ConcoursMustang Forums
Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Processes, Products & Techniques => Topic started by: alanmac on July 21, 2021, 06:17:45 PM
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My 70 Mach 1 hood twist lock brackets and fasteners look pretty bad from a finish perspective. Also my window rear height adjustment bolts. They are not rusty and they are original so I would like to save them. The guy that painted my car thought they looked bad and painted them trim black. Since I have very few clear zinc parts that need a better finish, I stripped and painted them with Eastwood's clear zinc aerosol spray paint. They look better than before but....The Eastwood paint really doesn't look like zinc, its way too blue and not shiny enough. Does anyone have another option that would be better? Alan
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IMHO, the best bet is to get your parts re-zinc plated. It is really relatively inexpensive ? as long as you have a quantity. Most zinc platers I know about charge by weight (100 lbs or thereabouts), or by the 5 gallon bucket full (about $120-$150). That?s a lot of fasteners in a 5 gallon bucket. Your solution is to find someone who is going to get a lot of parts zinc plated, and ?piggy-back? on theirs.
If you?re not doing concourse, get out of here ! (just kidding). This might be an option ; about 15 years ago, a 30+ year Restorer of 1955-57 Thunderbirds, told me that, if not doing a ?full-bore? concourse restoration, he uses Krylon Dull Aluminum Metallic (1403) to simulate cad and dull zinc finishes. To end up with a bright (shiny) simulated zinc finish, you may want to try either spraying a gloss coat over the Dull Aluminum, or possibly try the Krylon Chrome Aluminum Metallic (1404). I have not tried either.
For your information, and viewing pleasure, I have attached pictures of an original carburetor stud that I just cleaned and painted (to give you an idea) next to a bright zinc plated NOS one (on the right).
I too had tried all of the Eastwood varieties, as well as Krylon Stainless, Nickel, etc. to try to simulate not bright zinc, but dull zinc and cad, and found that this 1403 was the closest.
Bottom line, being as you just had your car painted, I would have the parts re-plated. Compared to the cost of your paint job, the re-plating would be just ?a drop in the bucket? (pun intended).
Hope this helps, and if nothing else, gets you thinking of the options.
Bob
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FYI if you spray a clear coat over the spray can dull aluminum or even the chrome paint it will not enhance but dull down the sheen look and in most cases shade of paint duller/darker.
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FYI, I have never had Gloss Coat do that ; but then, I have never sprayed it over Dull. or chrome Aluminum -um.
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FYI if you spray a clear coat over the spray can dull aluminum or even the chrome paint it will not enhance but dull down the sheen look and in most cases shade of paint duller/darker.
+1........been there-done that.
Frank
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All good information thanks for the feedback. From my perspective, paint will never replicate zinc plating good enough for me. I will wait until winter and find a zinc plater that can accommodate my small batch (2 small brackets and ~ 24 bolts). Alan
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All good information thanks for the feedback. From my perspective, paint will never replicate zinc plating good enough for me. I will wait until winter and find a zinc plater that can accommodate my small batch (2 small brackets and ~ 24 bolts). Alan
Sounds like a good choice :)