Topic: parts that should be silver cad

[BHStang]

Getting ready to send out a number of parts to get silver cad plated wanted to verify its correct for what I have listed.  Also any suggestions on other common parts that should be silver cad that I can through in the box?

This is what I have so far (not sending out all of these parts but for as complete of a list as possible I am including)

1970 Mach 1 ? June 10, 1970 DAP Built

Parts list for Silver Cadmium plating

4 Speed Transmission
?   Hurst shifter base mechanism parts (excludes linkage rods, trans mounted levers, and handle)
Body
?   Hood twist lock stamped steel retainers
?   Hood twist lock steel catches (mounted to radiator support)
?   Door glass bumper brackets (on door shell)
?   Door latch strikers
?   Door latch
?   Front turn signals bodies (bumper mounted)
?   Sport lamp bodies
?   Tail light bodies
?   Trunk striker (on deck lid)
?   Trunk lock cylinder to latch rod
?   Rear bumper bracket pressed in nuts
Interior
?   Front seat lock lever, catch, screws, and lever shaft
?   Seat belt anchors (except retractors)
?   Dash Harness brackets (Warning Buzzer and flasher holders)

[HDAshmore]

I would add your heater blower motor squirrel cage, the bars that your door glass slide up and down, they bolt to door shell, any body bolts that are silver cad, not sure but fender bolts maybe, not sure if radio mount bracket is silver cad.  Just what comes to mind.  I'd double check my thoughts against an experts. 

Dan

[CharlesTurner]

Keep in mind that some of those parts were originally clear zinc plated, which is a more shiny silver than cad.  Cad normally is a 'soft' silver appearance.  It's usually pretty easy to determine the original plating by soaking parts in evaporust.  If the parts were originally cad plated, they will come out a whitish/chalky appearance.  The zinc stuff will come out straight silver.

[jwc66k]

In the last five years or so, a new zinc plating process has appeared called "dull zinc". It replicates cad plating very close. Just a heads up.
Jim

[BHStang]

Keep in mind that some of those parts were originally clear zinc plated, which is a more shiny silver than cad.  Cad normally is a 'soft' silver appearance.  It's usually pretty easy to determine the original plating by soaking parts in evaporust.  If the parts were originally cad plated, they will come out a whitish/chalky appearance.  The zinc stuff will come out straight silver.

What parts were clear zinc?  The original finish is long gone from my parts.  I didnt think clear zinc was in any common use prior to the 80s. 

[J_Speegle]

What parts were clear zinc?  The original finish is long gone from my parts.  I didnt think clear zinc was in any common use prior to the 80s.

Remember that all of the zinc dichromate we refer to in different threads is a colored dye (gold in color) over a zinc base. Hence the name

For other cad or zinc colored pieces you might add the spare tire hold down J bolt and the wing nut that attaches to it. Sure there are others not identified yet. Might want to get all of the 70 assembly manuals out and go through every part to add to your list

There are allot of terms out there for zinc so it can get confusing at times with your platter until you have a meeting of the minds on the subject

[jwc66k]

What parts were clear zinc?  The original finish is long gone from my parts.  I didnt think clear zinc was in any common use prior to the 80s.

Zinc plating goes way back a couple hundred years. Originally it was called "galvanized".
If you are proficient in Excel, you can resort either spreadsheet file in the library pertaining to 69-70 Mustang Hardware by finish code and get your answer.
Jim

[BHStang]

So to maybe reclarify this is about the "silver colored parts", be it a zinc with a clear chromate or a silver cad.  In general we would expect cad to have more of a dull grey silver color where zinc with a clear chromate conversion is brighter. 

What bugs me is the appearance of known assembly line parts appearing in the much duller silver.  Cad would also be a much better corrosion preventer.  The darker chromates (gold) are also better than the clear for zinc.  There are clearly some parts that were gold/yellow chromate.  Some assemblies with both zinc dichromate and some type of silver plating are in use further adding to my doubt.  For example door strikers using zinc dichromate shims but the striker itself is silver.  Its odd to me that the striker would be of a weaker plating protection than the shims behind it but if that silver is a cad plating it would be much stronger and logical. 

[J_Speegle]

................Its odd to me that the striker would be of a weaker plating protection than the shims behind it but if that silver is a cad plating it would be much stronger and logical.

Platings, materials and process used differ. Its not unusual for me to have to soften current zinc finishes in order to replicate the finish I'm looking for - as we've discussed elsewhere 

Agreed that its often difficult to understand why choices were made at the time but think this is the same in some many other parts of or lives. The good think about restoring is that we don't have to understand to duplicate the finishes.

Many find a resolve in just accepting "That's just the way it is" as a famous friend has stated many times 

[jwc66k]

So to maybe reclarify this is about the "silver colored parts", be it a zinc with a clear chromate or a silver cad.  In general we would expect cad to have more of a dull grey silver color where zinc with a clear chromate conversion is brighter. 

Also consider that there is a"range" of cadmium plated finishes "shades", the -S7 and -S39 designations. There is also a range of the various clear zinc finishes (sorry is my terms are unfamiliar,  I worked in the areospace industry in Silicon Valley and when a finish was specified, we kept it simple). Ford incoming inspection observed that "range" when items came in, and often would accept a lot of plated items even if the finish was "off" just a bit. The assembly line was more important than the a "shade" being off. Remember, Ford was not building concourse grade cars.

What bugs me is the appearance of known assembly line parts appearing in the much duller silver.  Cad would also be a much better corrosion preventer.  The darker chromates (gold) are also better than the clear for zinc.  There are clearly some parts that were gold/yellow chromate.  Some assemblies with both zinc dichromate and some type of silver plating are in use further adding to my doubt.  For example door strikers using zinc dichromate shims but the striker itself is silver.  Its odd to me that the striker would be of a weaker plating protection than the shims behind it but if that silver is a cad plating it would be much stronger and logical. 

Keep in mind that you are looking at a 50 year old plated part. Nuff said.
Jim

[BHStang]

Thanks all for the input.  So is the consensus that zinc plating is the correct choice for restoration over cad?

[J_Speegle]

Thanks all for the input.  So is the consensus that zinc plating is the correct choice for restoration over cad?

Zinc will work for those pieces that were originally zinc and will work as a sub for cad if you dull it a bit. In most parts of the country cad is more difficult to get done and often platters will just do zinc if a customer requests cad plating