Nothing screams 1960's Custom or Show rods louder than a fully chromed engine IMHO... or maybe two, like the Mysterion... but how functional were/are they? I could only shudder to imagine the work involved in getting a block and heads, possibly cast iron headers, smooth enough to take plating... What kind of problems did folks trying to actually use them run into?
I’ve seen one that was in a ‘57 Chevy that was chrome and gold plated along with everything else that they could take off and plate on the car but never heard it run. They said it would but think about it, anything that gets hot would start to turn blue and God knows what colors so I imagine that they’re non running for the most part.
My chrome shop did three 327's in the shiny stuff including the heads. I'll get a picture form him. He has one running in a camaro, the other two are for future projects. I offered to buy one form him.
I seen one years and years ago in a 64 GTO at a major car show. Everything was chrome, block, heads, exhaust, polished blower, chrome carbs, etc. Asked the guy how he kept it from turning the chrome, his reply was, "doesn't run, bare block inside except for a crank to mount the pulleys to, heads are empty" shook my head and walked away.... hell if you can't drive it why own it. .... ...
@Moriarity would know.... ...and likely has some cool ones displayed in his living room. Seriously, ***uming they plan to actually run them, would they do the machining first, then the plating? Or vice versa?
Pretty much almost 100% 10 out 10 did not on show Circuit Late 60's to 80 , Steel chrome , Seen Polished aluminum engines run thoe .
Can't post pictures here but Steve Tracy's Chromezilla had chromed everything including the engine trans and frame. He owned Advance plating. They claim it is a fully functioning show car. The folklore always was that plated blocks and heads wouldn't shed heat, but I don't know that for sure
He had them tanked, Magni fluxed, then he plated them and took them in for machining...i think that is what he told me. Maybe he had them bored first? I don't recall. But I can ask. I have parts to pick up and more to drop off
Tempted Once had a chrome engine block and heads and it ran. Larry never ran it long, but it did run. I rode in it!
I'd think you could fabricate and install blockoff plates to protect the interior of the block during the plating process. I don't think the block itself would turn color, it doesn't get hot enough. Most parts of the cylinder heads should be okay too, except for around the exhaust ports. Chrome will probably inhibit heat shedding, but a bigger radiator should solve any overheating issues. Look at the exhaust pipes on a motorcycle - on some bikes the first few inches will yellow right where they bolt to the exhaust ports, but for the most part they're unaffected by engine heat.
I remember reading an article in Lowrider Magazine years upon years ago in middle school about how dipping a bare block in chrome could indeed cause overheating issues, however if all of the block openings are covered and you just plate the outsides then it will survive being driveable. This had to be almost 30 years ago but somehow I remembered that just from reading the thread ***le.
Great information, I'd read somewhere years ago that they either never ran or only for short periods. They sure do look impressive, though.... Seems to me that blocking off the openings to keep the plating out of the various p***ages and bearing surfaces would create weak spots in the plating when you removed the blocking... a ready-made peel spot. That, and all the threaded bolt holes... MAN, I'm seeing the real difficulty and impracticality of it.... Those cats who managed to pull it off had their work cut out for them.
That's a shiny jewel right there! How many files did they use up smoothing that out? My hands ache just LOOKING at it
Just speculating here, but if a guy cleaned up the block, heads, intake, and the tin covers and bolted them together with new gaskets, then closed off all the open ports and holes, maybe he could chrome all the major parts at one time and protect most of the machined surfaces. Don't know that the chrome process would effect the gaskets much, I would think the gasket material would just absorb the chrome dip chemical process. Then he could dissemble, do the machine work and build the motor with new gaskets. The only areas that would not be chrome plated would be the carb base, the distributor hole, and the exhaust manifold surfaces.
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