Trunk lamp refurbishment

[Wallington]

I've previously restored my original trunk lamp. It was already in almost perfect condition but I still pulled it down to clean up and replated the bracket/globe holder back to original silver zinc plating

There's a couple of recent reproductions, the easiest way to tell them apart are the colour of the plating and being somewhat generic for other GM models. This is the American Autowire version, chunky and gold, with very long harness wire. There is another set that is silver but is also different in other minor areas.

s-l1200 by Ben, on Flickr


Anyway, I don't seem to have a saved photo of my completed lamp but I have a few spares that I was also going to clean up and replate whenever I did another batch. These have already been cleaned up and rust treated so the plating is now dull and thin.

There's not many components, if pulling down to clean up or to lube the spring which starts to grab and stick if has surface rust. I've also had lamps that had good plating but a damaged wire or similar, so can combine 2 to get a better one from used parts. Here's a few simple pics for anyone wanting to have a go or just curious what's inside these lamps.

Firebird trunk lamp components assembly (1) by Ben, on Flickr

Firebird trunk lamp components assembly (2) by Ben, on Flickr

This is the heart of the lamp, the small mercury switch which fits inside the black plastic body and snugs against the short harness with contact. This little switch is also the valuable part of the set, being about half the cost of the lot if you can even find them separately. I haven't found a faulty original yet, but a few that didn't work prior to cleaning up.

Firebird trunk lamp components assembly (3) by Ben, on Flickr

The other half of the body clips over and held in place by the compression spring over the lot.

Firebird trunk lamp components assembly (4) by Ben, on Flickr

The lamp inners then pas through the bracket and small retainer snap-ring clips over the end. That's it, other than the wiring plug which I didn't want to fit at time of pics. The black plug casing does actually fit through the bulb holder so it doesn't need to come off. I have a box of NOS cases so will swap any that are scuffed up.

Firebird trunk lamp components assembly (5) by Ben, on Flickr

Firebird trunk lamp components assembly (6) by Ben, on Flickr

[roadking77]

Perfect write up Ben, thank you. I am sure I will be doing something with mine. The trunk is the last place I will get to though, it may be awhile

Do you do your own plating or send parts out? I have seen home plating kits of various descriptions but have never tried doing anything. In todays climate I hate sending parts out. It seems the last few things I relied upon others to get something done have taken literally years to get back.

[Wallington]

Not so much a refurbishment but I had them apart and thought maybe others might find of interest. One of those components that you can imagine pulling apart and never go back together or work again, but these are surprisingly simple.

I have done minor plating in the past, mixed results with more setup than I could justify, and didn't like having old fish tanks around! The current guy I use is still not local, in another state of Australia but has been handy in the past and happy to post back and forth at cost. I do a batch every 1-2 years. It generally involves several packets of assorted nuts, screws and clips, perhaps a few fittings or custom pipework, homemade tools and the like. All trivial things now. Have done larger items like seat tracks and brackets, vacuum diaphragms, fuel caps, shifter assembly parts, window track parts, ashtrays and reverse linkage components. Some are to original finish, others just to look neat and fancy. But mostly just little projects as nothing else is making progress. I do have a few assorted chemical blackeners too, depending on the part and make but large scale is easier to buy new bolts than blacken a bucket of originals. I still do some here and there, often touch-up.

Far too many decent original parts early on were sandblasted to powdercoat or scuffed back badly with a wirebrush to paint, when could have simply been replated. Live and learn.

Some random pics, not so much to document but also offer a guide to what I sent when the guy is trying to sort through packets of almost identical screws but are in different finishes. Even looking back there were errors, the bolts were not meant to be sent with the trunk latch or plated. The trunk latch, and hood latch, were later sprayed a cast iron/grey oxide outer but still has the gold plate mechanicals. I had a few minor things that I've replated only to realise my original sample or pics were so faded that the gold had gone grey and looked faded silver, resend and replate to the other, or send a spare for whatever I feel like when the time comes, if it ever comes. And a few times have found original GM parts to be either gold or silver. The 74-78 brake light lens screws shown were one example that existed in both. Other things like brake line retainers over a diff and hood pull cable retainers are items I've collected that have been blackened on some cars and plated on others, so I've often restored in same to give options.

