Did I read somewhere that some AAR/TAs had black leaf springs?

My T/A's were (black). But when I researching the issue a couple years ago, I was told they were sometimes found natural and sometimes black, so unless you documented your springs prior to them ever being restored or detailed, you won't know for certain which way they were.

I agree, they have been found both ways.

I just went thru this a few months ago myself.....I wiped under the dirt and crud on my AAR leafs and found black paint.
I wire brushed and used semi gloss POR15 to make like new again.

Thanks for the replies - Unfortunately mine had been stripped and painted before I got the car so I don't know what's original. I'm checking with a friend who has a car with the same SPD and is a few numbers off on the VIN. I'd like to do black I guess.

Close VINs & SPDs will not tell you much. Parts were mixed as they came in & some close VINs were built thousands of cars apart at Hamtramck.

If both cars have broadcast sheets I can tell you how many builds apart they really were, but that will not help with the leaf spring color.


I have to wonder how many cars were built with a black spring one one side & a natural spring on the other too.

The aar I did last year, original low mileage car looked to be bare, but after cleanup I found some black paint. So went with paint before reinstalling.

Troy's 30K So. Cal T/A original paint was black. If you search his username and leaf springs you'll probably find threads with pictures of his in it.

I bought Troy's T/A back in August 2010, you are correct the leaf springs were black.

Its always easier to go black on the used rusted pitted springs so you can get the pits out of them with filler and paint em. Its very hard to get a true natural look on a pitted/filled/painted set of springs.