I'm putting a new carpet in my Charger and I figured I'd detail a few other things. The Gas pedal bracket under the dash that bolts to the firewall appears to be original and had a light patina on it. I popped it in the glass bead cabinet and couldn't find any residual black paint. Looking at some restored cars, it looks like this bracket is painted flat or satin black. What is the consensus here, natural or black?

Both my Challenger and my Dart had some type of gray coating on the gas pedal arm and bracket. Maybe phosphate? They weren't painted but weren't bare metal either.

Black phosphate.

Looks like a real dark flat grey

Otherwise known as Parkerizing or manganese phosphate, the same finish as on military firearms since WWI and many tools.

Also the same finish as on most Mopar fasteners and drum brake backing plates. Relatively cheap and easy to do with stainless pots, gunsmithing chemicals, and a stable electric heat source that will hold the chemicals at 190 degrees F, and a good thermometer. A camp stove will not work. Parts must be clean, bare metal - I cleaned with vinegar and wire brushing with very good results. For parts to be left unpainted, coat with RPM wax which darkens.

Kent - That's some lab you got set up there. Parts look great. I've used the cold applied block phosphate (blue liquid) that got from Casswell (spelling). You dip a clean bolt or bracket in a 90-10 water/phosphate solution for about 10 minutes. Turns the part black but leaves a slight rust color residue and doesn't really last long unless you clearcoat it. Your process seems much more durable.

Yes, there’s a very good reason that military firearms (and Mopar fasteners, gas pedal brackets, and brake backing plates) are surface finished with Parkerizing or manganese phosphating, a hot process, rather than the Caswell black oxide cold process.