cadmium plated rims

What are people doing now about cad. rims. Painting them silver? (what type of paint) Powder coating them? I have five to do and would like some opinions.

Thanks

Jan <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Why not have them cad plated?

Jan -

One of these days soon, I'm going to refurbish the finish on my DB rims. Probably will use the authentic looking blue cast cadmium spray paint that Eastwood has. I haven't looked into plating the rims because I heard that very few, if any, platers will handle small lots of cadmium plating due to environmental regulations.

Check with an industrial plater. Not one who specializes in antique cars. They may require you to do all the preplate prep work (what you see is what you get).But the price is right, and sometimes they like having that little extra work.

Thanks for the suggestion on the platers. I found one company who said they might fit them in but the problem is you either grind out the pits or you plate with pits in. Several of the rims are rough and I am not sure that grinding will get you a good enough service to plate without compromising the rim. The cost of using copper to fill the pits is cost prohibitive unless you have show car. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> If I had more perfect rims then I would have them plated. I didn't think of Eastwood but I will pull the catalog will check them out.

Thanks

Jan

jan, are you sure the rims are cadmium plated , or are they galvanized? my neighbor with the truck cowl has some rims that look more like they were galvanized, which is zinc.

That is a good question. I made the assumption because my experience with other car makes that the rims were cad. I know the Dodge did use Cad. but i don't know when. I guess i will take a second look at them and try to tell. Thenks for the suggestion. Did you get the picture and comments I sent you?

Thanks

Jan <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

yes, i think you were correct in your suggestion. thank you. if the wheels are in fact galvanized, there is paint available that matches the blochy look of zinc. i'm not sure which plating they had but would think either would be hard to find and expensive.