ON the plastic pieces, the process for refinishing them is a vacuum plating process. Take a look at Ray Azcue's site for refinishing instrument panel pieces. http://qualitymustangs.tripod.com

On the other pieces, high quality rechroming is expensive for a number of reasons, not just labor so, in some regards, you get what you pay for. IIRC Kent Ketell had a bear of a time getting a decent quality rechrome job on his vent window frames and ended up using three sets (one being "lost" by the plater.

In the south bay there are a couple of places I know of but have never used either. One is Faith Bumper in Santa Clara and the other is Superior Plating in San Jose.

 

California has very strict laws about things like painting and chroming. Its bad for peoples health as well as for the enviornment so they make it hard to do and make it expensive too. Thats what my painter said to me. He told me he could send my chrome stuff down to mexico and get it done for a fraction of the cost and as good of chroming job done anywhere else. Might want to look into that. Down there they don't care about much

 

When I was looking into chrome plating, I found out pretty fast that:

1. I was going to have to send my parts a long way.
2. Nobody would give me a hard quote before seeing the parts.
3. Some platers won't even guarantee that you'll ever see your parts again. If they aren't up to the plating process they just scrap them I guess.
4. It's incredibly expensive. A few years ago I got rough quotes to rechrome the top plates on my console. Lowest was $400...and that wasn't a firm quote. The guy wouldn't even say for sure if I'd ever see my console plates again!

You've got a couple of options. Buy reproduction meaning you'll get a new part for a fraction of the cost of rechroming an original part. Or, in the true spirit of "project" you could buy a kit and set up a rechroming operation in your garage.

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/triple.htm

Looks really interesting. Here's one dude's old Triumph Bike he replated using that system:

http://www.caswellplating.com/restgal/images/Triumph-RWheel-L.jpg

Not too shabby!

Phil

 

Doesn't look to bad at all. Wonder how it would work on larger parts like bumpers and such. If anyone gets it i'd love to see how it turns out with that kit.

 

I had mine done in Detroit. Started out inexpensive, but by the time I was through I was paying around $60 for a power steering bracket.

The heater control plate and knobs are reproduced.

plating involves using acid to strip the old stuff, polishing out pits, knicks, or filling them with copper. Over this is put nickle, then over this, chrome. This is the triple plate process. A bad plate job will leave the copper showing through, or a bluish tinge to the chrome.

If your parts are not pitted badly, you might consider just buffing them extremely well.

 

Where did you have it done in Detroit?

Glenn

 

I received great service and two week turn around from Speed & Sport Chrome Plating, 404 Broadway St, Houston, TX (713) 921-0235

Craig will give you quote if you email pictures. Call him first. As I recall he is not in the shop mornings. I shopped around a lot before finding these guys. Wait at some shops were estimated at 3 to 4 months! There is nothing like unwrapping fresh chrome!!

Barry

 

There's a good shop here in Tucson that does all my work--Quality Plating. Their prices aren't too bad, either. They do regular or show chrome and other plating, too.

 

I've learned mighty quickly you are cheaper off looking for NOS stuff than to rechrome your OEM stuff. Platers that actually restore the pits in the chrome before they plate it are even pricier.

 

Speed and Sport is not too bad, and not too pricey compared to the better guys like Paul's Chrome Plating. Be careful on pot metal with pits. He doesn't fix them very well. The problem with Texas is it is illegal to use Acid Copper, which is what most chrome shops use to fill pits. What the shops are doing in Texas, including Speed and Sport, is grinding away metal until most of the pit is gone. The problem is you end up with a wavy part or one with all of the character lines gone.

Doug

 

Go to Mexicali, It is way cheap there....Gona have my entire car chromed!!!!!hehehehe....

Mel ::

 

Chroming is not cheap, particularly if you want it done well.

There are LOTS of places that will polish the detail right off of your parts for you and then cover them in chrome. If you are ok with that you can get it done for a pretty low price.

If you want your parts to look like they are supposed to when you get them back, and would rather have the pitting filled instead of polished out, you will have to pay for it.

I ended up going to Sherms Custom Plating for my vent window assemblies. I had to disassemble them and ship just what I wanted done. I also had them do two exterior door handles and buttons. IIRC, my total was $745.00, but I'd have to look that up to verify. I got the top-of-the-line, "Show car" work done. It turned out excellent.

 

I had my vent windows rechromed at one shop for $220 each. When I had my 1/4 frames done though, I went through a custom motorcycle shop and it cost me about 1/2 as much. Honestly, I can't see any difference between the two...not too sure if that's good or bad though. ::

 

Paul's Chrome in Evans City, PA does excellent work. They will pic the part, describe what they must do and give you a price in writing that will locked. If they loose the part or if you are unhappy they will make it right. We have used them exclusively for many years in our restorations. Excellent service and quality. As with any high end chromer it is expensive; a vent window frame cost around $250 and a qtr. window frame cost around $250.

 

Another vote for Pauls, fantastic work.

 

2 or 3 years ago I sent the front bumper of a '70 Charger to tri-city plating in Eastern Tennessee to have it rechromed, and the best I can remember it only cost around $300 plus shipping. They were quick and did a very nice job. Not sure if they do other pieces, but check them out at tricityplating.com.

 

You've heard once, you'll hear it again, "you'll get what you pay for". I too used Paul's Chrome. http://www.paulschrome.com/
Seen their ad on My Classic car. As other poster said, honest, prof., before they start your job, they send you a pic to have say that's what you sent. They scribed in my initials on every part. I had my '67 vert front vent window frames (250. each, rear 1/4 frames 275. each) if I remember correctly. Took about 3-4wks. I was very pleased with detail work. You could still see small grooves in places. Not all filled in like I've seen some platers do.

 

Try Kro-Pro in Michigan

 

You realize this post is 13 years old?

 

Yes, check to posting dates!

But, I can tell you, a year back Ray Azcue was NOT answering his emails, and the phone number changed, so, I'm sure he no longer does this.
For plastic, I used ChromeTech, they are in Madison WI (Google it)

For metal, every pit has to be filled, sanded, prepped etc. So, it is labor intensive, and you are paying the labor. You either want it done right, or you are going to wish you had it done right.

 

Old thread I know, but never hurts to update sources/opinions on threads like this that are likely brought up in searches. Iverson Automotive in Minnetonka, MN is another quality source for metal restoration and chrome plating. As said before, having it properly done on aged parts is pricey. This part of my '65 resto nearly took my breath away when I saw the estimate, but their work looks just as great 10 years later. I had them replate window frames and other various chrome pieces, and straighten and polish some of the rougher stainless trim I didn't tackle myself.

 

I recently had some air conditioning vents chromed at ChromeTech. They did a nice job - they look great and price was right.

 

Paul's Chrome - Very expensive but comes back perfect every time. My recent experience on cheaper chrome shops: figure in the time you spend taking something off, sending it in to have it re-chromed only to have to pull it off later when the chrome starts to flake off.

 

You realize this thread was resurrected by a chrome plating shop?

I've got to admire the entrepreneurial Spirit! Probably a new show on Velocity next season. Killer Chrome?

 

Most people just don't read posts. They reply to anything. irate:

 

Bob Shebliske at Chrometech is an old friend...I've been sending stuff to him for over 30 years..

Bob mostly does Chrome Plating on Plastic...

You'd have to check his website to see what he is doing now..

Here's his e-mail address as his website is having issues this week:

chromebob@att.net

)

Tony K.