63 replies to this topic

[Jairus]

Nobody I know likes the pink/salmon color that Parma casts their crown gears in! I know why they do it but I too hate the color choice they use. Well, instead of hunting down good straight surviving Cox gear or going with some weird foreign job I suggest the simply option of dying the pink any other color!!!



Rit dye is made for fabrics, but will work very well with plastics and nylon. It is about two bucks a box at the local fabric store. A package that will last for a couple years if stored in jars once cool (as shown). A white nylon endbell or pick-up guide can be dyed any color of course. But a pink Parma gear can only be dyed something in the red side of the color wheel. Scarlet/red, orange, black, or purple or are pretty much your only choices. Toss one in blue and it will come out violet because blue and red make violet!



I only add a cup or two of water and two table spoons of vinegar to the stuff in the package. Bring to a slow rolling boil.

Then run a copper wire through the gear so it is easy to find and remove...



The dye should be hot enough to steam but not bubbling too much or it will splatter dye on your shirt marking it FOREVER!!!



Only took eight minutes to make it this black!



Cold water and a toothbrush will set the color and remove any extra dye. Polish up the aluminum and it's ready for installation.

Done, now go have a beer, because the Kingie can no longer turn his nose up when your car shows its tail in the turns!

[Mark Wampler]

How about Cox Gray color?

[Pablo]

Very nice, Jairus.

What does the vinegar do?

[68Caddy]

Ask a woman, and I don't mind pink.


Nesta

[Jairus]

How about Cox Gray color?

You have to start with white and use black for a shorter length of time.

What does the vinegar do ?

Helps the dye to penetrate.

[Mopar Rob]

Does the wear area of the gear eventually show the pink again?

[team burrito]

Yes, it will.

[Jairus]

Does the wear area of the gear eventually show the pink again?

I have never seen it on my gears.

All colored nylon guides by Jet Flag (vintage stuff) are dyed. The color rubs off on the guide fin where it contacts the slot, but those are generally light colors.

But I have never seen a gear ever show any pink again. How could it? Nylon is semi translucent and the black dye has completely darkened it like turning off the lights! Longer it is left in the dye the deeper the dye goes.

Even if you were to take a knife and scrape a tooth you would barely lighten the color tint to a dark red or maroon. The only place a gear wears is the tooth face and that gets oil and track dirt in it anyway which is... BLACK!

No, this is a permanent solution in my book!

[Mark Wampler]

Thanks for the tip, Jairus.

[Noose]

Any problems with the gear remaining true? I know some of the Parma ones aren't to begin with wondered if the heat for the dying process caused it to go out round even more.

[tonyp]

Should be fine if you don't boil it. We used to do R/C suspension arms with no problem.

[Jairus]

I use a slow rolling boil and only once saw any deformation of a gear. And THAT was when I just tossed the gear in the pan and let it sit on the bottom. Three of the teeth showed marked rounding as the nylon softened, so it went into the trash.

That is why I now use a wire and stir the contents to keep heat from concentrating on the bottom. The gear can even be suspended from the bottom (source of heat, doncha know) with the wire wrapped around a rod.

Normally the temp is set about med-high.

[JerseyJohn]

That is sooooooo kool. Thanks!

J

[Dan Ruddock]

This also works well for a clear controller handle. The handle will look like one of the colored Parma handles but only a different color, the one you chose.

Dan

[JerseyJohn]

This also works well for a clear controller handle. The handle will look like one of the colored Parma handles but only a different color, the one you chose.

Dan

Dan, you just took this to the next level......What about lexan??

[Dan Ruddock]

Dan, you just took this to the next level......What about lexan??

Handle's are lexan, all I know is I have done it many times in slow boiling water with out a problem. This might not work with a lexan body as it might try to return to it's original shape. Maybe cooler water would help but then it might be harder for the color to set. Dan

[mdiv]

Every time I see the brand name "Cox" my mind spells it "Wanx."

Cool thread, J!

Mikey

[Noose]

I actually may have been one of the first painters to use this technique in the 60s. When undercoated it gives you some pretty awesome candy effects.

[Zippity]

Real men like pink

[The Groove]

This rocks I hate pink its so un retro looking, I wonder if i have any easter egg dye? and will it work?

[MG Brown]

Thanks for the tip- same technique we used back in the day to dye jet flags.... pink.

I had good success coloring the outside of the gears with a silver sharpie while the motor is run at low RPM. The result caused a retro event tech inspector in the recent past to question what kind of gear I was using....

[Gus Kelley]

Hey Rich ! You won't catch me walking into the "Groove" and running my cars with your statement. My whole fleet of cars are "Pink". Gus in Sacto

[Jairus]

This rocks I hate pink its so un retro looking, I wonder if i have any easter egg dye? and will it work?

Rich,
Easter egg dye is food based and the colors weak, being mostly pastels anyway. It might work but I highly doubt you will find the color "black"...

Rit dye is very strong, quick and cheap.... although I do like M.G.'s idea!

[32Deuce]

I actually may have been one of the first painters to use this technique in the 60s. When undercoated it gives you some pretty awesome candy effects.

I was recently very surprized when I "stripped" the paint off of a gold metallic Monogram Snake body and found that the body was not clear but rather "tinted" goldish yellow. The body was simply painted silver underneath to create a cool "candy" effect as Noose eluded to. I wonder how many other factory bodys were done this way that we are unaware of?

Z

[Duffy]

This rocks I hate pink its so un retro looking, I wonder if i have any easter egg dye? and will it work?

Only if you have "Rabbit Ears" on your guide tongue.