If you take the springs apart, you will find that they look like they were painted black. In reality, I do not believe they are painted. You cannot scratch or use paint remover to get the black off. They are black because of the tempering process of heating them and cooling them. The clamps are also natural and not painted as far as I know? Replacement springs on the other hand seem to be completely painted to keep them from developing surface rust on the shelf or in storage. The 69 and earlier B-Body springs definitely do not look silver or light steel looking. They are blackened. Now the shock mounting plates, that's a separate question?