I want to dress up some of the hooks and latches. Mainly the very visible ones; the door striker plates.

Is there CSOB way to plate/paint these with that greenish gold cad plating look? Is there a spray? Hold two cans, one gold one grean and mist spray it?

Are these expensive to plate the correct way?

Thanks, Gary

Easy to get them replated. Send to Eric Shea and he can get them done along with a batch of calipers.

Eastwood (www.eastwood.com) makes a 3 part spray can system for that gold cad look. Gold spray, red spray and green spray cans. Optional to top with a clear. Costs about $40 plus shipping plus the clear. Takes a little practice to get it looking right.

Paul

What kind of number$ we talking here? Is it by piece or weight. Need to do the calipers too but then everything starts adding up.

Probably cheapest to do one big lot?

Talk to Eric and see what kind of a deal he can make. Most plating is by the pound, but a minimum cost applies.

Cheapest way is to get everything you want plated in one batch and visit your local platers. Most have a minimum charge it may fall under. Find one that's "realistic" in price as many will "gouge" you.

My guess is it will be less than the fake paint (and last longer).

I went through the same thing a couple of years ago. I finally sent a box of parts off for plating. I seem to recall it was about $50 for about 7 pounds of parts- that was a lot of parts. I sent off things as small as the triangular wire tabs that go on the jack straps. Also hose clamps, gas tank clamp, strap that holds the charcoal canister, clips that hold the control cables to the defrost boxes up front, etc. Lots of stuff that was not originally yellow zinc, but it dresses things up nicely.

FYI- below are pictures of door latches- Left to right top row- used, OEM/NOS, plated dull yellow zinc, and plated bright yellow zinc. Bottom row- OEM/NOS, OEM/NOS (I robbed the bumper to put on my car), dull zinc and bright zinc.

One or two of the OEM/NOS almost look like clear zinc, but if you rotate them around in the light you can see a yellowish cast.

Note the different vintages of latch. They really fine tuned this part of the car over the years!
Click to view attachment

I ended up going with the bright zinc- same reason as you- this is a very obvious part of the car when you open the door.
Click to view attachment

So does anybody know a reasonable plater in the LA area?
LAX area?

What kind of prep work needs to be done?

Well I used to do NDT at BOWMAN Plating in Compton. I worked the Night shift, even met my first Crack head.

You might want to call them.

They can anodize, plate, whatever you have. They do alot of fastners, If I still worked there I'd just have you send me stuff and drink money for the guy doing it.

Look for any plating house that does Military work and usally the full spectrum of coatings will be avalible.

Smitty

I brushed the door latches above with a soft steel wire brush in my drill press, then sent them off.

Jim

As far as prep work, would I have to disassemble all the springs and levers? (trunk and engine latches)

I would, if you have access to a media blaster I would do that also. If you don't take them apart you will see the areas that touched while plating and when you move them see an uncoated part. Not always but most of the time.

As with anything the Prep is harder than the work, except in ditch digging.

Smitty

The plater should be able to do all that. Just put it all in a big box.

***IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LATCHES***

Some pieces are pot "metal" (low-melting point metals used to make fast, inexpensive castings for automotive parts and accessories SLITS, don't get excited) they will vaporize in the plating process. Make sure you take these pieces off before plating. On the 914 the front latch shouldn't be a problem but the rear may have a pot metal guide. I toasted a early 911 hood latch this way.

I hope this isn't considered a but if so, here is a anyway.

Has anybody replated the decel valve from a d-jet? Wondering if they can plug the holes or if its safe anyway?

Kev