| Author | Message | ||
     Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 802 Registered: 6-2009 |
On SRH33576 the wiper arms are painted matte black. With age, there has been some chipping on that paint and it's clear that the arms themselves are chromed beneath it. The quality of the paint work itself doesn't make it look like this was a do-it-yourself job. The car is European spec and started out its life in the UK between 1978 and 1981, "disappeared" from any records I can find between 1981 and 1986, and then was imported to Florida. LRK37110 was a US delivery car and it has chrome wiper arms and still has the original chrome blades on it, which I haven't seen for sale in any automotive parts supply for years now. I think you can still get them from marine parts suppliers. It's gotten miserable trying to find simple blade inserts for sale in the US. Everything is now marketed as the full blade and all are invariably matte black. Did Crewe ever issue matte black wiper arms during the SY period for certain markets? Brian | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1383 Registered: 4-2003 |
I recall the change sometime in the 1970/1980 era to matte black wiper arms from chrome/mirror finish stainless steel due to "problems" with drivers being dazzled by sun reflecting off the "mirror" finish and claiming this caused accidents. I cannot remember if there was ever an edict banning the chrome wiper assemblies; perhaps the "powers that be" relied on attrition solving the problem when the only replacement parts available would be matte black. As far as I am aware, the Shadow wipers were bright mirror finish however this may have changed in the final years of manufacture in response to individual markets similar to Shadows destined for California having different emission controls than cars sold elsewhere in the USA. The previous custodian of your car may have preferred the matte non-reflective finish and painted the wipers black. You could get a definitive answer from a Shadow series RROC concours judge or another member of this forum may have specific knowledge. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1197 Registered: 6-2006 |
There was a point where stainless (bright silver) wiper blades were not available. RR issues a mod which involved black wiper arms and blades. Of course many people just sprayed their arms black or continued to use their silver arms and used black blades. Stainless blades are now readily available. Australia did have some strange anti-dazzle ideas and specified that the indicator and gear shift stalks were black not chrome. These were also painted / powder coated black and the chrome is still underneath, often showing through where the screen wash push moves up and down the stalk. If your finish is chipping off, there is a good chance you can get all the coating off and revert to silver. If stuck, The rubbers in black blades often fit (with a fiddle) into the silver blade fittings. I think that was what we mostly did at the time. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 804 Registered: 6-2009 |
Thanks for the input. I know that SRH33576 also has the black painted indicator and gear shift stalks. I also know they're chromed beneath. I don't think that LRK37110 has any paint on any of these things. I thought that this must be a delivery market "issue" since LRK37110 is a model year younger than SRH33576 and had a full transition occurred should also have the black painted features. Brian, who actually prefers the matte black wiper arms and blades | ||
| Bob Reynolds Frequent User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 88 Registered: 8-2012 |
I thought this was just a fashion thing. In the 70's there was a move away from chrome fittings on cars, to black plastic fittings. Things like bumpers, grille, door and boot handles, wiper arms, mirrors, etc. all changed to matt black, and I assume this was mainly done for cost reasons. Manufacturers argued that these were superior to chrome because they were cheaper to replace, didn't go rusty, and didn't need polishing! Once they realised they could get away with this, virtually all cars soon had matt black or body-coloured fittings, and chrome was nowhere to be found on new cars. I don't know whether Rolls-Royce followed this trend or not (you didn't see a lot of Rolls-Royces on the road)  But generally, the wiper arms were always colour-coordinated with the rest of the external fittings. I have never heard about this anti-dazzle issue before, nor of any UK law banning chrome wiper arms. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 808 Registered: 6-2009 |
Just for the record, SRH33576 does have matte black painted wiper arms, turn signal stalk, and gear selector stalk. Chrome is beneath the paint on all three. On LRK37110, all are chrome. |