Gold cad plating parts1 by Ben, on Flickr

Gold cad plating parts completed by Ben, on Flickr

Silver zinc plating After 6-5-19 by Ben, on Flickr

Firebird shifter 3spd replated1 by Ben, on Flickr

RH side bucket seat base tracks by Ben, on Flickr

[apfstg]

Would you just write a book ( with pics) , I’m not to the point to go through my trunk light circuit , which doesn’t work but bulb is good,
I’m afraid I won’t find this info when it’s my time and I’ve got so many bookmarks that they are hard to keep track of .
Your knowledge.expertise and willingness to share is an invaluable asset for my project!

[Wallington]

Haha I appreciate that. Things aren't good here and likely car will end up given away in boxes or split up. Trivial little projects that be can do is about all I've been able to do for years.

[b_hill_86]

Who doesn’t love freshly plated parts? That shifter looks great. The trunk light is good info too. I’ve never had to mess with mine thankfully as it’s always worked. And truth be told my car is nothing better than a driver so it has plenty that could use improvement yet will likely never happen lol.

[5th T/A]

Ben, I love the before and after pictures. Shiter and hardware look great. As Brian said, who doesn't love freshly plated or painted parts. I too appreciate the work you put into documenting and providing pictures of minute details. Often times I read your posts but fail to comment. Thanks, you are a great asset to TAC! It's a fairly small group of people that take the time and effort to keep TAC interesting.

[Wallington]

I had a batch of plating sent back so was able to reassemble a few original trunk lamps.

Firebird trunk lamp and screw replated (1) by Ben, on Flickr

Firebird trunk lamp and screw replated (2) by Ben, on Flickr

Firebird trunk lamp and screw replated (4) by Ben, on Flickr

Firebird trunk lamp and screw replated (5) by Ben, on Flickr

[FormTA]

Dang! Your guy does some amazing work! Those parts look awesome! Do you strip/sand or clean any of those parts before you send them yo him?

[Wallington]

I did a bit of cleaning, soak it rust converter treatment, more to check condition prior. He probably uses same also for etching prior. I did several, the key is to find mint parts to start with or they also plate roughly. And of course, that requires buying several of everything and combining for best parts to be assembled, resell the spares at giveaway prices.

[FormTA]

Ya, I have done some plating as well and it's tough to get a consistent outcome. But ya, nice original pieces to begin with really helps!

[Wallington]

Yes, there's still a few mint or even new parts that come back, some have a nice sheen and an identical part is almost flat in sheen. That example even existed with the trunk lamp bodies. Annoyingly, I've sold a few of these over the years that were mint, other than the surface plating wasn't as good as my own original. Never thought to replate them at the time.

Here's 3 I had returned.
The far right was nice and bright with reflective sheen, it's what I used for my pics and for best components for eventual install in my car.

The middle part was same condition but has little reflection, more of a silver frosted appearance, still nice. It looks a little scruffy from different angles like cleaned with a wire brush harshly many years ago.

The first one was a part I was kinda duped on. A guy in the US I used to regularly get parts from and fill a box of trivial items to send over. I also asked if he had any lamps that were not rusty (suitable for plating). He said he sure did, sent a few pics and it looked nice and clean. What turned up was one that had previously been less than average condition, surface rust with pitting. Except....he'd bead blasted it and given an clear coat, which is why the blurry pics looked nice. Sometimes guys think they are helping and other times they are not. And also perhaps don't give the entire facts unless asked specifically. Worse still, it probably cost double since he factoring in his resto work! Anyway, it wasn't wasted, the internals were good and swapped with my existing spares and the worse parts swapped into this one. It still looks nice but is etched all over from the rust pitting and has no sheen.

firebird trunk lamp bodies replated by Ben, on Flickr

20240412_110027 by Ben, on Flickr