I'm putting in a new clutch in my 69 this winter and want to clean everything up. Could someone please tell me if the shifter rods were painted or just left natural? Thanks.

I think they were natural.

69 oem hurst were cad plated on the originals that I have seen

My originals are phosphate-coated. :thumbsup:

All of the originals I have come across were phosphate.

are you guys talking about black phosphate on the rods?
I have never seen that on a unrestored original 69 Hurst.
I have seen the rev trans arm black phosphate on some but the shifter and rods and 1-2 3-4 arms always looked like cad plate.

I have seen repo rods done in black phosphate

here is a low mile Z picture.
still has the orange tag which I have seen only 3 times on low mile cars.
I looked at my other 69 Hurst pictures and all rods look like cad

The rods on my unrestored 06A RSZ28 are cad plate as well.
On the picture Joe58 posted- it is interesting that the rev rod has a cotter pin to retain the reverse rod at the shifter. My car has all hair type clips on the rods, not Hurst clips, or cotter pins. They have been there since i bought the car in 73. They clips look like black phosphate.

Joe58- Do you have a better shot of the tag? or do you know what it says?

John, Grey Phos, or Black Phos?
Thanks

MacNeish,s book says grey or black phosphate, but as JOE58 pointed out, originals seem to be silver cad like the shifter bodys. As i stated my original 43,000 mile RSZ28 has what appears to be silver cad.
I have a factory Hurst shifter from a 71/72 Z28 and the shifter body and rods/levers have what appears to be black phosphate. I also have a 70 Z28 Shifter and it is what appears to be silver cad like my 69.
Maybe there was some difference depending on the month build date or plant? JWO.