Of "Blue Badges" redux, redux

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

Bill Bain saith:

"Was it really 1996? Seems so long ago!  At the time of this debate, I
had the opportunity to replace my '83 Spider's "blue" rear badge with a
fired enamel one from Black Bart's and so set out to analyze the badge
and the circumstances leading up to it's non-std color.  I won't repeat
the whole article here (mainly because I can't - I failed to keep a
copy), but - - " 

Genuine scholarship deserves archival preservation on acid-free stock, 
sheltered from UV, which includes what senile ex-nerds usta call a 
"Winchester". Herewith the genuine poop:

alfa-digest    Monday, 12 August 1996    Volume 03 : Number 065
From: bbain@domain.elided
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 96 11:28:26 
Subject: Of "blue badges"  (long)

OK, I removed the "blue badge" from the rear of my '83 Spider, and 
have subjected it to a "rigorous" analysis using the greatest 
analytical tool of all time, the "Mark I eyeball." :-) Herein are my 
Observations, Analysis and Conclusion, submitted for peer review in 
the appropriate scientific tradition:

Observations:

1. The badge part number appears to be 2400-51020, it is marked 
"RETI", and has a datewheel stamp that appears to be 2/83.  The Spider 
that it came off of has a date plate of 4/83.  The subject vehicle has 
never been farther north than North Carolina for any extended period.

2. The cross and the "infidel" in the serpent's mouth are light blue.  
The color appears to match the light blue surrounding the serpent.  In 
the "traditional" badge the cross and the "infidel" are red.

3. There are traces of red visible in the "cross" and the "infidel".  
the underlying light blue paint has also faded in spots as well.  
Underneath the "gold" plating surrounding the cross light blue paint 
can be seen as well where the "gold" has deteriorated.  The badge 
appears to be formed of a colored, perhaps painted, base with a clear 
plastic cover sealed or glued over the base to provide a smooth 
weather-resistant surface.  Immersion of the badge in water revealed 
no leaks between the apparent layers.

4. The front badge on the same car carries the traditional colors.  I 
have personally viewed a 1985 spider with a "blue" badge on the rear, 
and a "red" badge in front, just like the subject vehicle.  Other 
researchers have reported similar findings for a 1984 vehicle.

5. On the badge that I replaced on the front bumper of my 1981, the 
red areas had partially faded to blue as well, but it was nowhere near 
as complete as the 1983.  The 1981 has no other badge to compare the 
front one with.

Analysis:

The traces of red found in the subject badge do not appear to 
externally introduced after the badge's manufacture.  The fact that 
the underlying blue paint has visibly faded suggests that the badge is 
susceptible to environmental factors.  It is a well known fact that 
pigments fade upon exposure to sunlight, and that rate of such fading 
varies with the pigment color.  Reds, because they absorb all but red 
wavelengths, absorb higher energy wavelengths (blues) and the greater 
energy absorbed may lead to a faster degradation of the pigment than 
blues, which reflect the higher energy "blue" wavelengths.  
Ultraviolet, a known "fader" of pigments, is closer to the "blue" side 
of the EMF spectrum than red, and would be preferentially absorbed by 
red pigment over blue pigments.  Sunlight is a light source known to 
be high in UV.  The subject badge has been exposed to the hot Southern 
sun for its entire life.

The traces of red found within the badge in the appropriate areas 
(cross and infidel) are indicators of the likely presence of red 
pigment at one time.  Photos of new Spiders of the same year show 
"red" badges.  Total Spider production for 1983 was about 4000 or so 
cars, as was the production of 1984 and 1985 Spiders, respectively.  
Thus, there had to have been a catastrophic failure of quality control 
over several years to result in the placement of badges that were 
"blue" when new. Such a scenario is simply unlikely since the badge in 
question has a date of 2/83.  Alfa could have ordered 12000 badges in 
1983, of which some or all were defectively colored, but it is equally 
likely that the badges were ordered in commercially reasonable 
production lots over the manufacturing period.  The importance of the 
point is that multiple lots mean multiple inspections by the 
manufacturer of the badge as well as Alfa inspections of received 
parts.  The likelihood of such a gross error being perpetuated over 
several years would thus be reduced. This point will require further 
experimental observation of subject badges to confirm or refute the 
existence of multiple lots of badges.

It is also my understanding that during the 1980's Alfa could not lay 
off workers, and in fact paid them to stay home.  This sheds some 
doubt upon another correspondent's theory that the placement of new 
"blue" badges was a knowing act by a work force more concerned with 
job security than quality control.

Conclusion:

The evidence from the single badge is not conclusive, but it does seem 
to eliminate the possibility that *all* rear spoiler badges for MY 
1983-1985 were "blue.", and the evidence further suggests that the 
badge is susceptible to preferential fading in the presence of a 
strong UV source (sunlight). The presence of red in the subject areas 
leads to the conclusion that the areas may have contained red pigment 
at one time, and that it simply deteriorated under UV bombardment.   
As discussed, other evidence may well confirm that a massive breakdown 
of quality control on Alfa's part and on the badge manufacturer's part 
is unlikely as well.  A more likely conclusion, subject to additional 
experimental observation, is that the badge was originally 
traditionally colored, but simply faded.

I hereby submit this to my peers for their review and comment.

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End of alfa-digest V7 #992
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