Has anyone seen a NOS finned M-1000? I'm currently planning the restoration of my 1963 M-1000 and under the fin the housing looks almost like "normal "cast aluminum while the rest of the housing is darker. Since I have to repair the screw holes caused by a previous attempt to re-ballast this fixture my question is can I just use a cast aluminum spray paint (Krylon # 1403 dull aluminum) ? I know aluminum darkens and oxidizes with age (old vs new light pole)

Any thoughts would be appreciated !

Wide-Lite 1000

Take a look at these two 400's and the color is pretty close, even with age. Ebay # 323805351881

Thanks, I remember seeing a picture of an 0V-20 that someone here restored years ago and if I remember correctly they used some kind of metal cleaner and it made that light look like fresh out of the box !

Metal cleaner is really not good in my opinion. A good coating of high temp Krylon semi gloss would do the job and I have done this many times. Just no wind or sun when you spray and do not get in a hurry. I you use the real shiny aluminum paint it will show streaks because it dries fast and when you overlap, you get a rough line between the two sprays. At least I did.

Hope this helps.

My Wide-Lite 1000 is painted with Krylon #1403 dull aluminum and 2 coats of automotive urethane clearcoat (the reason it's so glossy) the Krylon matched the color on the interior perfectly. I used the clear because the dull aluminum Krylon isn't very weather resistant, almost 10 yrs of being out in the elements 24/7 later and it still looks like the day I painted it! 
BTW, I paint ambulances for a living.

Good procedure!