Stainless window chrome restoration

[Michael L.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

I'm thinking of having my rear window restored on my 69 coupe. The aluminum rim around the window is a little tired from getting tossed around in the car for 50 years. Does anyone do that? I don't think you can simply buff it up as it seems to be a sort of flat aluminum finish.

Mike

[John M.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

Actually, he's on the left coast.

Mike, I think that depends on if you are facing North or South.

How about telling these guys that original trim on these cars is stainless steel but it is stainless steel covered with a thin smack/strike of chrome plating. Once this trim is polished to bring out the shine of stainless (which immediately starts to oxidize) the original chrome layer is removed and must be completely removed or the piece will look like a spotted leopard at the right angle into the sun. Reason being that smack chrome and polished stainless have different shine factors, chrome exhibiting an ice blue hue and stainless exhibiting a warmer golden hue. Put the two together and you can readily see the difference. Removing this extremely thin layer of chrome plating destroys the originality of the piece, and original is original only once. Sure you can get a chromeplater to re chrome the stainless and it will again look original if you haven't polished the stainless, because GM didn't polish the stainless to a high shine in the first place. Ask yourself this: Are you concerned about originality? or not? Is your car worth more as original? or not? Are you planning to have the car judged? or not? Mike has been a judge for many years and one of the top guys on the C1 in the country (especially the 61/62), so ask him how he judges the condition of the stainless trim on these cars.

There is a good article in THE Corvette RESTORER Volume 44 Number 1 Summer 2017 that goes into detail on this. You might want to look it up, I put many years and hours into it.

Save the Wave .............. JGM

[Gary H.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

Mike, I think that depends on if you are facing North or South.

How about telling these guys that original trim on these cars is stainless steel but it is stainless steel covered with a thin smack/strike of chrome plating. Once this trim is polished to bring out the shine of stainless (which immediately starts to oxidize) the original chrome layer is removed and must be completely removed or the piece will look like a spotted leopard at the right angle into the sun. Reason being that smack chrome and polished stainless have different shine factors, chrome exhibiting an ice blue hue and stainless exhibiting a warmer golden hue. Put the two together and you can readily see the difference. Removing this extremely thin layer of chrome plating destroys the originality of the piece, and original is original only once. Sure you can get a chromeplater to re chrome the stainless and it will again look original if you haven't polished the stainless, because GM didn't polish the stainless to a high shine in the first place. Ask yourself this: Are you concerned about originality? or not? Is your car worth more as original? or not? Are you planning to have the car judged? or not? Mike has been a judge for many years and one of the top guys on the C1 in the country (especially the 61/62), so ask him how he judges the condition of the stainless trim on these cars.

There is a good article in THE Corvette RESTORER Volume 44 Number 1 Summer 2017 that goes into detail on this. You might want to look it up, I put many years and hours into it.

Save the Wave .............. JGM

John,

I wish I would have bumped into your post before I passed on my '67 windshield stainless to a restorer last week. According to the restorer (Concourse Trim) my SS was extra difficult because someone had previously and incorrectly chromed the pieces. I'm gathering from your response the windshield SS was chromed as original? Too late for me. He told me yesterday that they stripped the chrome. My car is pretty "correct". Car's paint is not quite right. The car will never be Top Flight. So, I'm not too upset. Given that, can I ask you for another opinion? The cost to "restore" the 7 pieces of windshield SS, $1000. Seemed high to me. I know it's tough, but, does that make sense to you?

My post on this topic.

Thanks!

gary...

[Richard G.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

I agree the smack chrome pieces are original and if its excellent condition it would be best to leave them.
However, it you have some damaged or not so great stainless what do you do? This is the $64 question.
You could have it polished and it will look great. Few outside of NCRS will notice the sheen difference.
So the choices are; you end up with a car that looks great or one that has what appears to have 50 year old chrome on it.
Everyone will have to make this judgement for themselves.
For the purist it may even be possible to re-chrome the stainless after polishing. I am assuming the $1K restoration price includes re-chroming. Even the NOS stuff seems to be scratched up by now.
I am very aware the goal is to restore our cars as close to "as delivered" as possible and we all make compromises somewhere.
I have no idea what the deduction might be, for polished SS, but if the deduction is reasonable it will likely be easily tolerated.
This seems to be an issue where one could quickly disenfranchise new members if not handled well.
Just my .02 worth.
Rick

[Gary H.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

Rick. I really appreciate your points. Especially the "issue where one could quickly disenfranchise new members" bit. Tim G. and others have been super helpful and "flexible" in their recommendations. The window SS/chrome topic is a good example. Thanks

On topic. No. The $1k was the price for dent/scratch repairs and buffing. Does not include re-chroming. I'll post pictures of the final product when I get them back. And, I'm bringing the car to the Flight Judging at the NCRS Chapter Meet at Texas Motor Speedway on 5/18. Car is also registered for the LSCC Show and Shine judging. I guess I'll know the NCRS deduction and the LSCC opinions then.

gary...

[Gary B.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

I suspect that Richard Fortier knows someone who can recreate the GM look with flash chrome plarting.

Gary

[Gary H.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

I suspect that Richard Fortier knows someone who can recreate the GM look with flash chrome plarting.

Gary

I think I'll live with it without the chrome. From my money ($1000 to be exact ) it looks pretty good. Judging at the LSCC is in 3 weeks so I'll find out soon enough what the professionals think.

[Gary B.]

Re: Stainless window chrome restoration

Gary,

In terms of the cost per judging point, I think your decision makes sense. If the judges detect the absence of the flash chrome based on hue, which is what some claim is possible, the total deduction for all your stainless trim would be from the 20% Finish category of CDCIF (and I would argue that the stainless part should get you at least 1/2 of he Finish points). In looking over the Exterior judging sheets, I would guess the total deduct would be a maximum of 4 or 5 points. $1000 is a lot to spend for 5 points, especially if your trim is uniform in hue and looks good now.

Gary