Here is an answer I got from Bob Adler on the questions posed.
"Mike,
I'm not sure about the spare tire carier color. The fenders were loosely bolted to box before entering paint shop at the factory. So a half ton, with dimpled fender was assmebled before painting. But the question is whether the bracket was also installed before entering paint booth. I don't know. I painted the last few carriers black and the customers did not complain. I tend toward black, but have no documentation. The later trucks used phillips pan head bolts.
Clutch head fender to box bolts have no washer under the head, but do have a fender washere under the nut, inside fender. Again, bolt heads are body color.
Clutch head bolts are used in the rods to fender corners and frame in back, and at the fender bottom in front. I paint them body color where they are attached to the fenders, but they were probably cad plated.
Paint running board seal retainer black.
Both wind lace retainer on floor and on door bottom are interior color.
Gold bronze is the only listing. Find a gold paint with a very fine flake.
Best regards,
Bob"
So nothing conclusive on the spare tire carrier, and it seems I will use hex head bolts to mount the spare tire carrier, probably the dimpled head style, as Bob states the philips pan heads were for later models.
Mike
