Heater motor questions

[fireguyfire]

I've removed the heater box out of my 73 challenger and am restoring it.
The steel plate that the actual motor is mounted to is quite rusty. Was this metal panel originally bare steel? Just want to restore it to factory correct or as close as possible.
Also, as you can see the heater motor that goes through the firewall was badly brush painted in silver paint a long time ago.
What was the original finish on the heater motor itself?

[Bullitt-]

plate was galvanized I believe... I've had some luck removing light rust with Evapo-Rust
motor is a low luster black, 

[fireguyfire]

Pic

[fireguyfire]

Hey Bullitt (great name by the way); how did you apply the evapo-rust onto the galvanized plate?
I was considering bead blasting mine but that would remove the galvanizing.

[Bullitt-]

cookie pan & soak a rag for the elevated area

[Burdar]

I didn't see any galvanizing on mine.  It just looked bare metal.  You can't see it once installed so no one will know if you spray bomb it with some Rustoleum.





I answered the motor color question in one of your other posts.   The earlier years were plated silver zinc.  Your 73 should be black.  Here's the back side of the motor still attached to the metal backing plate.  It had never been removed before.  The black paint was pretty glossy.  I have no doubt that the crappy paint used back then dulled quickly.  I sprayed mine gloss black.

[fireguyfire]

I re brought up the motor finish question because when I stripped the silver overpaint off, my motor is bare metal with a "42" on it; don't see any paint even under the cardboard washer where it bolts to the metal plate.
I'll paint her up semi gloss black!

[Burdar]

There should be a part # and date code stamped on it too.  On mine, the part # and date code are facing down when the motor is installed.  Check to make sure your motor is original and not a replacement.

[fireguyfire]

Numbers on the heater motor are;

3502-296
42166 1763