Need some help from those that are in the know!

Clay Harrison

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So I've got this piece and I'm wondering if anyone here can explain this part to me.
The magnet grabs it a little-is it pot metal?
Is the 440 emblem on the back some sort of plastic or acrylic?
I'd really like to spruce it up (maybe powdercoat) since I've searched high and low and can't find any NOS replacements?
Any input here?

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Stubs before you get all self riotous on us newer folks why don't you take the time to read the crap you reference. I've already seen all of those 67 and up hood ornaments. Not the same...…

and if my questions irritate you, just move on without comment!
 
might want to check at what temperatures pot metal melts or degrades. i'd be afraid of blisters under the surface popping. have you tried 0000 steel wool to polish it up?
 
That's why I asked the question. Leanna tells me if it's pot metal heating it for PC could cause problems. Guess I'll just try and clean it up.

Thanks for the help guys!
 
I suspect that powder coating would be a huge amount of over-kill. The paint on the orig was sprayed on, with a template. It was not perfect by any means, just a "color coat", but it sure looked good when it was new.

AND, when you get yours cleaned up and re-sprayed, it'll look good too. Not sure about how to best do the rear side, though.

CBODY67
 
When detailing, acetone is your friend. At least on the non foil side. Get rid of all the old paint. Buff the high areas. Spray color 1. Take a microfiber rag with acetone wrapped around something stiff like cardboard. This will wipe the edges without getting down in the paint. Once the first is cleaned and dried, mask your first color and do the same for the second.
 
I'm pretty sure that your ornament is a 1st year Sport Fury w/440 hood badge, hence the red white and blue.

Pot metal with a glued on foil plate for the numbers. Don't powder coat it.

Using the steps described above, clean it up - the chrome will look pretty good, and then use Testors model paints to do the colours. Buy sprays, and be patient - do one area each day and mask the rest off with good masking tape, cleaning up any over spray as described above.

Don't go for exact perfection on spraying the colour, as it was never that way originally - the manufacturer would have had little masking templates they just dropped over the ornament, likely one for each segment. A quick spray, swap templates, spray again etc...

The 440 numbers on the foil is a bit of a question - the raised numbers would likely have been in black, but I've seen blue and silver too. The outline would have been in a silver chrome maybe. The foil is a likely a light metallic gold, hard to replicate but I've seen silver and white too. Just gently clean it up, then pick out the numbers by cutting a piece of cereal box card into the shape of recessed area of the ornament, paint the card with paint and oh-so-gently touch it down in the area for a second. The paint should transfer to the numbers. Keep in mind that if you press too hard it will transfer paint to the flat areas beside the numbers as well... just clean it off and try again! Same process with the silver outline.

Here's a picture of a 66 Fury 383 ornament so you can get the idea of what I've talking about with the numbers area...

SF Hood Orn.jpg


That was likely a fairly rare ornament, so have fun restoring it!
 
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Looking more closely at your pic showing the numbers, it looks like to me that there was red paint OUTSIDE the chrome outline, silver inside, with the numbers in chrome. The chrome is hard to do with model paints, so I'd just do the red with a paint brush, and carefully clean the rest... it will look great.

Show us pics when you're done!

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Why not use artists detail brushes and brush the paint on? I've had tremendous success painting pot metal bits on my cars using Testor's model paint and fine brushes.
 
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