C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

[Donald H.]

I have parts for my 1960 that need to be replated. According to the TIM&JG most are indicated to be cadmium-plated, e.g. "The cadmium-plated trunk lock mechanism...".

1. My question is were the following all silver cad or gold/dichromate, or a mixture?
- Trunk latch and striker
- Door strikers
- Hood latches (firewall)
- Hood locks assemblies (on the hood)

2. Can I get away with having them all plated the same, either silver or dichromate and not suffer from judging?

3. Will the pieces that have moving parts plate OK, e.g. trunk latch?

Thanks,
Don

[Chuck W.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Don,

In '60 they all were silver. Part preparation is everything in plating. Degrease all parts and bead blast to bare metal. Do this just before they are taken to the plater. dissassemble the obvious but hood support rods, latches, and the like can be plated as an assembly. I'd remove any springs and bolt-on parts however.

[Jack H.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Adding on to what Chuck said (no dichromate or 'yellow' cad used in 1960), most of the descriptive text passages in the JG books indicate a 'cad/zinc' finish because the two are both silver in hue and it's pretty tough to tell the difference.

You'll find a LOT of shops that will zinc plate, but fewer that are street legal facilities for cad plating (the concern is the use of cyanide). But, either way you go (cad vs. zinc), it's up to you to instruct the plater on the correct final finish of the plate (bright vs. dull).

Most of the plated body parts were dull, but you want to get the finish right so you don't wind up with minor deductions after you've gone to the effort to get the parts freshened up with new plating!

[Jim D.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Adding on to what Chuck said (no dichromate or 'yellow' cad used in 1960), most of the descriptive text passages in the JG books indicate a 'cad/zinc' finish because the two are both silver in hue and it's pretty tough to tell the difference.

The plates for the hood lock (mounted on the hood) were indeed Cad.2 (yellow) plated. When I restored my 60 25 years ago, I would throw the Cad.1 and Cad.2 stuff in separate buckets and then took them to the platers.

[Jack H.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Well, that's one you'll have to take up with the '58-60 NTL... The current text of the JG (Chassis, Hood Hardware) reads:

"...All metal items listed above are cadmium plated..."

The first mention of some of these parts (specifically the hood catches/latches) receiving a di-chromate wash after plating shows up in the '61-62 JG book...

[Jim D.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Well, that's one you'll have to take up with the '58-60 NTL... The current text of the JG (Chassis, Hood Hardware) reads:

"...All metal items listed above are cadmium plated..."

The first mention of some of these parts (specifically the hood catches/latches) receiving a di-chromate wash after plating shows up in the '61-62 JG book...

I personally don't care what the JG says even though it doesn't specify Cad.1 or 2. I know how my car came from the factory. I use the JG's as a reference but they are NOT the gospel. I've never seen one that didn't have mistakes in it.

[Chuck W.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

My '61 had yellow cad hood latching hardware when I restored it some years ago. But.... my June 1 built '60, which was unrestored until I did it, had original silver cad hood hardware. The '60 that I'm doing now (March '60 car) also had silver cad hood hardware although it was in a box when I bought the car.

[Jim D.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Interesting info. Chuck. Not to get into a pizzin' match but my 60 (built Feb. 1960) was completely original when I bought it 35+ years ago. The hardware on the hood is Cad. 2 and the latch on the firewall is Cad.1 I've seen several other 60's that are the same including a friend who bought his Cascade Green 60 brand new and still owns it today. I don't remember his VIN but it was built after mine as his engine pad VIN was gang stamped and mine was done free-hand..

Also, the part numbers for the 1960 lock assembly are the same as the 1961 & 62.

[Donald H.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Thanks to all, now a couple of other questions:

My '60 is an early build, November '59. Assuming I do everything in silver cad,
1. is the bottom list a complete list of parts needing cad plating?

2. And should they all be dull instead of bright cad? Again, thanks,

Male hood lock assembly
Female hood lock assembly
Door striker
Door latch assembly
Trunk lid latch assembly
Trunk latch striker

Other cad plated things that I am going to need to replace with repop include: Hood hinges, Hood support, and Trunk lock assembly cover.

These are all the visible cad plated parts I have been able to identify. Unfortunately many of my car parts were in pieces, so I not sure if I've missed anything.

Don,

[Chuck W.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Thanks to all, now a couple of other questions:

My '60 is an early build, November '59. Assuming I do everything in silver cad,
1. is the bottom list a complete list of parts needing cad plating?

2. And should they all be dull instead of bright cad? Again, thanks,

Male hood lock assembly
Female hood lock assembly
Door striker
Door latch assembly
Trunk lid latch assembly
Trunk latch striker

Other cad plated things that I am going to need to replace with repop include: Hood hinges, Hood support, and Trunk lock assembly cover.

These are all the visible cad plated parts I have been able to identify. Unfortunately many of my car parts were in pieces, so I not sure if I've missed anything.

Don,

Hood hinges will get engine compartment blackout over plating, lots of fasteners were plated, I usually plate most of the undercarriage bracketry like rocker end caps, seat belt anchor reinforcements, trunk tower reinforcements, etc although there is equal debate on how they came originally. Some got some blackout (rocker end caps), and some folks believe the items to be bare steel or black phosphate. With road grime, corrosion, undercoating, and running production variations, it is very difficult to be declarative.

[Rod K.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Assuming your '60 trunk latch mechanism is similar to the earlier ones, there is a small die cast piece into which the trunk lock extension rod inserts which I understand won't survive the cleaning/plating process. Be sure to remove this piece before sending to the platers and reinstall after plating. It takes a small semi-tubular rivet, drill out and replace.

[Bert L.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions
"Interesting info. Chuck. Not to get into a pizzin' match but my 60 (built Feb. 1960) was completely original when I bought it 35+ years ago. The hardware on the hood is Cad. 2 and the latch on the firewall is Cad.1 I've seen several other 60's that are the same"


*That is how mine was done also, (#1335) 1960 original and purchased in 1974 from first owner!

Bert

[Ian G.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Also, the deck lid latch mechanism (female and male assemblies) are yellow cad, as are the washers for the decklid latches, some brake parts and original period lug nuts (maybe other stuff too). I believe the nuts for my original top fender mouldings were yellow cad as well. I wish they'd do a new 58-60 JG.

[Jerry W.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

our 62 got a small deduct for not having a bare fiber glass shadow under the firewall hood latch when blackout was applied after hood latch was installed...the male hood latch on the uderside of the hood should recieve blackout spray

[Joe M.]

Re: C1 (1960) Cadmium Plating questions

Donald, when I removed my male latches from the hood, there was dichromate finish on the back side. As Ian mentioned, the special nuts that hold the soft top latches to the deck lid were also dichromate. This is a mid-Dec. 59 built car.