Cheech & Chong reference.

 

[jag_mopar]

The last set I did, I took the springs off and painted everything separately. make sure you paint them while open and closed.

 

[Sonny Black]

Sonny says; Paint :eusa_think:

 

[Cranky]

Hope you got all the sand out of them.....not that easy with the pins etc....and yeah, they came painted from the factory.

 

[WileERobby]

What they said.

 

[snakeoil24]

Put the springs in a reversed spring compressor and when stretched blast em and then paint em.

 

[Ron 73]

I would say paint them, originally they were and if your car is going to be yellow then thats what they should look like, When i did my 73 i painted all the under hood black, i just always liked it but when im done with my present project, Im going to paint the 73 again, more then likely a different color and it will be the way Ma Mopar made it including no RR decals... A little different and a whole lot right...

 

[Bruzilla]

Since they've been blasted, and the car is yellow, I would have them clear coated. I like contrasts under the hood as it prevents everything from getting swallowed up by the body and engine colors, and I agree chrome would be too much, but a steel finish would look pretty nice.

 

[Photon440]

Yellow zinc chromate wouldn't look bad either.

 

[showard]

This is why I like this site. Evryone's suggestions have been very helpful. I do like both Bruzilla and Photon's ideas. I also like contrasts under the hood.

 

[Budnicks]

if you do paint them go light/thin, don't gob it on or it will probably flake or chip much easier
good luck

 

[iraqivet01]

You don't need to worry about the paint chipping---what you do need to worry about is how you are going to get the paint in between the coils when the spring is not stretched. Also how to get on both sides of the linkage. Good Luck!!.....................MO

We use an engine hoist and a timing belt to stretch the spring. Just paint the hook parts first and let it dry. Done it numerous times on projects.