Do you love your car, truck, or motorcycle? Does seeing people turn their heads to look at your car, truck, or motorcycle put a smile on your face? Would you like to attract more attention to your car, truck or motorcycle? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you need to know how gold plating can really draw attention to your car or motorcycle.
What is gold plating?
Gold plating is a process that bonds real gold to other metals. The most common types of metals used for gold plating include the following: copper, silver, and chrome. The process involved in gold plating can be quite complex and should be left up to a professional. Many people have chosen to have parts of their car or motorcycle gold plated, to give it an even more striking appearance.
If you decide to have parts of your vehicle gold plated, there are several things you need to evaluate, before the process can be done. Before anything on your vehicle can be gold plated, it should meet the following criteria:
- No damage
- No rust
- No dents
- No deep scratches
- Not broken
As long as all the parts on your car, truck, or motorcycle are in good shape, you can have them gold plated. A lot of people have gold plated emblems and trim on their cars or trucks.
Some people have their rims and grilles gold plated. On trucks you could gold plate your running boards or side pipes. When it comes to motorcycles, you have many more options. Because most motorcycles have more chrome and exposed metal engine parts, you can be extremely creative with your gold plating desires.
How long does gold plating last?
As long as you take your vehicle to a reputable professional, the gold plating job should last the lifetime of the vehicle. Because of its properties gold does not oxidize (rust.) Gold also doesn’t corrode.
In reality, any vehicle parts you have gold plated will probably last longer than if they hadn’t been gold plated. The gold plating will only last if you adhere strictly to the care instructions that you are given by the professional once the job is done. If you don’t heed the care instructions, then there is no guarantee on how long the plating will last.
In order to keep your gold plated vehicle pieces in optimal condition, you should follow these guidelines.
- Avoid abrasive cleaners of any kind. The abrasive substances will scratch the gold.
- Avoid high speed buffers.
- Never use steel wool on your gold plated parts
- Never wax your car with wax which contains abrasives. Also, avoid using hard paste wax.
- If you take your vehicle to a car wash, only use brushless car washes. The brushes at car washes are very powerful. They hit your vehicle with a great amount of force and speed and in turn can wear down the gold.
- Never use jewelry cleaner on the gold on your vehicle.
In addition to these tips, you should always adhere to the care instructions given to you after the gold plating is done. If you get some looks now as you drive or ride by, imagine how many more looks you’ll get as people catch a glimpse of fancy gold on your vehicle. Gold plating vehicle parts can be a fun way to express yourself and turn more heads as you drive or ride by.
