Taillight cover finish: gray or yellow zinc?

[Robert5995]

Hi, All -

In talking with John Audette, who has done 100 more of these than I, he says he paints them gray.

My part looked typically abused by weather, rain, rocks, et cetera, but when I pulled the electric plug off the cover, I swear it was yellow zinced underneath. Thus, I had the part yellow zinced - see picture.

I thought I would throw this question out to those smarter than I, which means most of you. With what finish did these parts come out of the factory, gray paint or yellow zinc? Also the pot metal taillight casting: bare metal or gray paint? Thanks!

The car is a LWB

- Rob

[RSTarga]

As I recall, grey.

[moito]

grey...but i have had new spare part tail lights for impact bumper that had yellow ones

[RSTarga]

Weren't the older ones made of pot metal or something similar?

[Robert5995]

John Audette says the SWB taillight castings are lousy potmetal castings. He liked the LWB ones better.

So, we have one vote (thanks, Franz!) for covers with yellow zinc on the impact bumper cars, and one vote for gray paint on the stamped taillight casting cover.

I imagine Porsche, being frugal, might throw the stamped covers into a large lot of stuff to get yellow zinced, since they did worry about corrosion protection, but I have a harder time imagining them painting the pot metal casting of the taillight.

Has anyone taken apart one of these conceivably for the first time that can report in here? Thanks!

- Rob

[robmog]

I thought Silver/blue CAD when I disassembled mine.
I did blue zinc
Small screws were yellow CAD

[fourteenten]

Clear Zinc, I have never seen LWB housings in yellow Zinc.

Cees

[moito]

John Audette says the SWB taillight castings are lousy potmetal castings. He liked the LWB ones better.

So, we have one vote (thanks, Franz!) for covers with yellow zinc on the impact bumper cars, and one vote for gray paint on the stamped taillight casting cover.

I imagine Porsche, being frugal, might throw the stamped covers into a large lot of stuff to get yellow zinced, since they did worry about corrosion protection, but I have a harder time imagining them painting the pot metal casting of the taillight.

Has anyone taken apart one of these conceivably for the first time that can report in here? Thanks!

- Rob

it was a new spare part--not one that came off a car.

[Robert5995]

Robmog and Cees -
Thanks for the votes. Clear zinc might make more sense when viewed from Porsche's perspective. It's the same rationale as clear zincing the body parts later in the '70's. Clear zinc it is on the covers, and *maybe* gray paint for the housings!
- Rob