Two questions

[Guest kaycee]

:confused:I have two questions:

First: When were nickel plated bumpers installed on cars? I'm thinking (from some research in some of my 'old car books' ) the early to mid 1920's, with chrome replacing nickel in about 1928 or '29, although one book that I looked at mentioned Oldsmobile introducing chrome trim in '27, and a reprint manual on my '28 Pontiac lists nickel plated bumpers on exported cars. What are your 'standards' in replating bumpers on your early to late 20's cars for show?

Second question: I have a old Cadillac script jack that looks like it's from the brass? era through the teens. It ratchets from about 11 inches lowered to 18 inches fully raised. I have it being bead blasted or I'd post a picture. My question is what color if any were these painted when new. I'm thinking black gloss or semi gloss. although I have a a few old rim spreaders that were green originally. I imagine some of these old tools were painted or coated with something to prevent rusting, especially the bigger forged or cast iron ones.

A day early, but everyone have a good New Year holiday and a GREAT happy and healthy 2010!

:)kaycee

[Larry Schramm]

I have one of the jacks that has the Buick script like the Cadillac jack and it was painted black gloss as near as I can tell.

[Guest kaycee]

:)Thanks Larry,

I thought that these were probably painted gloss black. Any idea (without a picture of mine) what years these were used?

kaycee:)

[Rusty_OToole]

I don't know exactly what cars had nickel plated bumpers but they started using nickel plating around 1915 to replace brass which saved a lot of polishing. You seem to have the general facts straight. Model As had bumpers made of steel wrapped in thin stainless.

Concerning the jack, many pieces of hardware, nuts and bolts etc were not painted in those days. They were given a tough black finish of linseed oil. You can duplicate this by heating an iron or steel part and dropping it in a bucket of linseed oil. The finish is actually burnt oil.

[Guest kaycee]

:)Thanks Rusty,

I knew they used nickel probably in the early years and teens, but was curious what owners of mid to late '20's cars were doing for replating their bumpers for show when the cars bumpers were originally nickel plated.

Thanks, too, for the info on 'painting' on the old bigger tools like jacks, etc.

Again everyone, have a happy and healthy 2010!, and keep warm if your up or over here in the cold stuff!

:)kaycee

[TexRiv_63]

Pierce Arrow started changing from nickel to chrome in 1928 but only for some trim pieces. The door handles and interior trim remained nickel for awhile. I think by 1930 most makers had switched to chrome as it was more durable. Many nickel cars are incorrectly restored in chrome which makes it confusing.

[Guest kaycee]

:)Thanks Don,

I appreciate your reply. I do'nt know how many restorers or restoration shops plate bumpers with the original nickel when that's what was on their car originally, and which platers can do a good job. It seems that at the shows that I've been to all the older 20's cars have had the bumpers replated in chrome, which looks great but is not correct. I would guess that the plating costs would be comparable. I myself like the looks of nickel even though it may require periodic polishing to keep it looking nice.

:)kaycee

[Guest cben09]

,The problem w/nickel is NOT the 'periodic 'polish,,,,,,,ITS that it takes muscle to get that tarnish off,,its bonded on,,I tell ya,,,The older cars w/ German Silver are a lot easier to maintain,,,,When i was driving a 24 Silver Ghost as a daily driver,,,I estimated that 8 hrs a week was not enough to keep it looking proper,,and the rain soil in the city was lots worse than the country,,as the sulfer exhaust fumes gave simply awful purple/blue tarnish !!! I would take the lady inside in bad weather,,I drove that car 53,000 miles,in 5 years,,2 wheel brakes and all,,Dont forget these cars could be had for under $500, us bucks at the time,,Some had the choice of with or without the Manley wrecker boom,,,Cheers,,Ben

[Guest kaycee]

:)Thanks Ben and Dave. Yes, I know that nickel is the second stage of chrome plating after copper and no doubt why the industry went to chrome was it's superior hardness and minimum maintenance, but when I get to the point of plating my bumpers and other trim I wondered how many of you guys would go to nickel on a car originally equipped.

:)kaycee

[Steve Braverman]

My father recently purchased a 1925 Franklin that has its trim done in chrome. It looks bad to both of us. The local plater told us that it is a simple process to unplate the chrome to expose the nickel. We are considering it.

[Restorer32]

If the original was nickle that is what we would do, most recently a '27 Kissel. Not much difference in price leaving the chrome off as the labor is the same. Nothing looks more out of place than chrome on a nickle car in my opinion.

