need rechroming education

[Don S.]

The chrome parts on my car are a bit tired and are not as bright and shiny as they used to be. I know that repro parts and/or rechroming of originals can cost about the same give or take.I saw a car that had outstanding looking grille teeth and grill bars but the bumpers of the car and the grill oval were a different brightness and it was obvious they has not been done at the same time. It really detracted from the look. When doing all of the guages on a dash I take it that they should be all rechromed originals done all at the same time or they should be all repros (I believe you can buy new repro bezels)to make the chrome look all the same.
If money were no object what is the best way to achieve super looking chrome on all of the car.

Also What needs to be done to do the radio. Does it all have to be disassembled in order to rechrome the push buttons and is this a big complicated job.
TIA

[Rod K.]

Re: need rechroming education

Don, I'm no expert on this subject but I recently sent all my '57 chrome out to be replated. In researching vendors, I learned one thing I'll pass along. There are two distinct types of chrome plating, above and beyond the several ways to repair and prep the parts. Definitely have the plater explain the methodology he uses to prep the parts, including the repair methods and the copper, nickel and chrome plating steps.

The two types of chrome are hexavalent and trivalent. Hexavalent is the type used when these cars were originally built, but is much more toxic than trivalent, which is more common today. You're probably seeing the difference in hue between these two types, not a difference due to having parts plated at different times. The hexavalent is more silver and warmer looking, while the trivalent has a definite bluish, colder hue to it. There are platers who do hex chrome and I found their prices to be generally in line with the tri guys, even though you'd probably expect the less toxic trivalent to cost less. I've compared similar parts with both types of plating and would not give you a nickle for the trivalent. It just doesn't look good, in my opinion, compared to the hexavalent. I even chose to spend extra money to replate some of my original parts in hex chrome when repros (otherwise equal to the originals)were done in trivalent. For a driver, maybe, but for a quality restoration, I'd go with hex. Just my two cents worth. Oh, and I had my gauges redone with some repro bezels which look great. They are available with the hex chrome.

Sorry I can't help with the radio question.

[Michael H.]

Re: need rechroming education

Don,

Congratulations on your Top Flight at the Winter Meet.

I've been confronting a similiar issue on rechroming my early C-1 grill assembly. My original grill bar and teeth are definitely dull, and the bar itself actually has a 3-inch scrape on it that will need to be smoothed out. I want the grill assembly to look completely original. Some of my local NCRS friends say that I should simply buy a replacement repro grill assembly (bar and teeth). They say that I won't be happy with re-chroming my original because the re-plating process will cause the pieces not to fit back together due to the slight enlargement of the parts resulting from the replating process. They also say that it will cost as much (and maybe more) to replate my original as to simply buy a repro assembly.

However, the Judging Manual states that "service replacement teeth may show a 'nose' less pointed that original." Again, I want my completed assembly to look original. My thinking is that if replating the original is no more expensive that buying the repro, why not just replate the original and keep the original sharp teeth "noses" (assuming the entire assembly will still fit together notwithstanding the supposed resulting enlarged size). Are the new repros visually distinguishable from the originals in terms of the pointed "nose"? Also, you raise a new concern regarding the "color" of the chrome. Becuase I still will need to rechome the surrounding oval (or frame), will the "color" of a repro grill/bar assembly likely match the newly rechromed original surrounding oval? Finally, I note that there appear to be both domestic and foreign repro assemblies. I assume that, if the advice is simply to go with the repro, I should buy the more expensive domestic variety.

Any guidance on which way I should go with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.

Mike H.

[Jack H.]

Radio knobs...

The push button shafts have serrated edges meant to 'bite' into sidewalls of the slots in the pot metal push buttons. Remember, the buttons had to hold on the shafts in both push and pull conditions because you set the tuner's station preset by pulling the push button knob out, mechanically dialing to the station and then pushing the knob in to lock the pre-set position.

The push buttons weren't intended for removal & re-use as fresh replacements were once plentiful. But, they CAN be removed, rechromed and re-installed. Getting a knob off the shaft is a matter of patiently wiggling it while pulling outward until it lets go.

If you manage to 'tear up' the shaft slot on a given knob so badly that it won't 'bite' during re-installation attempts, a tiny daub of something like RTV (silicone bathtub caulk) works to 'glue' the knob onto the shaft...

[Don S.]

Re: Radio knobs...

Thanks for the info on the radio push buttons. Do you know about rechroming the rear view mirrow on the dash. Do you have to break the mirror, rechrome the base or mirror holder and then glue in a new mirror.

[Jack H.]

Re: Radio knobs...

Your profile says you have a couple of cars and you haven't yet mentioned which year car we're talking about here.... If it's your '65, then there are two issues: (1) standard mirror or (2) optional day/night mirror.

In either case, the glass is crimped into the housing and you'll have to de-crimp and re-crimp. The glass is NOT 'glued' into the housing. The optional D/N mirror is mounted in a SS housing, so there's no chrome consideration(s). The base mirror is another matter and there you're on the horns of a dilema...

You should find GUIDE embossed into the rear housing with different mirrors having different emboss depths. About anything you do to try and clean this housing and have it re-chromed will result in the emboss disappearing (either fully or partially) as a result of the n-tuple polishing passes platers make.

Now, if you know a shop that'll do a 'flash' chrome or 'smack' chrome plating job for you, you might be able to get by. But, FEW in the business of doing chrome plating will bother to attempt flash/smack chrome as the factory did because it's a shoddy form of plating that isn't very durable...

[Don S.]

Re: Radio knobs...

sorry jack-- I am asking about the 55 . It has a base on the dash and an upper part of the mirror which fits into the base and a thumbscrew on the base holds it in place. I do not think there is any embossing

[Bob T.]

Re: need rechroming education

don
i resently sent all of my 62 chrome to canada for rechroming, was told by a guy who chromes hundreds of wheels each year about this guy (The Chrome Pit) and how his chrome is smoother than domestic rechromers, becouse they do not have resrictions as tight as EPA has, for the states. i was pleased with the look and quality (took about 8 weeks out and back!) not sure of the process he used but might be another one to check in your quest for the right look

bob