I was inspired by Pooparu's restoration on his EA81 power steering cross-member and rack. So a couple weeks ago I pulled out a project I had stashed away in the shed - an EA81T cross-member with power steering and the "scooped" portion to clear the up-pipe to the turbo - it also mounts the power steering lines on the drivers side so as to keep them away from the exhaust.

 

I dissasembled it and am in the process of evaluating the rack and ordering new mounts and rubber bits. I sand-blasted the cross-member and sent it to our plating company for zinc coating:

 

It's like jewelry for your underbody!

 

 

 

 

More to come as I get it back together. Haven't decided what's going to happen to it yet. Maybe it will go in the Brat.... maybe I'll sell it. Not sure.

 

GD

Mmmmm, eye candy :-p

 

But you know I would prefer mine PC'd black

Looks like something King Midas would have.

But you know I would prefer mine PC'd black

 

I almost did that as it would have been free - unfortunately PC is thicker and prone to chiping - the black PC in particular also fades very badly in the sun.

 

Zinc will dull with time, but is studier in an application where rock chips may be an issue, etc. It's an excelent rust inhibitor - on par with epoxy and enamel, etc. PC is great as well untill it starts to bubble off and comes off in huge sheets as long as your arm

 

And if you *do* get a rust spot - you can hit it with a wire wheel, some cold zinc compound, and a bit of gold paint. You can't effectively make a lasting repair to PC. Once it's chipped you are pretty screwed.

 

GD

Edited June 5, 200916 yr by GeneralDisorder

Wow, that's pretty cool. If you don't mind my asking, how much does it cost to have a piece that size zinc-coated?

Wow, that's pretty cool. If you don't mind my asking, how much does it cost to have a piece that size zinc-coated?

 

I don't know if we get any special pricing - we do weird coatings through them that aren't cheap - specially formulated nickel mostly.

 

Their minimum is $40 - it's actually more expensive to do a whole bunch of tiny parts than one big one like that. Myself and a co-worker that is restoring a mustang both sent parts and the bill was $50 so we split it down the middle. So it was $25 for both peices.

 

Generally Zinc is cheap - it's an inexpensive material, it's not particularly bad for the environment, and the electroplating doesn't take very long. Turn around was less than 24 hours. I mean.....they zinc coat decking screws by the ton.... it's not an expensive process.

 

In fact the sand-blasting would have been more expensive if I hadn't done it myself - over an hour at the cabinet. Makes my feet hurt...

 

GD

Edited June 5, 200916 yr by GeneralDisorder

ooo, that's pretty...

 

that would look great on my car with a bunch of oil dripping on it... (:

Mmmm shiny

 

Bling bling

 

Would that work on a diff cover too? (no I dont want one, just kicking around ideas)

That is real pretty, now you have to made the rest of the parts pretty too.

Would that work on a diff cover too? (no I dont want one, just kicking around ideas)

 

You wouldn't zinc plate alumiunium - you would anodize it instead. And yes you could have it gold.... or purple for that matter. Any color you want really.

 

GD