I have a set of clean Chrysler Fire Power 354 Hemi valve covers I need to get chromed. I know chrome platers have gotten extremely expensive. I'd like to get good work done on them, but I don;t need a set that would be on a Riddler winner either. I'd like to sort of balance decent quality with a decent price. Has anyone used a chrome plater recently that did good work without being crazy expensive? And, yes, I KNOW it's not gonna be cheap.
You all ready know its going to be spendy, but the quality you seek is attainable. Here is a link that you can follow up on. https://www.artbrassaerospace.com/
The opening conversation you need to have with the plater is whether he is quoting show chrome or driver quality, some will only do show quality. Also, be clear not to agressively polish around the Chrysler script so the letters stay crisp.
Electroplating of El Paso. I had several pieces done by them including rear bumper sections for a '30 Chevrolet, Hood side vents for a '41 Cadillac and a few smaller parts The finish was outstanding. Wait time was reasonable. I believe they may be caught up a little now. Price was very competitive for the quality of their work. They have a data sheet to fill out for a quote. I sent pictures along with approximate dimensions of the pieces. tony
You rang? Ah yes, questions regarding shiny stuff for 200 please Alex I am fortunate to have a chrome shop in my town ran by a friend of mine. As a result I chrome a lot of stuff including hemi valve covers. The problem is shipping cost to and from TX to Washington aint gonna be cheap. I used the FedEx calculator from Houston to my house, 10 pd box insured for $1000 and the cheapest option was $144.00 I sent my buddy a text and he said $350 a cover, same quality and turn time he gives me (I normally have my stuff back in a week, depending on how much commercial plating he is doing, that stuff pays the bills). I would be glad to have the OP ship to me, I will carry them to Troy at Pacific Plating in Vancouver, WA. I take nothing for doing so, just glad to help a HAMBer. That and Troy doesn't have to mess with shipping and packaging or just send them to him directly. If you need more stuff done, you may want to send them along. There may be cheaper options, do your home work. Let me know if I can assist. And remember my motto, "If it don't shine, it aint mine!" BB
Thanks all, great to have options. Luckily I work for an airline that offers a huge discount on Fed Ex as an employee discount perk.
I had Pacific Plating do a simple front bumper for my '75 Chevy shorty Van (no dents), a year and a half later I had to say I was coming to get nonmatter what stage it was in. Troy deducted a little from the bill and sent it done mediately, quality good but when your 77 years old time is everything, whish I had your clout Billy! They have alot of Irons in the fire!
That is why I recommended sending them to me. He is my friend. I sent him a text on these covers, he called me to verify what we were talking about (making sure they didn't have wire covers like my Desoto). I had some fog light stands for my 41 PU that needed plating recently, I had them polished and ready, they were done in 45 minutes. It takes longer than that for Krylon to dry. Like I said above, if he has an order from Daimler (Swan Island in Portland) they come first. That is a huge contract with that truck manufacturer. Hot rod bits and pieces don't keep the lights lit. Smokestacks, steps and grilles do. You must have hit him at the wrong time is all.
Ya realize if BB put them under his mattress before bed, they’d be shiny when he pulled the out in the morning.
Kind of like the story of Midas but my touch is chrome! My wife pulled her rabbit from under the bed, didn't appreciate the chrome.
I've used a shop in Houston called Speed & Sport Chrome Plating. They did the grille and some other misc pieces for my 52, including my pot metal taillights and dome light. I was very happy with the results. They have done work for some high dollar builds of famous folks (and they will tell you all about them). Might be worth driving over and checking out their 'showroom' and talking to them about pricing.
I highly recommend Chip at Tri-City Plating in Elizabethton, Tn. They are booked well in advance (Quality Chromers are like Quality Transporters !). I have had Chip do at least 8 bumpers & even a set of 66 AMC 327 valve covers for me over the last few years. Always satisfied, but everyone's budget is different. What I think is reasonable may not fit your definition of reasonable though. Also they do NOT do any pot metal stuff, just in case anyone was wondering. God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
Cheap chrome ain't good and good chrome ain't cheap! I've had both. Having to redo cheap chrome makes it even more expensive.
I have known John Wright at Custom Chrome in Grafton Ohio since I was a teen in the late 70's. He is absolutely the best in the business, but he was expensive back then & that hasn't changed! LOL. Great guy that loves what he does, but it has to be something you REALLY want done to send it to him. I saw him 2 years ago & when I showed him a couple of bezels for my 55 Nash, he said "Bill...bring them back to me after you have stripped the chrome & ground down the pits. I know you have the ability, so don't be lazy or it will cost you a bunch more!" God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
In June of 2024 I had all the chrome and pot metal pieces on my '54 Ranch Wagon done by M J Polishing and Chrome in San Bernardino. Included were both bumpers/guards, grille, door handles, rear hatch handle, and hood ornament. Total was $2900.00 for all 24 pieces. The overall quality was good. Only one door button had to be redone and it was fixed in a week. Other car buddies have used them with positive results as well. YRMV
I (think) part of the problem with pot metal is it deteriorates from the inside. What say you @redo32
This reminds me of when I was in high school. A friend had a DeSoto hemi in something and wanted the valve covers chromed. Of course, we had very little money. He heard of a guy that worked for McCulloch on the night shift in the plating dept. I think the price was 10 bucks or so. When we snuck in one night to pick them up the guy says I think you're going to like them. Problem was, they did hard chrome plating and the valve covers looked like they were galvanized. Live and learn.
My guy does some decent pot rot repair. My 41 waterfall hood ornament was a bit rough, some of it gone but it was the best one I could afford or find. Troy did a decent job of rebuilding that area and removing most of the acne. It isn't perfect but I have heard no one criticize it. He also had to fix a crack in my Merc AC vent facia (after some swine mechanic dropped it). You cannot see the repair after plating.
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