Hood Hinges, Hood Latch & Shock Tower Caps

The Hood Hinges, Hood Latch and upper Shock Mount Cap and were Phosphate treated. Samples with the factory original coatings are shown above. If you don't want to go to the trouble of getting this special coating, you can simulate this appearance with a special spray paint (sold by Eastwood). There is also a product called "DeOxy Does It" sold by  North Coast Mustang Supply for $30/gallon which works very well. Group member Dean Louisiana has provided photos of parts he has coated with the DeOxy product.  To get this appearance, Dean wiped the part down with a rag (after treatment in Deoxy), then sprayed it with a product from Rustoleum called, "Frosted Glass Semi-transparent Finish" to get a flat clearcoat on the part. Dean's photos are below;

Hoodlatch & Bracket/Shock Tower Braces/Headlight Housing L Brackets

The hood latch bracket, headlight housing L brackets and shock tower braces used "slop gray" which started off as black. Other extra colors were thrown in at the factory to replenish the paint supply, leading to various shades of gray. For this reason, these parts could have been anything from black all the way to gray. The Hood Latch itself was believed to be Phosphate and Oil coated.

Engine Color

The engine was painted Ford Corporate Blue. It seems there were several shades of Ford Blue engine paint over the years. The correct one for the 429 CJ/SCJ engine is the one shown in the picture above  and can be best duplicated today with either Plasti-kote Ford blue #224 or DupliColor DE1621.

Engine Compartment Color

The engine compartment was satin black. A good match is Krylon Semi Gloss #1613.

Master Cylinder

The Master Cylinder, Cover and wire retainer were all black (see photos above). Note the original Master Cylinder cover has the brake fluid specification number stamped into it as is visable above right. At right is a cover from an all original 1973 Mustang with only 193 miles. The MCA also allows the replacement un-painted cover to be used. 

Hood Pin Brackets & Catch Bracket

Both the Hood Pin Brackets and the Catch Bracket were plated. The hood pin brackets were cadmium plated, which is a bare, natural looking very dull silver. The catch bracket that attached to the hood pin bracket was a shinier zinc plating, like a standard hardware store nut or bolt. An installed view of a correct bracket is shown at right. Note the two fasteners securing the Catch Bracket to the Hood Pin Bracket are phosphate and oil coated. 

Steering Box

The Steering Gear Box was left natural iron from the factory and quickly oxidized to a rust color. The aluminum portions were left natural aluminum. If you are restoring your gear box, you might want to consider painting the gear box casing with Cast Blast paint to simulate the natural iron color but prevent rusting and leave the aluminum portions natural aluminum.

P/S Pump/Brackets/etc.

The Power Steering dipstick was silver cadmium plated and the The Powersteering Pump itself was semigloss black. Ford used this same shade of semigloss on their black engine parts, pulleys, brackets, etc.

Radiator Bracket Hold down bolts were silver cadmium plated as shown in the photos above.