Who makes the best product to give my sand-blasted hood springs and hinges a nice gray phosphate finish? Thanks for your input.

This is what some people do spray it with cast grey (detail grey) and then on your final coat hold the can 18" from it and give it a final dusting of the paint.
Other wise send them out to get replated.

Why paint when you can refinish them as they originally were? I bought one of the phosphate kits from Palmetto Enterprises, (864) 246-3836. If you have a large pan and propane burner they are easy to do yourself. You already did the difficult part by blasting them.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/images/us//local/products/detail/p8502.jpg

Zinc Phosphate Aerosol 12 oz
http://www.eastwoodco.com/images/us/global/globalgraphics/spacer01.gif
Duplicate the Factory Appearance of Zinc Phosphate - Zinc Phosphate duplicates OEM Zinc Phosphate plating. This charcoal gray OEM plating was used on inner and outer tie rod ends, tie rod adjustment sleeves, center links, some spindles hood hinges and latches, sway bars and some shift and carb linkages. Duplicated to match the exact appearance of Zinc Phosphate plating in a very durable enamel aerosol formulation. Temp. resistant to 300 degrees F, one 12 oz. net wt. covers up to 6 sq. ft. 4-8% gloss. Use PRE Painting Prep (10041Z) to remove residual grease and oil before coating.

$10.99@

Available form The Eastwood Company

www.eastwoodco.com (http://www.eastwoodco.com)

You can bead blast them and then just clear them also. looks like phosphate

The zinc phosphate from Eastwood is too dark. I have a couple hood hinges that have been zinc phosphated and look great. While I had to change my hood latch, I painted it and it is very dark, like a charcoal grey, while the acual zinc phosphate looks more like the detail grey.

Why paint when you can refinish them as they originally were? I bought one of the phosphate kits from Palmetto Enterprises, (864) 246-3836. If you have a large pan and propane burner they are easy to do yourself. You already did the difficult part by blasting them.

From whom did you purchase your kit?

I found the company but not a distributer.

I work at a restoration shop and send parts out to a plating place 40 minutes from where I work. I have found a couple different places thru using the phone book, usually under metal plating and polishing. Most places can do small stuff, but for things like bumpers, you must search nationally. I do not know the name of the place I had sent my hood hinges to, but they are the ones who did the latches on a couple yenkos and pace cars we are building.

For phosphate latches and hood hinges send them to TC member Mickey Hale .....by the time you buy the stuff from Palmento etc and do it you may as well send to Mickey

Agree with Bill.. buying the chemicals is fine.. but unless you plan to be doing lots of Phoscoating in the future.. not sure it's worth it. But either recomendation is what I would give.. not out of a spray can.

Mike

Sorry guys, I am no longer doing phos, I could not get it to run good on a consistant level so im done with it for now. I am doing all zincs still and manifold coatings.

From whom did you purchase your kit?

I found the company but not a distributer.

There are no distributors that I'm aware of. You need to call and order direct from Palmetto. Price I recall is around $40 so even if you are only doing one or two sets it's not that expensive. As a bonus most Chevelles have other phosphated parts, so once you acquire the chemicals you can do all the other parts also.

I sprayed detail gray, then zinc phosphate over that (both from Eastwood). After a week's drying time, I "polished" with a 3m pad. The detail gray came through enough to lighten the darker zinc and give the part a metallic look.

I would recommend using a product from OEM Paints. I used the light gray Zinc Phospaint as they call it. It runs about $45.00 a can and is
available thru Rick's First Gen Camaro.
I tried the Eastwood product and was not happy with it. The color was to dark. This OEM Paints product is excellent! I also used it on the hood latch assembly.

I found a guy here in Connecticut that did it for me and a friend of mine. There are alot of places that do it.

Ebay is where I got mine. the process is called Parkerizing. Gary

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=parkerize&category0=

I used Eastwood's High Temp factory grey Powdercoat on mine, after they were rebuilt. It was a little darker look than Phosphate, but very durable. Make sure your hinges are in good shape first, or any coating your put on them might scrape off, on the arms.

I would recommend using a product from OEM Paints. I used the light gray Zinc Phospaint as they call it. It runs about $45.00 a can and is
available thru Rick's First Gen Camaro.
I tried the Eastwood product and was not happy with it. The color was to dark. This OEM Paints product is excellent! I also used it on the hood latch assembly.

