Re: Material used in bumpers, trim, handles, etc?

Posted by BH On 2008/3/24 12:43:58

I purchased a plating kit several years ago, but darned if I've ever found time to try it out.

In the meantime, however, I have done a lot of studying with DIY books from a couple of major hobby suppliers. Those books are well worth the investment even BEFORE you lay down any money for a plating kit.

Plating is a very interesting field, but things can get very complicated and very quickly. There are also some forums that cater specifically to craft, but the posts I've seen were very in-depth - almost at an engineer's level.

Unfortunately, I know of no reference that will tell you what base metals you can expect to find on any specific car. I'd venture a guess that you'll mainly be dealing with plain steel, stainless steel, or "pot-metal" on a '50 Packard, but don't know of any pure aluminum trim parts on that car. Some clubs have some vague judging standards like "stainless steel parts should not be plated", but there are actually some stainless steel trim parts that DO have a thin coat of chrome-plating.

Steel base metal doesn't look to be much of a problem, but replating pot-metal, poses some serious challenges - even beyond dealing with the obvious, inevitable pits. While the primary component of pot-metal used in die-cast parts is zinc, the alloy may contain some lead, aluminum, copper, or other metals, but there is no single, universal blend - not even in automtive circles. Pot-metals contain some impurities that make it difficult to plate, and the zinc component makes for a porous alloy that tends to retain chemcials used to clean/strip. Now, there are some shortcuts for "restoring" pot-metal trim, which even some plating businesses use, that help make for a good-looking final result, but I have my doubts as to the long-term durability.

Based on what I've read, if I ever plug in the outfit that I have, I will practice with some used, yet non-essential, parts first.

Meanwhile, perhaps other Packard owners who have tried this will chime with their experience.