Worth the time to read the other thread mentioned above: https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=174044

It sounds from all of this like axles for installation in Chevrolets were painted black through 72, but at least some (if not all) Pontiac axles were not painted.

Don't want to get too off-topic here, but are the sway bar bracket caps silver or is it just the flash?
Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread......

The sway bar drop rods and caps were NOS and came with no paint natural steel. The sway bar mount caps at each end are the originals and are painted semi gloss black. When I removed them there was black paint inside the caps. So based on that I painted them semi gloss black. Also after a evaporust treatment evidence of black was on the exterior. The rear end appeared to never been out of the car when I removed it. So I went with the finishes I saw.

I think we are determining here that what happened with Chevrolet did NOT necessarily happen with Pontiac. In this case in seems that the 12 bolt installed in the PONTIAC F Body did not get the black paint as researched through several original cars now including one that I own. In the case of Chevrolet who DID get the axles delivered to assembly painted black YES the entire assy was painted after being built including the axle cover and bolts. The axle backing plates however seem to have been painted just around the tube leaving much of the backing plate natural metal. If you look at the other thread I started before this one
"69 F Body Rear Axle Color *Latest Consensus*"
you will see the discussion of the Chevrolet axles a little more in depth.

I'm on the "Chevy side" of this discussion but my understanding was that the 1970 F-body 12-bolt was the same regardless whether it was installed in a Firebird or Camaro and even carried the same codes. If this is the case, would it make sense to have a different paint process and how would the production plant differentiate Chevy vs. Pontiac?...I know, I'm trying to instill logic in a mass production environment from 52 years ago... My theory, (unsubstantiated, but plausible), is the paint used on the rear axle assembly was the same as used on master cylinders and brake calipers...and it "evaporated" early in the vehicle's life...but again, that is just a theory.

Not Trans Ams.

yeah this one was crazy with overspray - the line painter must have been a new hire from a Mopar plant :)

Mine is the color of dirt... :(

Would this be accurate for both Norwood and Van Nuys Trans Am's?