Hey there Guest! If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
Hey there Guest - be sure to keep your profile page up to date with interesting info about yourself: learn more
What the heck is that "Resources" tab up there all about? Learn more
More tips and tricks on Posting and Replying: click
Everything you've ever wanted to know about bookmarks, but were afraid to ask: Learn More
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the smilie in place of the real @
Want to mention another member in a post & get their attention? WATCH THIS
So, you created a "Group" here at BCF and would like to invite other members to join? Watch this!
Hey Guest - A post a day keeps Basil from visiting you in the small hours and putting a bat up your nightdress!
Hey Guest - do you know of an upcoming British car event? Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> Here's How <<
Hey Guest - you be stylin' Change the look and feel of the forum to fit your taste. Check it out
If you run across an inappropriate post, for example a post that breaks our rules or looks like it might be spam, you can report the post to the moderators: Learn More
I've had my struts sandblasted without thinking about the new finish. Do these need to be powdercoated, or will paint work? I'm not sure that paint will hold up with the sliding action, and I don't want to gum up the mechanism.
The struts were not painted from the factory. They had a bright steel like finish. They may have been cad or nickel plated, but at the rate they rust, they may have been uncoated.
Scott in CA
Paint certainly won't hold up, and I doubt that powder coating will, either. You probably don't want to leave them unfinished; they'll rust. Mine were galvanized. I'd get them galvanized or cad plated. Galvanizing probably will show wear least.
Am I missing something.. are you talking later style windshield struts?..if so the Works finished them by anodizing as well as the windshield frame, the upper door and back cockpit trim.. That being said, restoring a beat-up surface for plating can be a challenge.. choose your plater with care.. (front CPT was covered with the same vinyl as the dash) Many a car owner has chromed instead which leaves a completly different look...It's all through the eyes of the Master
Thanks for the feedback. Plating seems the way to go. Unfortunately, the downside of making everything new is that I can't count on a film of oil and grease to preserve the parts anymore.
Y'know, looking at the action of these struts and the way they operate, it's a very simple but ingenious design. I don't have my Horler's at hand, but I think the originals were nickel plated. Obviously the plating doesn't stand up very well either - witness all the struts with the plating worn off. I would say if you don't want to buy new, clean them up well and paint them with https://www.vhtpaint.com/products/platefinish/
Thanks for the source. I was also thinking about a coat of clear lacquer to keep the finish thin and to hide any wear- the metal cleaned up pretty well.
I need to figure out how to upload photos. Considering that I've refinished the engine compartment with spray cans and gel filler it looks ok. Never intended to go this far though...
Button at bottom of quick reply. says full screen, click. Then at bottom of entry square find file manager, click. click, choose file to select one from your computer, click, open file. click add file, click done. click submit.
Button at bottom of quick reply. says full screen, click. Then at bottom of entry square find file manager, click. click, choose file to select one from your computer, click, open file. click add file, click done. click submit.
I wanted to mention that I finally used a flat clear "paint" on the struts and it works fine. Plenty of room in the channels to avoid gumming up the works with the paint.
A friendly reminder - be careful what links you click on here. If a link is posted by someone you don't know, or the URL looks fishy, DON'T CLICK. Spammers sometimes post links that lead to sites that can infect your computer, so be mindful what you click.
(Click X in the upper-right to dismiss this notice)
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.