Trying to find a plater but all the ones I see are big time military contractors that dont do business with the likes of me. Anyone know of a decent company? Thanks

 

http://www.burbankplating.com/

 

I know you're working on your suspension right now correct? Be careful of plating some suspension parts as it will induce embrittlement.

 

F1 you are correct. Rear spring plates. Burbank has a $200 minimum

 

Does it have to be cadmium? I think it's hard for platers to do that now because it's poisonous. I think most people go with yellow zinc plating instead. That's what I did for my spring plates and I didn't have much trouble finding a place to do it for less than $100.

 

I read that the alternative yellow zinc doesnt play nice with the aluminum control arms. I really want a durable coating that doesnt add thickness like paint or powder coating. Seems enough cad coaters around but all have a small batch minimum of $200. I have a lead on another coater to check on tomorrow, Anoplate in Syracuse NY. The last plater told me to check with them as they do small batches.

 

Nice looking spring plates, Kevin
Check with Atlanta Metal Finishers. They charge about $100 per “lot” and that is roughly a 1 foot cubed box loosely packed.

 

Would nickel plating be an option? I bet there are a bunch that offer electroless nickel...

 

Dimi, thanks for noticing, I got a real good guy for sourcing Porsche partsMetal finishers of Atlanta unfortunatly doesnt do Cadmium.
Van, nickel,oooooh, BLING BLING
Got a lead on another in Brooklin, Epner tech. We'll see

 

Embee Performance does both, not sure about cadmium since they are in So.CA

 

How does yellow zinc negatively affect aluminum? All of the fasteners from the factory are yellow zinc, so I'm at a loss to understand why Porsche wouldn't use cadmium if it had significant drawbacks.

Here's a post from the 911registry:

"For the LAST time......cadmium plating disappeared with rare exception in the late 50s.

The plating on late 50s 356s and all 900 cars was zinc, repeat zinc!! This has been reinterated by several 356ers and 911 guys who have consulted platers and metallurgists. Lew Morman, long time PCAer, autocrosser and concour guy....AND metallurgist for Champion Sparkplug set me straight on this back in the 70s.....all of the platers since then that I have worked with in Indianapolis, Chicago, and now Sacramento have confirmed this.

The plating used on fasteners is an industry/DIN thing not Porsche.

Later 356s had silver or "clear" zinc. Sometime in the late 60s the industry started using a phosphate wash which coated the zinc yellow/green. We see this transition when Porsche made their supply orders for the 900 cars, and they stated receiving yellow zinc. It is well documented among the 356 crowd that yellow started appearing more on '65 C cars. Conversly, early 900 cars had some left over clear zinc.

The rare exception? Recaro had all of their slider rails and levers done in real silver cadmium. Again, I had professionals in the business verify this. Those of you who have worked on or dismantled cars know that the rails and levers on these early cars show more corrosion and "chalking out" of the plating......which is why the industry went away from cadmium."

 

Aaron, this is all I had to go on. I believe this guy is much smarter than me. However you seem to make a compelling argument to the contrary. Thank you for writing up an informative historical account of coatings.

 

Well, just got word from my metal finisher, Cody Metal Finishing. They received my parts. But the price they quoted me over the phone is now $100 more. They dont know who gave me the price but said that its not what they would have quoted, and the return shipping would be more on top of that. These a$$holes have my parts hostage and are jacking up the "ransom" like criminals. Dont use these dirtbags. End rant.