Why wont they chrome my steel wheels?

I want to give my ride an early 60's custom look.I want chrome steel wheels.I've looked at the stuff out there for sale and the only thing reasonably priced are baby moon style wheels. There cool, but I like the OEM style better.Wheel Vintique sells chrome OEM style wheels and was blown away from there prices.I'm not a cheap bastered,but thats just to much money for me. So I was thinking on finding a set of OEM's and send them out to a chrome shop.
Well I asked a few chrome shops that are local in my area.How much to chrome my wheels.They tell me that they wont chrome steel wheals.That I'm better off buying them done.
What's the deal? Any body know of a shop that will chrome.Also at a reasonable price.

 

Did you "steel" them?

 

To chrome them they have to be taken apart, the ring from the center have to be seperate so the chrome will flow ! With out getting to tech chrome does not flow into recessed corner areas! Then after they are chromed they have to be trued and welded back together ! That why chrome shop don't chrome them unless they are a wheel company !!

 

Maybe they don't chrome plate items stolen.
Just poking ya..........

 

Try looking for a wheel repair shop. There is one in Omaha and they fix all kinda wheels. I would think there is one or two out by you.

 

What are they charging for the wheels at Wheel Vintique? I would guess with the price of chrome these days it will cost you as much if not more to get wheels chromed than it will to just buy them.

 

I am sure your local chrome guys will be more expensive then going with a company. if you want cheap go with the multi-lug chrome version that accept a baby moon but you are not fooling anyone with those if you are trying to get the true look of a chrome OE from the early days.

To have a good chrome plater do the wheels you are probably looking at over $250 per wheel minimum.. you can not get it done cheaper then a company that does lots of them.

 

If you buy the wheel vintiques OEM from summit they're about 20$ cheaper a wheel and the shipping is free, the funny thing is they're shipped from WV. Summit sells m***ive amounts of these wheels so they get them cheaper and sells them cheaper. The guy at WV told me to do that since i couldnt afford to buy them directly from them!!

 

Lots of work goes into chroming old wheels to get them right and that is one reason the chrome shops don't want to mess with them. And as Boones said the cost will be way over what the wheels are from one of the wheel suppliers.

 

probably because you spelled steel wrong...

 

Becasue you stole them.

 

Very true. I don't plate automotive wheels. If I were to try it, I would need to build a customized aux. anode setup for the nickel and the chrome process specific to the shape of your wheels, just to make sure the plating gets into the recessed areas. Big money, and almost never worth it.

I am considering plating the 16's on my 48 Chevy, just for kicks, but I don't know if I am up for that punishment. yet.

 

Silver spray paint. Thats what I did in the 60s.
You can tell I've come a long way. I use red now.

 

look up pete paulsens shop. Just bought a set of oem steelies chrome barrels raw center 15x7 and 15x10 shipped across the country for 600 bucks

 

2 wheel vintiques OEM chrome 15x5.....240$ shipped through summit!

 

My problem is I can remember when $25 a wheel would get your tires mounted, balanced with moons on those Cal Custom wabblers!!

Ron

 

Damn...and here I thought the OEM style steel wheels from Wheel Vintiques WERE reasonably priced!
I also can tell you that ( from my experience ) the chrome on Wheel Vintiques ****s.... but, then...I think they are a "cheap" wheel, so...I'm not too p.o.'d....

 

Wise ***es!

 

With Summit.The set I'm looking at are 15x6. $999.00. For chrome OEM steel wheels.

 

PM B***, he has a shop that plated the wheels on his coupe. Nothing like chrome OEM wheels.

 

do yourself a favor and hit up either http://www.rallyamerica.com/ or http://www.earlywheel.com/
both are hambers, both should have what you need, and I believe both are alliance vendors.

 

Can't you go to s swap meet and find them???

 

Thanks. I'll look them up.

 

x2 get your alliance membership and save from rally america

 

just priced chrome OEM 15x6 there...479.80...do you need 8 or something?

 

Have you checked with Coker tire? About 3 or 4 years ago I got 4 chrome smoothies with 4 wide whites and baby moons mounted,balanced and delivered to my front door for $700.

 

I gave Summit a call and asked them whats up with the $999.95 price.They said that the price are for custom wheel orders.Me: For each wheel? Summit Depending on how custom the wheel is ordered it could go up to that amount. Dang!
Ian is correct. Chrome OEM steel wheels are 15x6 $119 each

 

What about powder coating with something like Edelbrocks Endura-shine (sp?)? I was trying to find someone to just REMOVE the chrome from some wheels, and could'nt even fine anyone willing to do that. I guess all those chrome shops are'nt being affected by the recession. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I've been looking when I go to the swap meets. Baby moons for days and I'm not to crazy about the dual bolt pattern. The OEM one I have came across are to rusty or banged up.

 

I agree. I think he didn't take the centers out either. They came out really nice.

Here's the link
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104314&page=2