More Prating About Nickel Quality

Unknown

About my contention that modern nickel, while visualy similar to the

original plating was not as durable, and that original parts were not dulling

while the newly plated stuff was, Tony responded:



<< I asked the person who plated some of my parts the same question and

he just said that it was never in the elements. Perhaps that is

true. I am sure that your tail light is NOS and has never been out

there. >>



I thought of that too, but discarded the possibility after seeing all of

the plating subjected to the same environment as it was on the same car. The

new nickel dulled, the old nickel remained bright. This "test" was made only

over the course of a couple of weeks, but it jibes with observations I have

made on other nickel era cars.

Just for example, Pete Laughton owns a wonderful LARGE 1913 Hudson

Touring, the largest car Hudson ever made. I asked him where he got the

plating done and was astonished to hear that the plating was ORIGINAL! This

car had worn out several paint jobs, but the factory plating, while not

absolutely pristine, still looked presentable.

Want another example? The Hudson Super Six clocks that were sold when

these cars were new were nickeled. I have collected several of them over the

years and a week or so ago a mad thought occurred to me and I polished them

up. Excluding the physical damage, these clocks polished up like new. I had

expected to have to have them replated.

Another example? In another hobby, the nickel plating on Victrola

reproducers is often as nice now as day it was sold even after 80 or 90

years. My plater explained that the old "Watts" nickel was a pure nickel with

no "brightening alloys" as are currently used under chrome. Is it possible

that real pure nickel is no longer available? Perhaps my plater was

misinformed. Maybe the old guys new something we have forgotten - a bit of

something extra IS needed to keep the plating intact.

We all know what a bundle is wrapped up in getting the plating done on

our cars. Anybody got any "bright" ideas? I would hate to have to revisit

this area again in the near future!







Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com

Fullerton, California USA



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