Topic: 69-70 door latch correct plating

[mustangfan]

are the door latchs plated zinc dichromate or yellow cad?

[mach1one]

niether they are silver

[J_Speegle]

are the door latchs plated zinc dichromate or yellow cad?

The complete latch has a mixture of different plating finishes - What part are you interested in?

[mustangfan]

the most visible part that protrudes from the door would be the area subject to judging and my most concern.Thanks.

[Bob Gaines]

niether they are silver

+1. Bob

[J_Speegle]

the most visible part that protrudes from the door would be the area subject to judging and my most concern.Thanks.

Looked at a handful of originals today at a yard

What I found was a galvanized main body, latch cover plated zinc, dogs or latch arms were dichromate plated

Hope this helps

[mustangfan]

Thanks Jeff,after a good cleaning that is the way these appear also.Looks like the same coating as the fuel filler tube.Not sure how to replicate that,any ideas?

[Bob Gaines]

If you choose to replicate the look with zinc plating etc.(normally how it is done) be sure to take the spring out of the latch mechanism . The plating process will make the spring steel brittle and prone to breaking. Don't ask me how I know. Bob

[J_Speegle]

Thanks Jeff,after a good cleaning that is the way these appear also.Looks like the same coating as the fuel filler tube.Not sure how to replicate that,any ideas?

The gas filler tube is plated with a completely different product - it was tin or lead originally where (as listed) the latch was zinc, galvanized and or dichromate - depending on year of Mustang

The gas filler tube can be sent out to have plated (Charles just recently had some done if I recall correctly) or you can do it at home/shop. Like everything it takes a little practice but the subject would be another thread

[hopey]

Just looking for clarification on the plating, and if anyone has managed to disassemble a latch for plating? If not what is the best way to go about restoring these correctly?

These latches are dated 9G20.

Is the latch cover zinc or cad- to me it looks like the two latch fingers are the same finish, you can see the difference where they are riveted through the gear pawls which are dichromate.

The backing plate was hot dip galvanized?

The pawls and a couple of the linkages dichromate.

Springs- one looks black and the other was potentially yellow- saw some evidence of flaking paint inside spring when I cleaned it?

[J_Speegle]

Don't have one handy to compare and have no 69 here at home either.  Don't know that I've got one good picture of one removed but will look

[Armond]

I dug out one of my NOS ones to show how they looked new. It was coated in cosmoline or something like it,

[hopey]

I dug out one of my NOS ones to show how they looked new. It was coated in cosmoline or something like it,

Armond

Perfect, thank you very much. One of the ones I have is near identical condition to what you show.

I guess I am a little surprised how inconsistent some of the plating coverage is on latch fingers and cover plate but one of the gold card judges at MCA told me yesterday to expect that when new they were ?a little rough? from the factory. Now I just need to work with my plater to refresh the zinc without changing any of the rest.