I am replacing the bushings on the upper and lower control arms and want to have them painted. Should I paint them with the old bushings in place, with no bushings in place, or after I put the new bushings in?

Also, is it worth powder coating the arms? What is the stock color of the arms on a 69 SS?

I painted mine after I had installed my new bushings. I used POR-15.

Unless you're competing in some strict competitions where the paintmanship on your arms is going to come under intense scrutiny, I don't think it would matter. Try not to get the bushings filled with paint. If you paint the arms first, then try not to ding up the paint while you are installing the bushings.

Why don't you have the control arms powder coated? Powder coating is about 10 times harder than the hardest paint and will not scratch easily when you reasemble your car.

I agree with Ken. Since I am in the process of repairing my front suspension, my dad decided to purchase the HotCoat system from Eastwood and we've powder coat the control arms. Not only does it look really trick (they are blue in color), but the finish is really durable and will not chip off. Go with powdercoating for good looks and good quality.