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Hi Folks:

Given there are a couple of cars being restored here I figure I would put in a word about refinishing door latches.

I think almost every original car with plated latches has doors that close better than restored cars. The usual situation is the car comes apart, wood is replaced, doors reinstalled and then it is found that the doors just don't work as well as original. That is, the doors are harder to close and they don't have that nice feel they did before.

I was looking at this situation for someone and concluded that the best way to refinish the latches is to avoid submerging the latch springs in a plating bath. What happens is that the bath reacts with the spring steel and changes the frequency of the spring. Then when the car goes together the doors suck.

To avoid this, the plater has to be cooperative and dip only what is visible. The rest of the unit can be taped with masking tape and marked "do not submerge".

Of course this will require that the parts go to the plater absolutely clean for a strip and dip. So get some good solvents and thoroughly clean the parts up before hand. Sandblasting is not a good idea unless the parts are rusted in which case the non-visible surfaces should be painted.

Those are my two cents.