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MG TD TF 1500 - Chroming or Cobalt nickel plating

Hi all

I would like to know members thoughts on cobalt-nickel plating instead of chroming of parts.

I live in the tropics with +70% humidity and plus 30deg C tempuratures all year round. I have found as I work through my restoration that a lot of the chrome has flacked off parts and if not comes off very easily in the sand (garnet) blasting cabinet.

I have come across a home plating kit which my car club is buying. The kits appear to be reasonably priced ($175AUS - $205US).

http://www.janekits.com.au/

cheers
Stuart
Stuart Duncan

Stuart,

I suspect the chrome plating job was not properly done.

Plating over steel requires a) a scrupulously clean bare steel surface to start with. Then the old replacement series comes up (remember your high school chemistry?). b) A heavy plating of copper comes next, followed by c) a flash of nickel, and d) finally a good coat of chrome, which is e) polished, followed by f) final coat of chrome, again e) well polished. Some of the more expensive shops polish each coat.

There is no reason for a good chrome plating job to fail. The hot rodders and Harley guys get only the highest quality of plating. Its not cheap, but it lasts.

Some will replace the final plating of chrome with Cadmium. Weathers better but has a slight yellow cast.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark

Looking at an original TD/F that has sat around for a few years, you can see which companies did top knotch chroming and who did less then quality... The grill and headlights and windshields seem to be really high quality jobs.... door handles, gear shift lever, tail light bezels(?) seem to go pretty fast... Of course the good stuff is brass with copper/nickel/chrome plating and the other stuff is pot metal? (cept the gear shift)
gblawson(gordon)

Stuart All of the nickel plate I have used had a yellow cast-definately a different look than chrome. Can't speak to the kit you mentioned-may be different. Dan
D.R. Craig

This thread was discussed between 18/08/2008 and 19/08/2008

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