[Larry Schramm]

I have seen some vehicles from the teens done in chrome instead of nickel or just black paint and they look awful!! The restoration work was done by a hot rodder shop that loves chrome (which is great for the appropiate vehicle) but was so out of place and deterred the rest of the restoration. Unless you are going to cut and chop the vehicle, original in my opinion looks the best.

[Guest cben09]

Hi Kaycee,,,,To be more specific,,,I like the nickel soft sheen,,,I would go for the nickel,,,and give it a wipe of vasolene ,,,,and wipe off for the shows or whatever,,, Cheers,,Ben

[Guest kaycee]

:)Hi again guys. Thanks for all your input. I appreciate it!

Most or all of you all seem to agree with me on plating with nickel on a car that came out that way. Maybe I've come across as being a 'purist', but to each their own. Now all I have to due is save more pennies? to get the plating done and hope that plating costs do'nt increase too much in the near future! I'm glad that I'm not restoring anything in the '50's like my past '50, '59, two 60's Buicks ,four '63-'65 Rivieras,'73 and '78 Rivieras to plate, even though I loved the cars, and the chrome on my '85 Riviera is still good except the rear bumper guards which I have a couple of new OEM for and the '71 Corvette conv. has all new chrome.

kaycee

[ron hausmann]

All,

I live in the Detroit, Michigan area and have dealt with several plating companies. Each of these three companies do not charge any differently between Nickel or Chrome. My 1923 Kissel Model 6-45 Gold Bug Speedster was originally Nickel trimmed and that is the way I have kept it, no matter how much more polishing it takes (and it does!). My 1927 Chevrolet was originally aluminum and chrome. I have been told that the cheaper cars went to chrome in the mid-1920's while the more elitist car makes hung on to nickel into the later 1920's. I have seen an original 1928 Buick in chrome, not nickel.

Hope this helps.

-- RON HAUSMANN --

[Owen_Dyneto]

My own opinion is that a proper restoration MUST use nickel plate if that was the original finish. Period. I've occasionally seen cars where chrome was substituted, and they just plain don't look correct.

[Guest kaycee]

Thanks again to you fellow old car guys. If I had brass cars, I would'nt have a question, but I do'nt think the 'elbow greasing' would be as easy for me as it once was!

kaycee

[Guest JR Cars]

Nickel plating goes back much further than what most people realize. Three of our cars, the '11 Olds Limited, the '12 Rauch & Lang, and the '11 Stoddard Dayton all used nickel plating. On the Stoddard, it was optional (I think it was an extra $30). Interestingly, when we recently stripped off the 1950s era paint from the hood panels, we found that not only were the hood hinges plated, but also the hood panels themselves!

[Guest cben09]

Hi,,, Most All the steam fire pumpers[ fire engine]] were nickel,,and early Locomobile cars had some parts in nickel,,,steam guages / tiller etc,,Cheers Ben

[Guest DeSoto Frank]

Kaycee,

Well, if you plan on having your car judged at an AACA event, you'd have to go with whatever plating was originally used by the factory.

Personally, I prefer the appearance of nickel plate - it has a warm, yellowish color, as opposed to the cold blue tint of Chrome. It does require more frequent attention, alas.

The changeover to chrome was gradual, varying from manufacturer to manufacturer... I believe GM went over to Chrome in 1928-'29; Ford in '29-'30, don't know about the others.

Also, some cars probably left the factory with a mix as on-hand parts were being used-up (thinking of Model A's...).

My '41 De Soto most definitely has chrome plating on all the exterior trim, the dash, and knobs. But the window cranks, interior door handles, and vent-wing handles are all nickel-plated... so go-figure...

As for bumpers, on many cars, they were optional or only available as aftermarket accessories until the mid-to late '20's... some cars had painted bumpers (thinking of Bi-Flex bumpers)...

I agree with those who feel that chrome looks "wrong" on a pre-1928 car...

[Guest kaycee]

Thanks Frank. I was thinking the same thing on bumper plating . My '28 Pontiac needs the bumpers plated, and originally the radiator shell, door handles, and all the interior handles were nickel. My late father had the shell,and all four outer door handles chromed years ago when we first bought the car, just painting the bumpers silver. All the interior handles are the original nickel and nice. but I'm thinking of nickel plating the bumpers and replating the shell and outer handles. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it seems like a lot of shows that I've been to have many of the earlier 20's cars plated with chrome, and look alright but are incorrect for those particular cars.

I also like the looks of nickel and its yellowish tint versus the blueish tint of chrome depending what the car originally came out with.

Take care, and keep hobbying!

kaycee