Radiator cap restoration

[John D.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Terry, Each month I have literally thousands of parts and hardware cadmium plated. I can easily spot the difference between zinc and cad.
In fact not long ago a plater send me a sample of his zinc so I could compare it with the cad. Not bad I thought. But cheating I thought and that's not what I do. So Mr. Terry I will contend that I can in fact tell the difference since I am exposed to the plating more than most of you and more than I care to think about. Gunga Din

[Gerard F.]

Must be different on a 67

As far as the orientation of the lettering on the cap. This is my original 67 cap:



A little pitted but it still works. You can clean them up with a little diluted Jasco Metal Etch and steel wool, then a little WD40. I think it is zinc plated as they soon get this coating of white powder. Cad may do the same thing but not as fast.

[D S.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Tony, I sent you an email a day or so ago which was unanswered again but this explains to some extent what I was asking and then not. We have identified that there are two plating processes that are indistinguishable to the naked eye. The question is, what does each plating process achieve outside of appearing the same? If the end result is the same and they look the same (except for the rivet) why care?
I am looking at an RC-26 cap I own that is original, unrestored. It needs restoration. It has a silvery look to it like a dull satin aluminum, much like satellite chrome on the mirror brackets in early C-3s. Is that finish on the RC-26 I have cadmium or zinc? Can't tell?
I read somewhere that at least one of the reproduction caps will pass NCRS judging. Which one....one of those in the photos submitted by Patrick Hulst?
How do I get in touch with Sal Carbone?

[Patrick H.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Tony, I sent you an email a day or so ago which was unanswered again but this explains to some extent what I was asking and then not. We have identified that there are two plating processes that are indistinguishable to the naked eye. The question is, what does each plating process achieve outside of appearing the same? If the end result is the same and they look the same (except for the rivet) why care?
I am looking at an RC-26 cap I own that is original, unrestored. It needs restoration. It has a silvery look to it like a dull satin aluminum, much like satellite chrome on the mirror brackets in early C-3s. Is that finish on the RC-26 I have cadmium or zinc? Can't tell?
I read somewhere that at least one of the reproduction caps will pass NCRS judging. Which one....one of those in the photos submitted by Patrick Hulst?
How do I get in touch with Sal Carbone?

Scott,

All 3 of the caps are identifiable - at least by me. Each has at least one nuance that differs from an original - and the "most common" version sold my the most vendors has many differences.

If you have an original cap, it's zinc. We tested several, and they're all zinc. Cadmium did not enter the discussion until we found it on restoration caps and restored caps.

Sal can be contacted via this site or via his web site: http://www.restorationpartsoutlet.com/

Patrick

[Terry M.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

John, if you really can tell the difference -- I'm glad you don't choose to judge C3s. Given your years of experience and the quantity of pieces you deal with your skills may be superior to most of us -- at least me.

I suspect you also have an advantage in knowing the material surface finish before it is plated. Most of us have to guess at what that finish was (the before plating finish) when looking at a part on the car. I'll stand by my statement that you are a better man than I am.

[Robert C.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Patrick, That top one looks pretty good except for the arrows. Who makes it? The Paragon cap is the one that I'm refering to.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Patrick, That top one looks pretty good except for the arrows. Who makes it? The Paragon cap is the one that I'm refering to.

Bob,

Paragon doesn't make the (middle) cap, only sell it. I've heard it's made by a guy in New York (upstate, I think).

The top cap is from www.oldcarstuff.com

http://www.oldcarstuff.com/radcap.html

The bottom cap is from LICS. Good except for the end of the arrows.

Patrick

[Bill C.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Patrick,

Who is LIC ???

Which of the top or bottom would you go with?

[Patrick H.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Patrick,

Who is LIC ???

Which of the top or bottom would you go with?

Long Island Corvette Supply.
The arrow on the top example is correct, the rivet on the LICS example is better. Those are the two main distinctions.
For your car you'll need a "flat" rivet, and LICS doesn't sell those (that I know of).

Patrick

[John P.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

I will say again We have NEVER plated a radiator cap with any process other than ZINC

[Tony H.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

I will say again We have NEVER plated a radiator cap with any process other than ZINC

John,

I appreciate your INTENTIONS to never plate a radiator cap with any process other than a zinc plating, but never say never. I understand from this discussion board that your gas caps are cadmium plated. Your plater might not understand that the plating on the two caps are not interchangeable and may have substituted one for the other. Or, it may have been a complete oversight and somehow the rad cap was mixed iwth the gas caps. Whatever the case is, my analysis of the cap is not flawed and I have a cadmium plated radiator cap that you restored and sold to me. Maybe my cap is the only one that you ever had plated (inadvertently) in cadmium.

Well, it is what it is. It is my cap and I'm happy with it. We learn something every day. Have a wonderful day.

Tony

[John P.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

The plater I normally use does not have the capability to plate in cadmium. When I plate in cadmium(gas caps) I have to ship the batch to be plated out of state. I am charged by the piece,so I carefully inventory each batch on the way out and upon reciept.(It is expensive)Is it possible a cap has been switched at your end?

[D S.]

Re: Must be different on a 67

As far as the orientation of the lettering on the cap. This is my original 67 cap:




A little pitted but it still works. You can clean them up with a little diluted Jasco Metal Etch and steel wool, then a little WD40. I think it is zinc plated as they soon get this coating of white powder. Cad may do the same thing but not as fast.

Jerry, I know of a person who has at least six of these original caps like yours and they all look nice.

Scott

[Tony H.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

Hi John,
There's not much chance that there was a mix up on my end. I have two restored caps and both came up cad plated. They have different visual characteristics due to surface finish and Cd thickness.

My intentions were always to follow up the article that Patrick Hulst and I wrote in 2006 with one focused on the RC-26. I recently moved to a new (to me) home so my caps are boxed up at the moment. When I do unbox them, I will recheck them on the XRF. There are some other interesting variations in these caps, too, that will be included in this article. So, we will all get a chance to see these caps in a future Restorer article with laboratory data included.

[D S.]

Re: Radiator cap restoration

I finally found this new reproduction cap that I had purchased a few years ago for my '66 Impala. It is as close to an original as I've seen.