I would like to have a new set of headers chromed for shows. Finding a shop to do chrome work is almost impossible unless you want trim or maybe a bumper done. No more doing rims either. Anyone know of a place that still may do some headers? Michigan area but shipping is not a problem.
Keep in mind if you are able to find a shop that will do this, if used, the headers will turn blueish.
The configuration of the tubes will not conduct electricity evenly. This will give an uneven coverage of any electro plating. The net result/finish will be compromised & not be worth any amount of money you throw at it. If a pure show finish is desired you would need to get a set made from stainless. Even then, all the surfaces would require polishing as each piece is added. Then the welds would need to be addressed.
That's not the actual problem. The problem is as the plating metal migrates to the item to be plated, when it gets there it attaches to the first surface it sees. Holes, recesses, joints/seams, or just two places too close together, it won't go into those areas or very lightly if it does, it'll just keep adding thickness to the surrounding area. That's why steel wheels have to have the rim/center plated separately. In some cases you can 'fixture' this to help, like plating inside larger holes/recesses but few platers will go to this trouble even when it's possible. If what you want is for a non-running show-only car that never sees weather you may be able to get an acceptable-appearing finish but it will deteriorate quickly if not carefully maintained. This can be a problem when applying powdercoat for much the same reasons, although there's things you can do there to get around this issue up to a point. Dean Lowe's suggestion of ceramic coating is also what I'd recommend...
Go ceramic, if the coating is quality it is very tough, looks very close to chrome and lasts a very long time. It can be polished.
I had these headers and oil pan chromed back in the ‘70’s, they were a maintenance nightmare and as mentioned above the chrome did not cover in some areas between the tubes. This time around I had the parts finished by Jet Hot Coatings in a bright silver finish. I am please with the look and the finish. Another benefit is that the new coating also covers the inside of the tubes.
Find a local powder coat shop that ceramic coats and uses "Cerakote" products. I own a powder coat shop and use to ceramic coat with "Cerakote" products. They have a chrome ceramic that looks close to chrome. Cerakote claimed Edelbrock uses their product on their exhausts and other parts. It was an excellent product when I used it. After its applied/cured it gets buffed with "0000" steel wool & polished out. The more you polish the more it looks like chrome. Cerakote may have changed this process, its been probably 7 years since I ceramic coated anything. The last job I ceramic coated with chrome for a customer, I did the intake manifold, cylinder heads, oil pan & exhaust for a 389 Pontiac motor. The customer wanted to save some money on the job and polished everything himself. Turned out awesome but he said he spent weeks buffing everything! A buddy of mine sent some long tube headers to JetHot a few years back and he said he paid $1200 to have them coated, but they also coated the insides of the tubes.
Thanks brother. My street headers are also coated. The zoomies are for the track. The coating is 6 years old , lots of track and street time. They still look new.
Had headers chromed 50,000 miles ago, 12 yearsago, I think they still look great. The have turned a slight bronze color, no blue tint. Engine is jetted properly. This has reduced exhaust temp & elininated blueing. Greg
I have a set that is Jet-Hot coated. Still doesn't have that mirror finish like chrome, no matter how much I polish them.
The ceramic coating will never have a mirror finish like quality chrome plating, but still looks good and will last.
The hot tip/old wives tale is that if you coated the inside of your chrome headers with grease up by the flanges before firing up it would keep the chrome from discoloring............YMMV
i vote for thwm. I neede a lot of custom chrome done on my Mysterion reproduction. I called several companies to find someone but they were either way over pirced or refused to do it. Custom was very accomodating, and their prices were unbelieveably reqasonable. They did all 6 carbs, and the piece de resistance was the Plymouth headlight rim. My rim was actually in pretty decent shape but the found a small split in the folded rim and welded it up. And the thing that blows me away is they got the chrome to throw way deep inside the rim. Had my Mysterion headers chromed at my local shop in Bakersfield. No problems. They usually won't chrome headers that have been rum. Pollutes their baths.
Oh, and just finished building a set of fender dump headers (mufflers built into the collectors) and had them Jet Hot coated. As they say, isn't chrome but is the absolute all round best finish out there for headers.
I had a buddy with a '57 Chevy, 327/4spd combo. He bought a set of new chrome Doug's headers for $100! That was 1968, though. I'm of absolutely no help!
Had the Old's headers done by Russ Meeks 15 years ago and they still look about this nice. Since then he has ceramic coated the 34's Red's headers and the new Desoto headers in my 41 PU. I love the look of chrome pipes but if I did one I would make pipe covers like my last HD had.
Amos Chrome plating. I live in Texas now so don't know if they are still going. Calif is anti buisness ad I am sure they want all plating shops shut down.
I’ve had two sets plated at San Joaquin Chrome Plating in Lodi, California. Mike is a great guy to deal with and the price is not outrageous. I’m with you, nothing takes the place of chrome plating. All those coatings have there place but they just don’t look right on some period specific builds.
Always loved the look of CHROME*****, in my real world though,best I could do was polish hell out of every thing I could*,too kind fool some into thinking I had a lot of chrome on my hotrod,an buy little chrome thinga,like acorn nuts an little stuff that was cheap. I didn't have chrome header[ just painted them],tell many years after building my hotrod in 1959. Many years later,a buddy who had a nice T-bucket cracked his chrome hear,right next too head flange. He ask if I could weld it? Sure,but next he ask if it would mess up the chrome"YES",next thing he said was,"I'm just going to buy new chrome headers then !!! I ask if I could have the cracked ones! He said sure,but "No way these old SBC Headers will fit your Thunderbird Y-block" After I cut the SBC flanges off,an opened a small gap between the center tubes,welded Ford Y-Block flanges on them and painted the welds with high temp sliver! He an I ,loved my new chrome header!!
Dana,,, Just like Gunny Highway said,,,,,,” improvise,,,,,,learn to adapt “,,,,,,,those chrome headers still look great to me ,,,,good job ! How many people can say they have drove the same hot rod for 60 years,,,,,you are the man ! Tommy
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