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Chrome alternatives


garyp

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While repairing a couple of my grill pieces on my 39 Dodge I found they are brass anyone ever refinished them to brass or any reasonable chrome shops or alternitives out there? Thanks Gary 

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never seen brass but my oldest cars go back to 1941 only.  As for chrome plating, the process and word reasonable rarely show up in the same sentence. Alternatives, contrasting paint, powder coating with the silver chrome they now have or Alsa Killer Chrome kit.  Black it out like the 42 war models, just tell everyone the owner saw the war coming.

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7 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

 Black it out like the 42 war models, just tell everyone the owner saw the war coming.

War actually started for Commonwealth nations  Sept. 1939 so garyp can claim his car was a prototype to test public response.

black out models in Canada did not make their appearance until 42 as in the US  but there were some awfully plain janers from that era

including some with right hand drive. I remember a 40 Chev which may never have been shipped. The owner had a lot of fun with it while his wife was learning to drive.

this would have been around 1952.

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Gary......my Oz assembled Detroit export D15D 1940 Dodge has a brass hood mascot, I've owned the car since 1971 and it was a good condition unrestored stocker when I bought it so I'm about 99.999% certain its not a reproduction, it rechromed beautifully as all brass does..........sorry this is the closest pic of the hood mascot I have..............in fact the front windscreen centre divider I made in the early 70's from 1"x1/2" brass bar hacksawed top to bottom then a 3/8x14 piece soldered onto the rear drilled and tapped to hold the inside division piece, then hand file finished(yep I was young, stupid and much fitter, lol) then chromed, after 40 odd years the chrome on both pieces is still very nice..........any chrome shop should be able to chrome the brass pieces without any problem, in fact they should probably prefer the brass to steel.................andyd.     

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Both my bumpers were pretty bad. I looked at rechroming but about the best deal I could get was $400 apiece. I looked at chrome paint. The Alsa chrome was about the best. But instead I went with Eastwood chrome paint. Used POR15 as a base coat. Actually looked pretty good till I laid on the clear coat. It helps protect it but sure did take away from the chrome look. You can see the difference from the first pic without clear coat. Second pic with clear. 

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gotta have some deep pockets to get the Alsa Killer chrome....I understand that there is a very nice bright silver on the market that is in the powder coat system, seen pics only, nothing in person so cannot make a true judgment call.  Chrome has been off the wall in cost for years with no relief in sight.

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Chrome is even more expensive in the People’s Republik of Kalifornia... but it looks better and maintains easier than any of the paint/powder alternatives. I even had my stainless Dodge emblem chromed to match.

 

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On 4/4/2018 at 7:15 AM, garyp said:

anyone ever refinished them to brass

I actually like the look of brass. My gauge bezels are made from brass and I removed the chrome.

I think black dash and brass gauges will be sweet.

Although it is still a project and not on the road yet, I think maintaining the brass may be a ongoing chore.

Already they have become quite dull. Now polishing brass bezels may take a few extra minutes, polishing a brass grill exposed to the weather will be a bigger job. But it may be worth it to you.

I will be trying some different waxes to see if something will maintain the shine longer.

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On 4/4/2018 at 8:50 PM, Lloyd said:

Both my bumpers were pretty bad. I looked at rechroming but about the best deal I could get was $400 apiece. I looked at chrome paint. The Alsa chrome was about the best. But instead I went with Eastwood chrome paint. Used POR15 as a base coat. Actually looked pretty good till I laid on the clear coat. It helps protect it but sure did take away from the chrome look. You can see the difference from the first pic without clear coat. Second pic with clear.

Could I ask what kind of clear you used?  and brand also.  Just trying to determine if there may be another that might keep more of the shine.  I'd really like to do my grille and surround with chrome paint.  But as shiny as possible of course.

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There is a ceramic header coating available that is baked on (my memory says it was 500-700 degrees) and then the part is placed in  a tumbler to polish the part. It looks very close to chrome or even polished aluminum. Jet Hot does this as well as other powder coat shops. It's not a powder coat though, it's a bit different.

It can be applied to most metals but I was told that older cast aluminum or pot metals may warp in the over from contaminants within the casting. Anything else is good to go!

 

Greg

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On 4/6/2018 at 9:36 AM, kencombs said:

Could I ask what kind of clear you used?  and brand also.  Just trying to determine if there may be another that might keep more of the shine.  I'd really like to do my grille and surround with chrome paint.  But as shiny as possible of course.

