'63 Parts to chrome

[Richard M.]

Re: '63 Parts to chrome

Since these are GM service replacements, do you think it's worth spending getting them re-chromed?

Irby, IMO, if they're not severely bent and/or heavily pitted with scaled rust on the inside..........absolutely. I had a heck of a time recently finding 2 good original rear cores for re-chrome. By the looks of those, I think they're fine.

Just to be sure of the other one without a label, take a close look at the outer tips and of the square nut welds and compare to the one with the GM label and the file photos in that article. If all looks good I'd do those over.

Rich

[John D.]

Re: '63 Parts to chrome

Irby, Outside rear view mirror. My 63 had a repro on it from Paragon. Had correctly dated glass. Lost one point during judging.
A well know '63 judge named Jimmy from the deep south was kind enough to sell me a NOS one and brought it to Marlborough regional. Before the car was judged we put the NOS one on. It was gorgeous. But when the car was judged the mirror got a one point deduct because nice judge didn't like something on the mirror.
What you have to worry about is your old original mirror head flopping up and down. Doesn't take much to do damage to the paint on the door from on those old mirror heads hitting it.
Cost a fortune to replate a pitted up mirror. The end result will be the detail will be history and you will have a mirror that looks like a repro.
John

[Irby G.]

Re: '63 Parts to chrome

John...Thanks for the info. Mine are pitted too, as is the chrome around the rear lights, the rear view mirror. I'll need to check later when it's time to replace and find out where the most original looking repros are.

Rich...I found out today that all the chrome plating shops in Colorado no longer do chrome. They enacted laws that made it impossible to do there. I did find out where most send their parts to be chromed...Utah. Salt Lake City Plating & Ogden Plating. Also Restoration Plating in Washington State. They seemed a bit too expensive though at $502/ mid-year bumper. I'll call the Utah shops tomorrow.

[Richard M.]

Re: '63 Parts to chrome

Rich...I found out today that all the chrome plating shops in Colorado no longer do chrome........

Rats!!! It sounded like it would have been a great option for you. Sorry it turned sour on you.

Oh well.....Plan B?
Maybe those original re-chromed rears you found online are the way to go and sell your GM cores to help offset costs.