Your pockets are deeper than most. I cannot/will not justify $45 for a can of gray spray paint. FWIW, I inquired about that paint with Ken from Ground Up, he told me it was "bogus". His words, not mine. Anyway, not trying to knock you...more power to you if you can afford to drop $45 on a spray can. :thumbsup:

I bought Details brand spray 1200 degree gray. Close enough for me @ $6 a can.

For what it is worth, the OEM zinc phospaint is outstanding. I bought a can years ago when it was $20, still too much then, and it lasted about 8 years for pulleys and hinges. Great stuff, very durable too. If you consider what it will cost to blast and phosphate hinges and then have to maintain them with light oil coating (if in the North) then I think the money is worth it. I called an complained about the cost and they said that California EPA laws were so expensive to comply with, that the cost had to be passed down. Their words, not mine.

I have used the Eastwood phosphate paint and thought it was nice too.

Woj.

Looks like a good alternative. DeOxy Does It.

http://429mustangcougarinfo.50megs.com/underhood_component_paint.htm
http://www.northcoastmustang.com/oldsite/deoxy.htm

Brake Boosters.com
Just sent mine out yesterday and guy said satisfaction guaranteed or no cost.
$125.00 plus shipping.
Guys name is Steve Gregaro

Another vote for brakeboosters.com. He did my hood hinges, hood latch and some linkage. I keep alittle Boeshield T-9 on it and they still look great after 3 years.
http://www.brakeboosters.com/
http://www.boeshield.com/

Thanks for the recommendations, guys. To do hinges, springs and latches, for one car in phosphate, is $110 plus the return UPS. They need to arrive without paint on them to get that price.

Prices for many of my services are posted on my site along with tips to get things ready for coating.

Steve Gregori
www.brakeboosters.com
www.detailplating.com

I'll be giving you a call next week Steve. Thanks for posting here on TC ! Pat

I acid dip, sandblast, powerwash media out of joints, another short acid dip then soak in iron phosphate solution for 9hrs to 12 hrs. Blow gun the pivots out .They are then forced hot air blow dried and powdercoated. I use steel , iron ,satin black or chrome powdercoat on them. I have never tried to gloss clear powdercoat or satin clear powdercoat after the phosphate tank to try for a exact or 100 point factory finish but i`m going to toss a scrap hinge in the works soon and see how it turns out. i realize you guys are going for the ultimate closest factory look for high end show cars but my three chevelles are not taken to shows where i can listen to people pick them to death all day. Cars that are nice at a show i go too get a nod and the rest get a look and i move on. I charge my customers $65 plus return shipping on them. Done over 1000 pairs. Many of them go for the chrome. I like the steel , has around a 60% gloss sheen to it and the iron is a matt slightly textured finish . I Enjoyed reading your post !

Below are pictures of the original hood hinges that came off a 34,000 mile 70 Chevelle. The pictures are of the area that would be up against the fender when bolted on, so the color isn't affected by being exposed.

I think most of the replated hinges that I've seen are too LIGHT in color compared to these originals, which look almost black.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e43/Rixls6/trunklidandbodypainted023.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e43/Rixls6/trunklidandbodypainted025.jpg

i used tank tone paint on mine.

I sent my 70 Hood hinges and upper and lower hood latch to Steve G. in Calif.... For REAL phosphate.
Very happy with the results and turn around time.
Bob ACES--AACA:thumbsup:
P.S. On my driver, I used " Cast Blast " --- Looks fine to me ! !

In case your interested,
I've used Rustoleum "Stainless steel" in a spraycan. It looks just like the gray phosphate. You can find this at Lowes. Its a cheap alternative
to sending the parts out.

I agree with RixLS6. Mine are closer to black than gray and actually look a little darker than those pictures Rick posted. I have just over 100K on mine and they've never been off until about a month ago.

Al

Hi Is the hood springs and hinge color as mentioned above? or will black be ok

Hi Steve,

I beleive the spring and hinge should be the same color, whether you use a shade of black or gray. I believe the hood latch and release would've been this color too.

Al

Al thanks, I just leave them black.