Spray on yellow zink/anodize?

[Zeke]

I was gonna go over to the tech forums but I thought I'd ask here first. As vash says, you guys have answers for everything.

Now I'm not going to do something bogus in a 911 engine bay, those days are forever past. I am restoring my 1981 Margay kart.



That's the model (but not mine) and I have a Yamaha KT 100cc 2-stroke, not the Briggs shown,

It was ordered from the factory with red paint, black anodized floor and gold anodized hubs, wheels as well as all aluminum parts. On the actual AL parts the gold looks good after all these years but parts made to look gold like rod ends, nuts and bolts, front spindles and various brackets and clamps don't look as nice, Many still show some plating and may look decent after a soak in Berryman's.

I guess I could send this stuff off to True6 but since it's not a Ferrari worth a million, I might want to keep costs in order.

So, I do remember this discussion over the years about spray on gold anodize but I don't know how to search it. A little help?

[asphaltgambler]

I can answer this. The stuff that resembles cadmium coating that's sold by Eastwood looks like s**t. If that is not what you're looking for then possibly a different coating / finish?

[Tobra]

Come on, Shaun would give you the bro' price on cad coating

[Yorkie]

There are a couple of places in Long Beach that I use to plate the hardware on my Nortons - one is Artistic Plating in Signal Hill and the other is Fine Quality Plating on the east side of LB. The latter does it by the pound and I am happy with their results.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Come on, Shaun would give you the bro' price on cad coating

I doubt he does Cadmium. It's not necessary either. However, the sought after variation in the reflected finish that looks correct in a car restoration is not what I want. Anodize is very consistent in color. Blue, green, black, gold, whatever you want. Think of your typical Aeroquip fittings. However, as I said, my real anodize on AL is fine. The stuff holds up like granite. Steel parts are another matter.

If I wanted the parts to be gold zinc, all I have to do is run down to the local plater that did all my stuff back when. $50 min order up to 50 lbs. Used to be less than a hundred and if you combined with others you could do everything in the engine bay for a couple engines and then some.

[fastfredracing]

I used to do a decent job of faking it with some gold/silver/ green misted on with spray bombs

[Cooper911SC]

+1 for Fine Quality Plating. I have used them a couple of times with good results.

If you have many nuts/washers I would wire them together.

Otherwise my recent go to “Cad in a can” has been Rustoleum 7710 Gold.
Has worked in a pinch to touch up fasteners before a Concours.

I tested many metallic gold spray cans to find something yellow and shiny enough...

[Zeke]

Well, I'll tell you all since this has become a discussion. Using Kylon battery terminal protector on Norma clamps will fool anyone until they wipe if off. It doesn't come off that easily and it's water proof. But it's only a protective coating. Hit it with solvent cleaner and it's gone.

I've got to be able to clean this kart periodically down the road. Whether it gets to run is still a decision. I'm not sure I'm up to a 70 MPH kart with a titanium shoulder replacement. But it will need cleaning if it does.

[Zeke]

Been to Fine Quality many times. That's the guy I was referring to.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Zeke

. I'm not sure I'm up to a 70 MPH

Phew, 70mph with your ass that close to the ground must be pretty exciting (scary) stuff.

[Tobra]

I think the conversion formula for a cart going 70 mph to a normal size vehicle is pretty extreme.

I ran the numbers and my 914 would have to go Mach 3 for equivalent pucker factor.

[DanielDudley]

Eastwood has the stuff in spray cans. It's OK. Fred probably did just as well.

Eastwood might have a home plating kit too. I used to do the Berryman soak myself, and then throw the parts into a cup of Watco danish oil finish. I'd take them out and put them on a rack in the sun. It doesn't look new, but it looks like it never had a bad day in its life.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I think the conversion formula for a cart going 70 mph to a normal size vehicle is pretty extreme.

I ran the numbers and my 914 would have to go Mach 3 for equivalent pucker factor.

Yeah, well I seem to remember that if an ant were done the same way they travel 1000 MPH in human speed.

70 is not that fast in a kart. You can change the gearing to find top speed where HP no longer overcomes air resistance. I think that's around 80 with a 16HP 100 cc motor. Increase the motor, increase max speed. I've been at the track where 250 cc karts do 140 and they could probably find that max/resistance out at Bonneville somewhere near 160.

My laydown kart (enduro) with the same 100 cc Yamaha would do 100 on the back straight at Willow under perfect conditions. Classes are grouped in bigger groups for practice so during practice it wasn't unusual for someone in a bigger class to breeze by me doing 120. I mean they disappear fast given the differential.

But, to the point, when you're in a pack all doing 70 there isn't much drama unless of course you come to a sudden stop, like in a shunt. I flipped 2wice in 30 years of racing and stood up and walked away both times. Most do.

Back on the subject. Since posting I learned that the color you see in anodizing is dye. The anodize is clear but will absorb the dye at some point in the process. Since I work with aniline dye stains all the time, I made my own clear gold coating. It's only for show anyway and well good enough for the ferrous bits here and there.

The difference between me finishing up the refurbishing and hanging it back on the wall vs. actually taking it out for a few laps is new (used) tires, complete braking system rebuild, clutch service with the purchase of fresh clutch oil (newer karts went back to dry clutches) and some engine work including carb kit, fuel lines and filter.