How to Apply Gold Plating to a Car?
3 Answers
It can form a sturdy protective layer on the car paint, making it less prone to scratches. It easily integrates with the car paint, allowing for effortless cleaning of all hard-to-clean areas on the paint, leaving the car paint glossy and looking like new. Its coating layer is extremely durable and difficult to wash off, thus providing long-lasting protection for the car paint.
Speaking of car gold plating, I've modified several cars myself and have some experience. Actually, the mainstream method now is applying gold plating film, which is much cheaper than real electroplating. First, wash the car thoroughly, even using degreaser on door gaps, as dust affects adhesion. Professional installers use heat guns while applying the film, and complex curves like side mirrors and door handles require precision cutting - it really tests their skills. After application, avoid water contact for three days, and revisit after a week to check for edge lifting. For true electroplating, you must completely remove the original paint and apply four layers of copper, nickel, chromium, and gold in an electroplating tank - the cost could buy you a new car. Honestly though, the shiny gold surface easily shows scratches and water stains become very noticeable after rain.
I know a few guys who are into classic car restoration, and they've actually done gold plating. They strip the entire car down to just the metal shell, start with acid washing to remove rust, then repeatedly polish it until even the tightest corners achieve a mirror finish. Then it's hung in an electroplating tank with electric current applied—the copper base layer alone takes 20 minutes, and the gold plating solution temperature must be maintained around 65°C. Once they missed the door hinge area, and it rusted within three months. After plating, they spray five layers of clear protective paint to prevent blinding glare in sunlight. The cost is staggering—gold-plating a palm-sized wheel hub cover with 24K gold costs over a thousand yuan, and a full car easily exceeds six figures. But the presence of a gold-plated car on the road outshines even supercars.
