What is the wiper door made out of? Aluminum? Magnesium?
The one for the car being resorted has a thick layer of paint gunk or, something on it and I do not want to damage the door trying
different removal methods-stripper, blasting, heat, sanding etc....
It almost seems to resemble melted paint from stripper that was left on. The molding had the same problem. I used aircraft stripper on it with success although, it took 3 applications to the thickest spots. Anyhow, the door is next so.....

 

I think its pot metal I just had mine fixed at corvette central ,, as the bolts break off in the holes when you remove the door its a common problem

 

I believe that it is aluminum. It is very important that the 1/4" counter-bores leading to the end-face mounting screw holes are NOT damaged or re-machined. Those counter-bores are on 'true' center with the threaded bores which follow. If those threads get damaged, or a screw is broken off in one of the holes (VERY common occurrence), those counter-bores are the only reference feature which can be used to create repaired threads that are correctly oriented.

 

Thanks, mounting holes are fine.

 

The wiper door and vent panel is definitely aluminum. I won't take a magnet where as pot metal will.

Mine were OK too- but before painting them I did a precautionary drill out and helicoiled them.
I didn't want the common broken bolt issue when I was assembling (and have re assembled since!) with new paint.
I know its another while you are at it- but worth it!!!

Richard

 

Mine were just done I did not trust myself to do it sent it out to central

 

The windshild wiper doors are an aluminum alloy. Didn't know pot metal responded to a magnet....thanks Richard454.

Paint removers are a little lame today since methylene chloride is effectively banned for retail use. I've found Jasco paint stripper, non-methylene chloride, to be effective for removing paint from metal. You can still buy methylene chloride, by using Google, for industrial use. It comes in a liquid form and doesn't repond well to paint brush application. Being a volatile solvent, it evaporates too quickly. To be effective, it needs to be in a gel form that will stick on and remain long enough to melt the paint. .

My 70 windshild wiper door also suffered a broken bolt when removing the door. I went to J&D Corvette's used parts warehouse. They must have had about 50 of them! But everyone, save two, had broken bolt studs in them. Since had my wiper door repaired by Paragon. Reassembling my "new" door, i put a lot of anti-seize on the bolt threads.

 

Pot metal does not respond to magnets I just tested my headlight buckets

 

Thanks for checking me!!! I checked a few things-

Pot metal may be composed of different combinations of aluminum, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, tin and zinc. However there isn't much
iron used because of the pot metals characteristic is a low melting point.

Zinc has a low melting point- zinc isn't magnetic but can interact with magnetic fields-
If you move a strong magnetic you can actually cause small currents of electricity to flow in the zinc.


Well- I tested a few things too-

Worked on my eggcrates - which have been dechromed -painted and polished BUT on my sidepipe cover - which has also be de-chromed - magnet didn't stick.

I was using a "Mag Daddy" ‎Neodymium Magnet- it's really strong.


So - pot metal is really not magnetic but If you move a strong magnetic you can actually cause small currents of electricity to flow in the zinc.

So the answer is not really but maybe??

 

Pot metal is mostly zinc, so a magnet won't stick to it either

^ ^ Beat me to it ^ ^

 

As long as we're on Pot Metal...... what is the center console metal plate made of? I was thinking of powdercoating mine, since it scratches so easily, but I don't know what is is made of?

 

Magnetic currents will flow thru any conductive material (which almost all metals are); but that doesn't make them attracted by magnetism.

 

it is also pot metal, a lot of metal pcs on these cars is pot metal, its easy to cast and chrome or paint and is durable for its application
but its not magnetic, unless you use richards fancy magnet.

 

Likely a reason they call it "pot" metal, LOL's! who knows what is in the "pot" when they mix it up.

I do know, my ace professional aluminum welder can weld up broken C3 headlight support brackets. However, the other headlight buckets pieces were a no go. So, the alloys must vary a bit.

 

Hmmmm??? So, can I put that in an oven to powdercoat? or will it "slump"?

 

I don't know - zinc melts at 787 degrees, and pot metal had other stuff in it so it's melting point is going to be higher than that but who know the exact mixture. If your powder coating setup doesn't get any hotter than that I suppose you could.

