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MG TD TF 1500 - headlamp brass nuts

I have a 52 with original painted buckets. The securing nuts thru the arms are discolored brass. I've seen both chrome and painted nuts but never brass. Should I assume these should be chrome since you wouldn't need to paint the brass or did the factory really paint the brass to match the bucket colour ? TIA Scott
SM Scott

I have seen both chrome and body color, not brass.

Can you put a magnet on the bolts? If it sticks it's not brass.

When you chrome plate something it gets copper, then nickel and finally chrome so its possible the chrome and nickel wore off or maybe they are rusty and look like dull brass?

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_finishes.htm#brightwork
Christopher Couper

I may have misunderstood which part you are referring to. Are you talking about the nuts that secure the bolts through the radiator brackets or the adjusting nuts at the bottom of the headlamps?

If the adjusting nuts they should be cad plated. They might be brass underneath. Try the magnet.
Christopher Couper

CC - thanks for your note. Yes, I am talking about the big adjusting nut thru the arm. Yes, I also did try an industrial pencil magnet and it is brass. I've never seen brass either that is why I thought they should have been chromed but I don't really know what is original. Painted I would have thought, would be just steel, why would they paint brass? Scott
SM Scott

Scott - I'm pretty sure all nuts for securing the TC & TD headlamp bucket thru the arm were chrome from the factory. I think the brass painted nuts were used on a repainted car to save on cost, IMHO. Painted nuts would be very hard to tighten due to gaulding or chipping the paint. Russ
RAH Russ

Scott: That nut could be brass and it might have been nickel plated (or cad) and not chrome. Hard to tell at this point because both nickel and cad would look the same after a few years and both would probably wear off (note most folds think their ID plates are brass when they were ALL nickel plated).

I am not sure mine are still original or not. I did have them chromed and I remember they were starting to get worn a bit so I think I replaced them with new. My car is sort of in storage right now so next time I am in there I can check to see if they are magnetic or not.

Either way you should should plate them as Russ pointed out with one of the three options. You don't want adjusting nuts painted.
Christopher Couper

This thread was discussed between 19/10/2015 and 22/10/2015

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