Lola 342 resto advice

[Bill 75]

Hi,

I'm in the process of a restoration of my Lola 342. Plating on suspension parts is nickel with much pitting and rust. I would like to keep it correct, but don't look forward to future pitting. Any comments on going to chrome? Or perhaps a satin chrome if that's doable?

Many, if not all bolts are in need of replacement, as well as heim joints. Anyone dealt with suppliers in the Sacramento area? Any thoughts/advice would be great!

Thanks,

Bill

[Brian]

Most advice is to avoid chrome plate on any stressed part due to increased cracking due to hydrogen embrittlement. There are ways around that with pre and post plating heat treatment but it's best to avoid the problem with nickle plate. If you don't like that, you can get bright silver power coat, or paint the parts black.

Brian

[Modo]

why chrome is so tempting for these guys, ....... huh??? ..... that doesn't look like nickel on Clark's n' Hill's Lotus's ........ espree de corps (sp?) .....

Post 908 for me hopefully entertaining for the most ....... Steve McQueen was driving a 908/06 spyder at Sebring along with the 917's of Rodriguez n Seiffert in 70' that first introduced me to racing, (I have to do that) other than that, baseball, football, basketball, yea, club FSV, FC, no complaints GRRrrrrrrrrrr

[S Lathrop]

Check the plating shops in your area. Most chrome shops can do nickel as well. You do not want them to polish the parts. But they can plate over existing nickel. I have done it for decades with no issues.

There are two types that I am aware of: one is hard, and is commonly polished, the other is softer, not polished. Both give good protection.

If you want a really good restoration, they can strip the plating, buff out any pitting and re-plate. I would do this for a show car. The stripping process is corrosive so the less time they are being processed the better.

[Jeff Jagusch]

Steve,
Why is electroless Nickel preferred? I wanted to have some axles plated, and know that hydrogen embrittlement can be an issue. does the electroless process not create those problems?

[S Lathrop]

Steve,
Why is electroless Nickel preferred? I wanted to have some axles plated, and know that hydrogen embrittlement can be an issue. does the electroless process not create those problems?

Everyone talks about hydrogen embrittlement but I have never seen an example. The parts in our cars are not highly stressed so I wouldn't even consider it a problem. Bad design is more often the rear problem for things braking.

If you want to scare yourself have a look inside the tubes on your old cars, especially in the areas of the welds. The flux used in the low temperature welding is not good for corrosion resistance.

If you do the axles, mask off the splines and snap ring areas.

[R. Pare]

Hydrogen embrittlement can be cause by many things, but the usual culprit for race cars will be when something is chrome electroplated without being post- baked. Same problem with nickel electroplating, but not such a problem with electroless nickel plating.

With electroplating - regardless of whether it is chrome or nickel - hydrogen is generated at the surface of the part and then trapped by the plating. Left there long enough, the hydrogen atoms will migrate into the metal and bond to the metal atoms. The hydrogen is removed by baking it out within 24 hours of plating.

http://www.duro-chrome.com/docs/article.pdf

http://www.fera.org.uk/pdf/Fera%20ac...march%2006.pdf

http://www.finishing.com/1600-1799/1747.shtml

http://www.finishing.com/82/54.shtml

[Modo]

Guess ur not supposed to weld the sticks together n go racin' .... gettn' brittle jes thinking bout it!!!

[La Scuderia Raggi]

I'd be interested in the history of your car. I ran a T342 way back when I lived in Discovery Bay, in the early '80's. I bought it from Dave Davis. It had the distinctive Hal Whipple nose. Don't know if I still have the chassis plate number.

[Modo]

Addition ....... Posto!!! ...... attached .........

think the car is straddling him!!!!!! ..... we don't need no wings!!!! too much Drag!!!

[Rick Iverson]

Lola factory plating circa 1975 was electroless Ni.