 

It all depends..

How bad are the pits in the piece- Some have tried drilling out and filling with Muggy weld- can't use the standard Alloy one - melts at 350 but need to use the
Super alloy melts at 600.
You can also use a powdercoat .primer and sand.

Potmetal doesn't melt till over 700 degrees- no problem there. Potmetal unfortunately is often a crap shoot
You can get out gassing and the piece looks like it has a bad case of zits, Clearasil won't fix it!!!

Some luck and baking them at 400 for 30 minutes to an hour getting the contaminants to outgas after they have been cleaned.
I've had best luck- blasting them- soap ( dawn ) and then a good cleaning with acetone.

I have also had good luck with polyester powders from Prismatic powders.
And have been able to wet sand (1500) and hit carefully with a buffing wheel to leave a nice high gloss finish.

Powdercoating potmetal- is just like working on your vette- sometimes all the frustration pays off when the piece comes out great!

 

Update. The wiper door is stripped of all paint now. It took a couple of rounds of stripper, a little work with a stripping disc in an angle grinder, and time in the blast cabinet.
I do not know what the deal was. The top layer of yellow paint was very thick, It looked like someone put stripper on it, and let it dry. The media blaster would not really remove it. There were three layers. The yellow top coat, a green, and then what may have been a red oxide primer. Once the yellow was gone or, mostly gone, the media blaster did the job.. Interestingly the back side paint was thinner and came right off in the media blaster. The cowl vent panel and the molding were the same way. I do not have an after photo but, both are stripped clean now and ready for the painter to do his thing.
Also, why did GM choose to paint the stainless moldings on the wiper door and upper fenders? I think we are going to leave it unpainted and polished.

 

The original Mako Shark II had polished trim all around the windshield. However that was 1965- the same time Ralph Nader was on a mission to save us from ourselves with a bunch of safety requirements.
While killing the Corvair - the 65 C2 went from shiny wipers arms to the 66's using brushed ones -some how making it safer?. Same reason the XKE had to get rid of the glass covers over the headlights.

Years back- I polished the trim on a 68 I had- thought it looked great.

 

Hello again carriljc,

I would be really anxious to test that on another Center console plate before trying it on your "one year only" 1968 center console plate. I enjoy powder coating parts and I stripped the console center plate and it was made of something that does corrode on my early 1968. I have little bumps on the surface of the flat areas so I have been sanding the spots down and hope to powder coat it soon in semi-gloss or flat paint whichever is called for. I have tried painting it with no luck as the little bumps were too obvious the first time. So I sanded them down very very carefully and I don't expect them to pop up again.

On some of the factory chrome plated hardware for securing the hard top or the convertible were getting pretty shabby so I pulled them and cleaned them up. Then I plated them with Copper to build up a good smooth surface and after getting the right amount of copper I would then plate it with "Bright Nickel" which looks like Chrome to this Color Blind Boy... Bright Nickel is not as porous like Chrome is so it "resists" corrosion better. The materials are available to do it all in your garage from a Company called Caswell who sells plating and Anodizing equipment for the harry homeowner crowd. I love the stuff as it last a long time if done right by a person not in a rush.

IF I powder coat it I will do so with support to ensure it doesn't change it's shape. I would also be sure to not overheat the parts. I am in the process of trying to make a Carbon Fiber plate to go where the original instruments went. I want to install a Digital Dashboard of the instruments by using a Holley 7" Dash panel on the carbon fiber cover. The whole idea is to make a carbon fiber replacement panel for the instruments but leave it open so people can mount a modern radio or other devices like the Holley Digital touch panel. The Holley Digital 7" touchscreen can be used in a variety of ways with customizable instruments on it and you can decide the layout. I want the ammeter G-O-N-E as well as the live oil pressure behind the dash gone as well.

I want to make some changes but NOTHING will be permanent so the car can be restored if someone chooses to do so. I see myself as only the temporary owner of this classic Corvette and it's 427, it will go to my daughter after I am done with it