Does anyone know what the center trim piece on the grill of a 1940-41 Lincoln Zephyr is made out of? Is it chromed pot metal...brass...stainless? Its the spear that goes up and down between the two grill halves....thanks!
Same as 40 Merc: pot metal. I filled the crank hole with bondo, sent it to Jon Wright Plating in Ohio & he filled the hole with lead then chromed it; it looks factory!
I hope it holds for the hall?? Pot metal is weak and adding even a weaker material to it will only cause more problems for a proper repair. Consider having it welded next time. It's a piece of mind knowing that it'll never break again even under vibration.
I just repaired a '37 Merc grille. It was broken in 9 piece both sides combined. Pot Metal can easily be welded if you know how to handle it. definately not a task for the common welder...
I'd be very interested in learn how the plater added lead to fill cracks in your grille? Becuase the first thing that comes to mind, they either used a soft solder (lead based) like muggyweld with is very weak, or what's typical, copper plated and filled with conventional "off the shelf" solder. the type used with an iron. Either way you're looking at a tensile strangth of only 20k per inch. Properly welded pot metal joint has tensile strangth of 70k+ meaning it isn't going to break at that point again under typical vehicle vibration. Besides that, your plater will love you for it and will give you a better deal if he doesn't have to deal with cracked or broken pot metal.
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