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MG TD TF 1500 - Good Latches

Looking for ideas for refinishing the hood latches for the TD. I will replace the handles, but the latches are not in bad shape. There is some sort of plating now, but there is some rust coming through. Should I blast them and paint them? What kind of paint? Could they be replated? What kind? What have others done? If repainted, the sliding action may keep the paint from holding up.

Thanks, Bill

Bill Reid TD4618

I tried to keep as much of the original parts as possible.
For instance I spliced the front part of the floor boards and kept the original rear wood sections.

On the latches, I had the handles re-chromed, and cleaned up the latches with steel wool. I coated them with a rust preventative.

The handles were done in a batch of other items and I added up their replacement costs and told the plater to match that cost and he did.

I think to have just the handles done would have cost an excessive amount.

The rust inhibiter is a spray made by Kano Labs, makers of Kroil.

https://secure28.securewebsession.com/kanolabs.com/orders/order_weatrial.shtml



Jim B.
JA Benjamin

The handles of course were chrome. All the other parts were cad plated. Note that the round headed screws are brass and were painted body color on the heads.
Christopher Couper

I cad plate my original hardware. Replacements from the venders will be zinc plated. If you blast them you will remove what ever rust inhibitor was on them. Paint on the sliding surfaces will make them difficult to operate unless you mask the mating surfaces. I use lithium grease on the slides during installation
W A Chasser

Agree about cad plating (if possible, I had mine done) and the round brass slot heads, but I didn't know they were painted body colour. Makes sense though. Is this one of the items that the kid with the brush and can of body colour paint that we hear about, working on the production line, dealt with? Cheers Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I know the latches wee originally cad plated but that wasn't readily available to me. So I had them zinc plated. Turned out well. Maybe a little too shiny but they will probably lose some of that over time. The following pictures show the transformation from rusty to cleaned up to installed after plating.

B Mooney

Rusty
B Mooney

Cleaned up ready for plating

B Mooney

Missed the "rusty" pic. Here it is.

B Mooney

If you can't get cad zync is not bad. Another alternative is a soft chrome minus the copper layer. Just nickel and chrome. It looks like cad.
Christopher Couper

This thread was discussed between 22/01/2020 and 23/01/2020

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