 

Eastwood sells the chrome paint and clear. Comes as a little kit with both chrome paint and clear. 

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15 minutes ago, Lloyd said:

 

Eastwood sells the chrome paint and clear. Comes as a little kit with both chrome paint and clear. 

So, I assume that is a single part paint?  probably lacquer?  I wonder if a good 2k  urethane would give it a higher gloss?  

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  • 11 months later...

Just wondering if there is such a thing as this "chrome" paint as touch up paint.  I have some small areas on interior dash parts that I'd like to touch up a bit, to cover pits (in pot metal pieces) and some rusted spots on steel parts, like the speaker grill.  Most of it is OK, and I don't figure I can afford to have it all re-chromed for real.

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Maybe try shipping it for re - chroming to a "cheaper" country? I don't know what are the prices of chrome restoration in US, but in Poland, in the best-in-country chrome shop I paid eq of ~~ 400$ for Packard hood ornament. So, maybe try looking for chrome shop in Mexico, or even ship it to Europe?

That's the website of company mentioned above: http://www.tecechromowanie.pl/7/home

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I have just had the following parts chromed, picked up 4 weeks ago............copper/nickel then chrome....have seen pics of all parts polished then coppered so I know this was done and I paid accordingly............lol...........for four stock 1940 Oz Dodge door sill plates made of brass, originally chromed but very worn, seven  Oz 1940 Dodge inside window garnish moldings, steel pressings for the front door, rear door, rear 1/4 window and rear window a total of 7 pieces and finally the single "concertina" collapseable column piece from the steering column ( ex 1970's Oz Valiant...yes my car is a hotrod).........a total of 12 pieces, the chrome shop charged me $2050.00 Oz.........yep it'll be a will before I get any more chroming done but it does look nice and I am a hotrodder......................Andy Douglas      

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11 hours ago, Jakub said:

Maybe try shipping it for re - chroming to a "cheaper" country? I don't know what are the prices of chrome restoration in US, but in Poland, in the best-in-country chrome shop I paid eq of ~~ 400$ for Packard hood ornament. So, maybe try looking for chrome shop in Mexico, or even ship it to Europe?

That's the website of company mentioned above: http://www.tecechromowanie.pl/7/home

 

"cheaper' country....I never thought of that.    I could get my wife to check chroming in China when she goes for a visit.     I have a couple of small items she could take with her for a test if it could be done there.    She brought home axle seals for me from there,  since Napa was out of stock, and the "made in USA" parts come from China anyway.....

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Well in Ca.,USA my good friend recently spent also $600 to have just the front bumper with the copper/nickel/chrome done nicely.

Ca. is the most environment sensitive state is the US or least way up there, I know other states are also very sensitive these days, mostly Eastern US??

 

Best of luck, Midwest part of US has seemed to be somewhat? cheaper from posts I have read in the past here, check around your area and see their work! Compare prices and their work.

 

The cheap spray on chrome (multi coat with different solutions that takes special equipment) work is OK for a while If you are careful with in, it just a fancy many step job but still no stronger that any paint. It can be used over bondo repairs for rust pits on any part (which sure helps with the cost) . Chrome over any good prepared paint.

 

Good luck with it.

 

DJ

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I got my 48 Plymouth and it had already been treated to a custom look - the bumpers had been painted a satin grey, to match the finish of the satin blue of the car body.  I loved the look when I bought it, I still am very fond of it. Just an idea.... The grille and the rest of the trim remains the original stainless. 

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thanks for posting y our picture, while it is not chrome and is painted as an alternative, it just proves the point of contrasting color compared to one painted same color of the car....breaks up the lines and defines the body as it is designed.  Further, as the plate shop I use always states, protecting them with paint makes it easier to remove and work the piece than allowing further rust and corrosion.

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Recently I took all of the painted interior window trim off and sanded it down to 2000 grit sandpaper and polished with mothers metal polish and they came out beautiful if you saw it you would swear it is chrome I will post some pics soon I also did the door frame pieces and thought they came out beautiful I decided  it would be too much chrome so I took them and the dash out to be hydro dipped in a dark burlwood I will see how it looks when I get them back. This hydro dipping thing is really amazing just google hydro dipping woodgrain and see how it is done you can do any pattern you want and is not too pricy they are doing my dash and both door frames for 300 bucks.

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