Getting jacked!! What differences 71-74.

[Topcat]

I need some clarification on the jacks used over the years.

70' was a T bar style. (I don't need)

71' was an oval square tube shape.

Were the 72-74 bars the same as the 71'?

I have a 71' lifting mechanism but I can't find the lift bar it originally had.
I took the jack apart years ago.

[Topcat]

Looking at jacks on E Bay, it appears the rods are the same from 71' and up.

I also saw that some listings said the T type jacks (earlier version) are correct for 71'.

I kinda doubt that.
My car is a December 70' and it has (had) the type that is formed, not solid T type. 

[Topcat]

Question:

What color were the 71' jack shafts originally?

I suspect they were gold Zinc plated. Is that correct?

[anlauto]

Yes

[burdar]

The T shaped masts were just painted with silver paint.  The hollow shafts were zinc-dichromate.(yellow)  Later on in 71, the bumpers were changed to the slotted style. 

Original 73 jack...

[Topcat]

Thank you

[crash340]

Can someone measure the length of a 73 Cuda jack handle please, the end with the flat tip on it, say, stand it up against a wall with the long end and flat tip agains the wall, socket end on the floor, like a hockey stick, measure from the floor upt to the tip of the flat tip please. Mine seems long

[Topcat]

Where'd you find the paint?

[burdar]

Me?

I drove around to three or four places looking for "dove" gray.  I think that's what I read everyone was using.  I could never find it.  I ended up buying a can of zinc primer that looked close.  It turned out way too light but a coat of semi-gloss clear over the top darkened it up.  It's fairly close to correct.  A little bit dark.

Totally Auto sells some too.  That's $20+ for a can though.  Driving around to three or four places, I probably have spent that in gas.

[anlauto]

Me?

  I ended up buying a can of zinc primer that looked close.  It turned out way too light but a coat of semi-gloss clear over the top darkened it up.  It's fairly close to correct.  A little bit dark.

Man you're giving away all my secrets

[burdar]

 

[Topcat]

I decided to try to get the jack paint mechanism matched and shoot it on all 3 parts that are painted Grey.
 
It was really close to being dead on to the original jack color. The guy at the paint store found a pantone that was super close. He mixed up a half pint of single stage paint and gave me some hardener.
Cost was about 45 bucks. Not bad!

I shot it last week, hung em to dry and they look sweet. 
It even has a small OEM looking drip on it.   

Trick to getting the jack mechanism off is to heat up the spiked up end and hammer it flat so you can release the jack mechanism from the jack tube. Then send out the jack tube for yellow Dichromate.
That was 55 bucks to get re plated after sand blasting it myself.

I'll post pictures tomorrow.
 

[Topcat]

Here's the pictures on my restored jack.
I might shoot a coat of clear over them.

[tommyg29]

Looks good!
I went through this a few years ago, though I bought the various parts off ebay and "restored" them.
I ended up spending a few hundred dollars (including a space saver spare in decent shape) just to end up with a more "original looking" trunk, filled with stuff I will never actually use. 

[82firebird]

Then send out the jack tube for yellow Dichromate.
That was 55 bucks to get re plated after sand blasting it myself.

I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Great job Topcat! Where did you send the jack tube for the yellow dichromate finish?