wildman378

My dad and I are going to detail the engine on his 68 427 when we get time we want to keep it original so instead of reproduction we want to rechrome these parts one valve cover look OK and the cleaner and cover over the wires is OK but one valve cover is missing about half of the chrome.

what should it run to get these rechromed? I know different places charge different prices but just a ballpark figure. I don't know of anywhere around me that does it so anyone recommend a certain place? I'll just ship them and have them done if I have to.

TexasMadMan

Since no one has replied, I'll take nothing but a wild guess. I figure $100-150 per valve cover. The last parts I had chromed was 15 years ago (back when things were cheap).

I did recently check with a chromer in Fort Worth about chroming 9 small to medium jukebox peices and they quoted $700. The reason it was higher was because the parts were pot metal. Your parts are not. I took a pass on the job.

Next guess????

Jughead

I got a quote on a pr of BB valve covers last year, $350 show quality. Air cleaner was about $275.

VettePower

Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy new???????????

JB

I got quoted $75 apiece for the correct flash chrome for a set a valve covers. Be aware that the "show quality" chrome folks are talking about is triple chrome and is recognizably not the original finish the parts on your car had. Flash chrome is cheaper, looks different, and is nowhere near as durable--but it is original.

On the other hand, I picked up a pair of original '69 big block valve covers on ebay for $35 in excellent condition, with the correct "thumb-ridge" for my build date. The trick with that was that the auction didn't have the word "Corvette" in it anywhere--that one word would probably have tripled the bids. You got to do some searching to get deals on ebay these days.

For the air cleaner, there are some excellent repos available, though beware of what a lot of vendors and ebay sellers call "Corvette big block chrome air cleaners." Many if not most of these are nowhere near correct other than size. You have to look at the slope of the lid, the rolled edge, the size of the wing nut dimple in the center (the correct ones have a very deep dimple), and the position and angle of the breather tube (the tube is different between SB and BB).

JB

JB

Yes, but all "new" would get you is generic "big block" covers which aren't correct to the car. GM had three different designs for the big block in '69 alone.

JB

wildman378

I can see 75 a piece if it's around that I will just redo them...question though if I read your post right the original look I'm after is called "flash chrome" so when I get them redone I ask for them to be refinished with flash chrome correct?

thanks for your help

JB

Yeah, but the truth is, I doubt it's going to be that cheap or easy for you. I've seen your valve covers, and the fact that the old flash chrome is peeling off of the things is going to complicate matters. Since flash chrome is very thin stuff, you've got to have a very smooth surface to put it on--which means you'd have to get all the old chrome off your covers to avoid having lines in the chrome where the peeled off parts ended. I don't know exactly how you'd do that, and however you do it, I'm sure it'll be a PITA.

JB