Hey guys - finally tackled the upholstery and have broken down the bucket seats. Do you recommend painting the seat tracks, and, for that matter, the frames? They were all bare metal when originally installed. The tracks had some surface rust, which was easy to remove with a wire wheel. I thought about painting them, then it occurred to me that it might affect how they slide. Besides, after 46 years the surface rust was pretty minimal. Maybe just a light coating of lubicant - WD 40, etc. I guess the same would go for the frames - why paint?
I went through the same thing some 20 years ago when I restored the interior on on mine. I am a huge fan of factory looks and function so I just left it the way it should be. I did use WD40 to not only clean it but also as a lubrication. Still looking good and functioning fine today.
After cleaning, I sprayed my tracks and frames with a product called Crystal Clear, a 1k clear that can be removed with solvent at a later date if need be but it stops the rust. Its used mostly on boats(aluminum, brass, stainless).
Thanks Marc, Thanks Neill. I think what I'll do is mask off the moving / sliding parts and springs and hit them with WD40 or silicone, then mask again and Crystal Clear (low sheen) the non-moving parts to protect from corrosion after having invested my time and effort in cleaning them. Will also Crystal Clear the bucket frames. I also like the idea of factory looks and function. Thanks again.
