1911 bolt & nut painting

[It's Bill]

Questions for the historians out there: I am detailing my freshly rebuilt engine and transmission prior to installing it back in the chassis of my 1911 touring T. All those shiny nuts and bolts are going to corrode unless they are protected somehow. I remember reading that during assembly on the line someone would brush paint such areas. Did they do this before the assembly line days when the cars were hand built? If so, does anyone know how this was done? Did they dip a round brush into a can of paint and simply slop some on the bare steel? Or was more care taken? Thanks in advance for any insights, Bill

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Certainly not the original technique, but I sometimes clearcoat nut & bolts to prevent corrosion. Really though, most of my T's automatically distribute a preservative layer of oil onto the entire chassis.

[Steve Jelf]

I don't know how they were done originally, but I'm not making hundreds of cars a day. I can take the time to paint them all chassis color before I use them. After derusting I prep with 50/50 phosphoric acid, wipe thoroughly dry, and paint. The acid etches the metal for paint adhesion and prevents rust from forming under the paint. If I have to use any modern fasteners I strip off the cad plating with muriatic acid because paint doesn't stick to it.