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gold plating of trim pieces on 1957 models

Started by Carl Schreiber / CLC #23157, January 20, 2007, 06:29:58 PM

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Carl Schreiber / CLC #23157

Hello to all -

Need some advice before I spend too much money on the wrong plating!  I have to get the gold emblems re-plated on my car, and Ive heard everything from 18k/24k gold, gold rhodium, even gold anodized...

And what was used on the gold Sabre wheels?

Whats correct?

Thanks in advance,

Carl Schreiber

Mike Josephic #3877

The gold on the sabers was anodized -- remember they were
aluminum.  This is not real gold, but an electro-chemical process that looks like gold that is protective to aluminum.

On the emblems,scripts, etc. they were gold plated, I
believe 18K.  Mike

Ralph Messina CLC 4937

Carl,

Michael is correct about the wheels being anodized a gold color. In addition, I believe the name scripts and “V”s are also anodized. The “V”s appear to be aluminum  and the scripts are pot metal. I have an original “Seville” script from my car and it is definitely not gold plated. I did my emblems in gold plate and it does not hold up on those base metals….It begins to flake in a few years. I know of two anodizers in the Philadelphia area that have the correct color gold but I’ve not seen their work on such parts.

HTH,
Ralph

Mike Josephic #3877

Be careful here -- I know that in 55-56 they Vs were brass alloy and the script was pot metal.  They could be gold plated but not anodized -- they had to be gold plated as anodizing only works for aluminum.  You need an knowledgeable plater to look at these to tell you the best way to restore them.  Mike

Roger A. Zimmermann #21015

Hi Mike!
Usually your advises are so correct but this time I dont agree. The V on the 56 hood is aluminum, anodized. The V on the trunk is pot metal inside and covered with an anodized aluminum part. I have 2 56 Cads to prove it with some original spare parts in a so-so condition.
However, you are right with the 55: according to the parts book, the 54 & 55 V on the trunk is gold plated, with clear enamel. The V on the hood was also gold plated on 55 and prior cars. From 56 onward, there is just gold finished as description, which indeed is anodized.
Therefore, emblems on a 57 car are just anodized.

Ralph Messina CLC 4937

Carl,

I had time to think about your question more. My plater had many problems gold plating my parts. Both “V”s,  the trunk one in particular, held the plating solutions and would damage the finish after processing. McVey use to offer reproductions of the ’57 gold “jewelry” made in brass with gold plate finish. The trunk “V” was solid CNC shaped brass so it had none of the plating issues associated with the original. In retrospect, I would have been better off just buying the repro parts from McVey to start with, even though they were quite pricey.
If you decide to go with gold color anodizing I suggest you have the vendor do a spare part for you first…….just to be certain his performance matches his promise.

Ralph