Gold badges - can you redo them?

Amanda · Postby **Amanda** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:15 pm

I know in the late '90s Mazda, Honda and other manufacturers were offering gold badging on the exterior of their cars. I looked at a NB8A today with all its silver bits done in gold. They are looking a bit faded, time will see them getting worse.

Anyone here know if they can be redone?

P.S I'm referring to the Mazda logo badge on the bonnet, frankenstein bolts, rear mazda badge and Mx-5 badge. All are done in this gold plating. Which is wearing away.

Oh yeh... I'm negotiating to buy this one too :mrgreen:

Garry · Postby **Garry** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:30 pm

There's a guy in the NSW club called Rico that gold plates stuff. He even did his oil dip stick :shock:

and pretty much every other chrome bit on his car. Sorry but I dont have any contact details for him.

Amanda · Postby **Amanda** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:56 pm

Garry wrote:There's a guy in the NSW club called Rico that gold plates stuff. He even did his oil dip stick and pretty much every other chrome bit on his car. Sorry but I dont have any contact details for him.

Thanks Garry, I'm sure I'll be able to locate him.

Gold plated his oil dip stick eh, thats keen! :lol:

If I decided to back to silver, I'm sure I'd get a set of used badges from mx5 mania easy enough. Fitting them might be a bit harder tho!

SPy vs. SPy · Postby **SPy vs. SPy** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:29 pm

the "gold" plating, as I understand, is done "in situ" to the existing badges, there's bound to be a process to renew or reverse same.

It's probably also about 300000 nano farts thick, so it wouldn't be unrealistic to polish it away either.

Amanda · Postby **Amanda** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:57 pm

SPy vs. SPy wrote:the "gold" plating, as I understand, is done "in situ" to the existing badges, there's bound to be a process to renew or reverse same.

It's probably also about 300000 nano farts thick, so it wouldn't be unrealistic to polish it away either.

Yeh I was thinking I could probably 'clean' them up or say bye bye to the gold look! We'll see what happens with the negotiations. Must say tho, the gold does look quite good. Although might be a thief magnet for debadging I spose.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:07 pm

personal taste but I reckon gold never looks right on a car. Chrome plating on plastic is done by an electroplating process. If you wanted info on whether the gold look process can be done you could ring Astor Base Metals in Sydney or in Melbourne you might be able to find out from DMG ( name may have changed )In Keysborough. They do volume work for car co's but may know of someone offering a process on a one off basis. Or just try the phone book.

d-mag · Postby **d-mag** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:00 pm

Gold badges - can you redo them?

Yes........in silver. :lol:

Gold badges are for early 90s Honda Accords and Camrys.

Amanda · Postby **Amanda** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:09 pm

d-mag wrote:Gold badges - can you redo them?

Yes........in silver.

Gold badges are for early 90s Honda Accords and Camrys.

Yeh didnt I say that in my original post???

Besides this car is from 90s so it fits with the retro era! :mrgreen:

Guran · Postby **Guran** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:17 pm

You could have a chat with Surface Technology Coating in Melbourne (Thomastown to be precise). They do lots of different vapour deposited coatings, including titanium nitride (TiN), which is the gold coloured coating you get on drill bits, cutting tools, etc. They should be able to help you out.

http://www.surftech.com.au/

d-mag · Postby **d-mag** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:19 pm

I'm there with ya Amanda. Everything extra on my car is period 90s gear; Wheels, seats, steering wheel etc

Amanda · Postby **Amanda** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:35 pm

Guran wrote:You could have a chat with Surface Technology Coating in Melbourne (Thomastown to be precise). They do lots of different vapour deposited coatings, including titanium nitride (TiN), which is the gold coloured coating you get on drill bits, cutting tools, etc. They should be able to help you out.

http://www.surftech.com.au/

Cool thanks Guran, thats great info!

Caffeine · Postby **Caffeine** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:44 am

Garry wrote:There's a guy in the NSW club called Rico that gold plates stuff. He even did his oil dip stick and pretty much every other chrome bit on his car. Sorry but I dont have any contact details for him.

He gold plated his extractors too...

Was quite amusing to rock up behind him at a club run to see liquid gold dripping off his car... :shock:

Benny · Postby **Benny** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:39 pm

The plating of plastics is an interesting system.
They actually rotate the items in a vacuum and use a metallised gas to deposit copper onto the plastic surface.
Once the copper is on, then you can put the nickel on it then gold or whatever you require for the finished product.