Original Finish to Hood Lock fixings. Painted or Plated?

[RobSirg]

Hi,

Does anyone know the correct finish to the screws / bolts that fix the hood lock at the firewall. If I look at the original 280SL brochure (attached) they appear to be yellow cad plated (see attached). However, I always though this lock was painted in place - including the fixings and I'm fairly sure my original engine bay showed they were painted also. When I look at 49er's (John) original engine bay photo (the colour one) they appear painted there also.

What is the consensus here? Painted or Plated?

Regards,

[49er]

Yep, painted. The screws were painted after assembly with a brush.

John

[mbzse]

I have examined a number of original Pagoda cars, including my own, and the screws are (were left) in gold cad finish.
I have however seen some (original) cars with painted screws in this position. Perhaps there was a variance(?)

[RobSirg]

Variances? That's not very Germanic?

I think Painted looks correct and Plating looks better. Would be good to hear from people who also can confirm plating.

Think I will get them plated, that way I can always brush paint them if I don't like it (or I get sick of "experts" telling me it is not original  )

Rob

[Shvegel]

The "Holy Grail" from the Motoring Investments website is I believe a 69 280SL shows plated screws as does another 280 Brian restored the engine compartment on. 

I am guessing at some point they just stopped painting them.

The Holy Grail:

[Shvegel]

But then again a 1970 with 3K miles.  If you download and zoom in there are remnants of the paint on the screws.

[mercakungen]

A vote for painted screws. On my car the lock has been assembled on the firewall before painting. I´m not sure about the "Holy Grail" but according to some photos it seems that there is some paint left on the screws.

[mercakungen]

What John wrote about a brush made me think.
As you can see from the photos the lock has been assembled before painting. There has also been a round tape between the lock and the body. I think the reason for that tape is that grounding contact thing (interference suppression?). Anyway, to get that tape of they have had to at least loosen the screws which probably has caused scratch or marks on the screws. To touch up those marks they have used a brush. Does this make sense?

BR,
Matti

[RobSirg]

Possibly - BTW the RHD cars do not have that ground contact thing. Wonder if RHD cars were not brushed - and just painted in place.

I was wondering if the they simply used plated screws that were sprayed in place and perhaps the paint came off the plating over time / engine heat?

However, that doesn't explain why a pristine car (as in the 1968 280SL Brochure ) appears to be plated - and not painted from new.

Rob

[Pawel66]

Also: the routing of the ignition leads is, I guess, wrong on this picture  .

Anyway: I am in the "plated look better" camp.

[tel76]

Rob,
A 1970 RHD does have the grounding thingy, if you want a picture I can send you one.

[mercakungen]

My car has option code "533"( interference suppression w/o radio set). I believe that the "grounding thing" included in this code.

BR,
Matti

[RobSirg]

Hi Eric.

Might be wrong but I have never seen these copper bars on a RHD car. I do have a braided copper strap under the hood lock which possibly performs the same function? Not sure really.

[Shvegel]

The US Federal Communications Comission has regulations about radio interference from cars that go back a long way.  That is why we have resistors in our spark plug wires and why I would assume the aluminum hood would need an additional ground contact.  Many ealy year Corvettes have the spark plug wires in steel channels because the fiberglass bodies will not stop radio interference.

I am guessing that all US spec cars would have had the copper contact and it would be a special order item elsewhere.

As for the painted vs plated screws issue I have a theory that might make sense.  If a car needed the hood catch removed to install the copper ground contact or to adjust it it got unpainted plated screws.  However if the paint was chipped or cracked when reinstalling the screws(Pretty likely) it was touched up with a brush and all 4 screws were painted. 

[RobSirg]

that's entirely plausible shvegel. You might have solved it.