62 rear license lamp plating

[Chris H.]

Should the rear license plate lamp housing be cadmium plated with silver color or cad plated with a yellow chromate dip? what is original?

thanks, Chris

[Donald L.]

Re: 62 rear license lamp plating

My original RL housing is either zinc plate or silver cad.

[Eric J.]

Picture of our original owned 62's

We are the original owners of our 62. Here is a picture of our lamp. It appears to be gold. I do not ever recal changing that. I did do a tail light. Eric

[Chris H.]

Re: Picture of our original owned 62's

Yes it does look gold. Did you paint it black around the lens at one time? I do not think that is correct? It probably got rusty and you painted it? The repros available now seem to be silver. The one that is in my 62 is out of a 63 or newer vette and is silver. It may be or not be original.

Anyone else?

[Chris H.]

Re: Picture of our original owned 62's

I should also have asked what does it look like from inside?

[Eric J.]

Re: Picture of our original owned 62's

I don't recall painting it.... I will ask the rest of the family to see if there was any work done to it. I can't believe they did, but you never know. Eric

[Eric J.]

Inside #1

There is a little Sateen silver overspray in the trunk from a pre delivery paint touch up the dealer did. When the car was delivered to Velmetti Chevrolet, Ishpeming Michigan (Their first Corvette Sold) They parked it in the garage and they closed the garage door on the trunk!!! They had to repaint the trunk lid and trunk top!!!! Eric

[Eric J.]

Inside #2 *NM*

[Frank Rossi]

Re: Picture of our original owned 62's

I just had my 62 judged and had point removed because it was silver and not black. I plan to paint mine black.

[Mike E.]

Re: Picture of our original owned 62's

Frank--You lost a point because the OUTER EDGE was not painted black. The judging manual clearly spells that out--the surface OUTSIDE the lens should be black. The inside, plus the portion visible inside the trunk, should be plated.

[Chris H.]

Re: Picture of our original owned 62's

Mike, thanks for the clarification on the black. The repros are not doing this. Did the 63 on up not have this black out done? I thought the part in my 62 was an original 63 part (lamp harness is part of assembly) and it does not have the black out.

Which is correct for plating? The original picture above shows gold plating. The JGM says zinc.

thanks again, Chris

[Chris H.]

63-67 rear license plate lamp assembly color

Eric, intersting that yours shows gold thru the outside lens and silver on the backside. I cannot imagine that Guide somehow plated it that way.

Are midyears also silver with the blackout on the outside around the lens?

[Donald T.]

Re: 63-67 rear license plate lamp assembly color

Chris,

I have several original C2 license plate lamp housings. They are zinc dichromate, and then the front side is painted silver. The backs are unpainted and left with the gold finish of the zinc dichromate. There is no blackout on the housing.

[Eric J.]

Not been changed or cleaned etc

After gathering all the players in the history of our 62 Father/Brother/Myself, none of us recall ever even changing the bulb in the license plate lamp. As I stated in the original response I did change a tail light back in the early eighties, which I remember very clearly. I will go out today and take a closer look to see what is what there. Eric

[Eric J.]

Closer look....

Lens/Bulb/Screws:


Close up of black/transistion/gasket:


Shot of cad plating without lens:


It is most definately cad plating or "gold" plating. It is not paint.... As far as the trunk side I can not tell you why it has grayed out other then this vette was in Michigan and a daily driver for 10 years. The portion under the lens has been sealed from the elements while the trunk was exposed to the air in the trunk.