Author Topic: Paint Markings-Suspension and Rearend - 1965 Dearborn Mustang  (Read 855 times)

Offline Carters

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Paint Markings-Suspension and Rearend - 1965 Dearborn Mustang
« on: February 19, 2023, 01:59:26 AM »
Hello all:

I?ve only posted on this forum once.  Thought I?d try again.

I have a Dearborn Mustang Convertible.  Scheduled build date 26 February 1965.  C-code.  Three speed manual transmission.  No power steering or brakes.  Did not come originally wit A/C.

I am trying to find photos of the undercarriage from a similar car?same assembly plant, similarly equipped, built around the same time.  I?m particularly interested in the factory paint marks.  What markings would be on the front suspension?  On the rear axle, driveshaft, and third member?  If you have pictures or descriptions of the marks, I?d appreciate your responding.

Thanks in advance.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2023, 04:46:15 PM by J_Speegle »

Offline carlite65

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Re: Paint Markings-Suspension and Rearend - 1965 Dearborn Mustang
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2023, 09:33:40 AM »
welcome. looks like you have 3 posts. have you looked in the library section here? there is a wealth of info to be had. you just might find what you are after.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2023, 04:46:33 PM by J_Speegle »
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Offline Carters

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Re: Paint Markings-Suspension and Rearend - 1965 Dearborn Mustang
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2023, 10:44:10 AM »
I?ve been pouring over threads in the library.  I?ve found some helpful things, but most I?ve seen have been SJ cars or discussions that were not quite germane to what I?m after. 

As I mentioned earlier, any help is greatly appreciated.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2023, 04:46:24 PM by J_Speegle »

Offline J_Speegle

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Re: Paint Markings-Suspension and Rearend - 1965 Dearborn Mustang
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2023, 06:02:08 PM »
Note that I modified the title to better reflect what you are focusing on in your opening post.

One thing to consider it that some of the marks you are looking for are shared with all three plants since subassembly plants such as Sterling (for the rear end) supplied all three plants. There will be some markings or marking that was applied at the specific plants for their internal purposes. At the same time things like shocks were most of the time different between east and western US due to different suppliers. Another challenge is that there is always the possibility that a mark we find on one car might be the only car that ever received that mark so we collect and compare to help try and determine what are the common markings that were shared with most if not all of the same applications.

Also we know its tempting for others to "copy" or "migrate" paint markings read or seen from one application to another. This is not suggested and in turn you will likely lead someone else in the wrong direction as they might see your markings and assume you did your home work and they are correct.  Please don't be that guy!

Thanks for providing the necessary information so that we can provide some details

Standard language we always like to post with paint mark information is as follows :)
Paint marks are not always required if your considering showing your car but if present they can be the source of deductions if incorrect or applied incorrectly.
Paint marks do not make up for having not chosen to do other details as they were done originally or make a poor reproduction look more like an original part. It only draws the eye to and highlights the shortcomings.

I have a Dearborn Mustang Convertible.  Scheduled build date 26 February 1965.  C-code.  Three speed manual transmission.  No power steering or brakes.  Did not come originally wit A/C.

I am trying to find photos of the undercarriage from a similar car?same assembly plant, similarly equipped, built around the same time.  I?m particularly interested in the factory paint marks. 

What markings would be on the front suspension? 

On the rear axle, driveshaft, and third member? 

If you have pictures or descriptions of the marks, I?d appreciate your responding.


Since we don't have built sheets to help wit figuring out these things like the later years do we rely on original examples alone and to be honest not many 3 speed cars were built and maintained from the early years. Leaving us with gaps in some areas.

So lets start but please each one of these findings can take up to an hour each to find, cross check and confirm as well as we can at this moment

Spindles - Both sides - steering arm with a messy large application of both pink and yellow.  Small dot/daub on the interior surface of the lower ball joint knuckle. Remember the spindles were dark heat treated steel with freshly machined surfaces and test patch.

Steering Stops - Large red swipe along the inside surface as shown in the picture




Pittman Arm - Approx 1/2" wide stripe around arm on at least three sides. Not enough C or A non-PS code examples to confirm color 

Idler Arm - On the support arm attached to the frame rail - One forest green stripes horizontally often between the two mounting hole. The idler arm approx 1/2" wide stripe around at least three sides. Not enough C or A non-PS code examples to confirm color 

Driveshaft - Didn't respond to your earlier driveshaft request since I only have one example from a different plant about 4 months prior to your build period


If your interested in the rear spring markings it would really help to know what the engineering number is on the short leaves so we can match those to known and documented examples.


More later
Jeff Speegle

Anything worth doing is worth doing concours ;)

Offline Carters

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Re: Paint Markings-Suspension and Rearend - 1965 Dearborn Mustang
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2023, 10:10:48 PM »
Thank you, Jeff.  Your response was helpful.  A number of the parts on my car have been painted over, so some of the markings might be lost for good.

Since I last posted about the driveshaft, I have been able to get in and look it over.  I did see some very faint indications of two stripes though I couldn?t make out a color other than there appeared to be a little bit of light colored paint.  The stripes appear close together about a third of the way down the shaft from the differential.  A couple of weeks ago I put a small dab (a couple of inches is all) of Evaporust gel on the driveshaft.  It looked like there was one white stripe.  It also looked like there was the yellow tube number.  When the weather gets a little nicer and I have more time, I want to soak my driveshaft in a trough of Evaporust and see what shows up.  If there is anything good, I?ll pass the information along to you.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2023, 10:34:48 PM by Carters »