[289ACE]

I am working on redoing some original style 289 suspension springs and after dis-assembling them I am unsure of what their finish should be before re-assembling them. It looks like they may be a natural finish (ie no paint) for most of the length of each leaf and then painted at the ends. Were the leafs painted before re-assembly and the paint has worn off on mine, or do they get assembled and then painted after assembly? Also when re-assembling, should grease be applied in between the leafs or do you let the grease get in from the Denso tape that they are wrapped with?
Thanks,
Jay