Ashtray

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Alan Hall
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Ashtray

#1 Post by Alan Hall »

Did any pre-A ashtrays have roller guides in the ashtray frame box, or is that only an early A thing?

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Rick Albro
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Re: Ashtray

#2 Post by Rick Albro »

Alan, you ask a very good question. I have noticed that pre A ash trays can have at least one of two different front face plates with different spacing. They have different knobs corresponding to the knob change in 54. So the question is when did the roller part on the uvula replace the bend? Having two possible face plates for pre A ashtrays of which the later knob is used would suggest that the roller type uvula was probably introduced before the end of the pre A ashtrays. 55/56 cars will be the time frame where such a change would have happened if it did. Who has a 55-early56 car and what type of ash tray is present?
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distances.jpg
uvula.jpg

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James Davies
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Re: Ashtray

#3 Post by James Davies »

The roller guides on the sides were definitely an "A" thing. Those trays are smaller too.

As Rick points out, there were lots of subtle changes in pre-A ashtrays.

nathan kruger
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Re: Ashtray

#4 Post by nathan kruger »

How much gloss was in the original plating for the ash tray?
Rick's top picture is fairly glossy (chrome?) but kind of what I expect. The lower left picture looks like "copy cad" zinc (as I initially did mine). I need to re-plate mine and am wondering how far to go with the shine...
Thanks
NK
PS thanks James for a proper 'uvula' I love the anatomical reference but I think I'm making the car gag when I press on it.
 

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James Davies
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Re: Ashtray

#5 Post by James Davies »

Here's a well-preserved original Nathan.

I don't know the surface on the tray. The housing itself is *very* shiny. I believe it is made from terne plate.
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20150407_40d_4263f.jpg

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Joris Koning
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Re: Ashtray

#6 Post by Joris Koning »

Interesting question on the plating. I have seen this same plating used on some other 356 and 911 parts such as the metal straps holding the axle boots and various hose clamps on the early 900 series cars. On well preserved and NOS pieces I see a blue/grayish color. Might be terne but thought that is a lot more shiny and does not age to blue/gray?
'56 Coupe
'57 Coupe
'59 Cab 
'60 Coupe

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James Davies
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Re: Ashtray

#7 Post by James Davies »

Agree that the tray itself is probably not terne. Probably zinc without a chromate coating. Think the zinc on chain-link fences.

I feel like I've seen the housing made from this same material (plating turns grey over time) and also terne plate. The terne plate ones are very shiny until rusty. No grey. Photos below.
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20150407_i5_6488.jpg
7220288.jpg

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James Davies
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Re: Ashtray

#8 Post by James Davies »

It looks like the uvula is plated with nickel. Yes a yellow tint. Perhaps because it is spring steel? Rick might have opinions on this. The little slotted tray on the side looks to be chrome? Or a zinc chromate?

Vincent Gillespie
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Re: Ashtray

#9 Post by Vincent Gillespie »

Ashtray out of 54122 'born' Sept '55
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ASHTRAY KCT 001.JPG
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V. Gillespie

Vincent Gillespie
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Re: Ashtray

#10 Post by Vincent Gillespie »

PS I'm sure most will know but, to save any confusion, ignore the colour of the inner coating, once I had removed the rust scale I used this to protect the surface. In the days when smoking was hip one or more of the owners were smokers, this had been used a lot, and I have no idea what it would have been originally as I simply had a rusty box to work with. The outer surfaces were dull dark grey, not paint of any description, but I don't know if it was coated with some form of electrolytic process.

V
V. Gillespie

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James Davies
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Re: Ashtray

#11 Post by James Davies »

Here's a photo of the difference in size between the pre-A and A T1 ashtrays. Pre-A on the right side. Just about every detail is different.
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mms_20161127_225751.jpg
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Spencer Harris
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Re: Ashtray

#12 Post by Spencer Harris »

James Davies wrote: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:52 pm Agree that the tray itself is probably not terne. Probably zinc without a chromate coating. Think the zinc on chain-link fences. I feel like I've seen the housing made from this same material (plating turns grey over time) and also terne plate. The terne plate ones are very shiny until rusty. No grey. Photos below.
Original ashtray from '53 cab (8/17/53). My plater said the box was zinc, so we plated the box & housing with zinc. (Original spring was missing, so pictured here with stainless steel spring laser cut by Spacetron in Bakersfield. Chrome plated in after photos.)
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Spencer Harris
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