Not So Gold Afterall!

[Anees]

The (supposedly) 24K Gold Badges on my car are turning Green/Gray!

I wonder if they are 24K afterall?

Anyway - I have another spare set which I can put on when the weather gets warmer. Is their anything I can do to them before I put them on the car to make them last longer?

I was thinking spraying them with Lacquer - it that a good idea?

Thanks

[Steve]

salt corrosion>??

[Anees]

If I had some spare batteries for my digital camera I'd post a picture!

I've only had them on the car since Oct 04!!

[RX-Men-8]

Gold doesn't corrode !?!? Looks more like copper if it has green corrosion.

RX-Men-8

[aido]

But they're only gold plated - they're not actually gold are they?

[Wosket]

they'll match your car now?!

[Colin P]

yea, gold/green marbled badges

get em on eBay and sell them as a one off special edition!

[aido]

Maybe this is could be the first post for the guys in the Midas forum?

[Bazza]

green !! sounds like copper

gold plating something can involve the use of copper

and most golds contain copper

;)

[Anees]

I also got a Chrome Trunk Trim Gold Plated too from a LOC member (Whiteman) and that has gone slightly green/gray too - but only slightly.

My exhaust is Gold Plated too from Whiteman! ( Yeah I got carried away :P) and that is fine.

Maybe its something to do with the heat?

[Wosket]

I also got a Chrome Trunk Trim Gold Plated too from a LOC member (Whiteman) and that has gone slightly green/gray too - but only slightly.

My exhaust is Gold Plated too from Whiteman! ( Yeah I got carried away :P) and that is fine.

Maybe its something to do with the heat?

←

you certainly like your gold mate!

[Anees]

Just think the Green and Gold looks great together!! However I do think I may have slightly gone overboard!!

[Anees]

So is laquering the next set of badges a good idea then?

[lexi1]

I would say it is the quality of the plating mate. Mine were on for over a year and they are still like new.

[Rob]

u will prob find that copper has been used as a base layer before gold/chrome is applied and there are some defects in the gold plating allowing corrosion to set in.

i am sure pete jenkin can explain hell of a lot better than me about this tho!

[Anees]

Yes old thread I know! :P

But I finally got my old digital camera working so took some pictures of the poor badges:

I want to get the car all clean for the summer now that I have the stuff from the Klasse group buy and the weather is getting better - I have a spare set of the gold badges that I intend to use. Would lacquer help?

[Adie]

They look f :tsktsk: d mate.

Mine still look great but close up, the gold is starting to change to orange around the edges. They are also 24k gold plated off some geezer off eBay. Not sure mine are going funny because i've gone round the edges when i've been putting on the klasse aio?

Have you been polishing them? If so what with? My assumption is not to polish them and then see what happens.

If they still discolour let me know and i'll order some more chrome ones with you. See if we can get a group buy

Adie

[Matthew_McNally]

wow.

not being horrible mate - but they look awful :(

if thats what happens to 'em - I wouldn't bother with another set. They're only gonna look like that again by August.

Now - I'm not a fan of gold badges - but to be honest, I would put the standard ones on, and get rid of the gold ones to some punter on eBay.

[Anees]

wow.

not being horrible mate - but they look awful :(

if thats what happens to 'em - I wouldn't bother with another set. They're only gonna look like that again by August.

Now - I'm not a fan of gold badges - but to be honest, I would put the standard ones on, and get rid of the gold ones to some punter on ebay.

←

Feel free to be as horrible as your like Matt! :D

I'm not a fan of the chorme ones with the green paintwork - so I do want to stick with the gold.

I think what I'll do is get another set from a more reputable source and try again. My mate has a black IS200 with gold badges on that he has had for over two years and only now you can see them getting messed up around the edges.

Must be to do with the quality of the gold plating as stated earlier in the thread. If you look at the gold trunk trim its not discoloured at all (just needs a clean). neither has the gold exhaust trim.

Teach me to use cheap eBay stuff from HK!

The camera flash makes them look worse then they are

I can live with it until I get ready for the Klasse, Sonus, Scratch X, Stone Chip Repair, Claying marathon I have planned before my TRD kit goes on! :zee:

[Matthew_McNally]

I think what I'll do is get another set from a more reputable source and try again.

←

Try Midas Gold Plating mate ;)

[Anees]

I think what I'll do is get another set from a more reputable source and try again.

←

Try Midas Gold Plating mate ;)

←

Thanks Again! £195 for the set!! They do sometimes sell sets on eBay (Some people never learn! :P )

[legendswraith]

cant u get a jeweller to lacquer them before u put them on to prevent any discolouration and u never seen the green rub off chavs get from their electro plated gold chains :D

as for the chrome when its done it should go over a copper plate (or so i remember being told i think the copper prevents it flaking ) its the thickness of the final chroming that is the problem

[petejenkin]

The trouble with Gold Plating is that it has to be etched in copper solution and plated with copper to take the gold plate. The gold plate is real 22ct but is less than a micron thick, and as gold is soft, it wears off.

The brush plating method is fairly good as you can layer the gold to a greater thickness.

[Kazi]

Thats pretty shocking, mine have got salt corrosion but there not that colour!!!