I'm cleaning up my engine compartment a little bit at a time. I need to refinish the air cleaner, so I thought I'd price out having the air cleaner lid re-chromed.
It still shines, but does have some pitting. I received a price of $300 from a shop in LA. They said that it is a hard part to do. Getting at any pitting in the "grooves" is difficult.
They suggested buying a repop, but I'd like to keep the original part on the car. Is this shop's price in line? Is it a major task for a professional to get rid of pitting?
I've no experience with having stuff plated, so any advice is appreciated.

 

Sounds like the platers were honest with you. Try a couple of other places and compare prices.

 

I just had the front bumper and 2 bumperettes redone on my 68 convertible in Ontario Canada for 900 so that seems steep Phil

 

I priced re-chroming the two corner moldings at a place in the Kitchener Ontario area, $375 for the pair. This place had good reviews (show quality) Other places were cheaper but no guarantee of the results, terrible reviews. Went with reproductions....quality was good but I had an issue with a scratch on one. Paragon replaced it no issue. They were $100 for the pair. Couldn’t justify the difference in price.

 

 

Agree with Easy Mike, does not seem too far out of line to me. FWIW, I prefer to plate original parts vs. buy new reproduction parts. Hard to beat the fit and quality of OEM.

Here is another contact if you want to give them a shout for chrome plating. I've had good experiences with them, reasonable, price, decent turn around, good quality. Good luck.

S & H Inc.
817 Madison Industrial Road
Madison, TN 37115
(615) 865-0100
email: shchrome@bellsouth.net

 

10 years ago, I had Frankford Plating in Phila replate my rear bumpers (pair). I was quoted $500.00 at the time I dropped them off. They were rough and peeling from a **** poor replating at some point in time.
When I went there to pick them up, the guy at the counter told me $550.00 even though my receipt said $500.00. WTF???
I kinda felt bent over but what are you going to do leave them there? I was in a shitty part of the city so I did not want to draw any unnecessary attention. Besides when it comes to rechroming if it's done right the first time you should only have to take it in the keister once so spend good $$ and get it done right. My rear bumpers still look great today and they are exposed to salt air in Fla. They did some of the local fire trucks chrome as well back then and came highly recommended. They've kinda cornered the market so when it comes to car restoration you kinda gotta pay the ferry man.
Or you can go repro as one poster here on this thread did but you sound pretty dead set on keeping the original lid. Get a couple other quotes as suggested as they are not the only game in town. But don't go cheap and check the reviews or it's money wasted.
Hope I was of some help.
Marshal

 

I guess I was a bit shocked by the price. I kind of feel the same as KS69Coupe with regard to keeping original parts, but I didn't expect the replating to cost 3 times what a reproduction part goes for.

 

I would leave it alone matches the original patina

 

Awkward piece to re-chrome and look good because of the internal curves, all of the pitting has to be polished out or they have to be filled with metal (polishing out the pitting will leave the item thinner too), plating hides nothing. A piece such as a vette rear bumper for example has external curves so a lot easier to polish.
You could ask them to strip the old chrome off and then do all of the initial polishing yourself to cut cost, the plating takes minutes the polishing prep is where all your $$ go.

 

I would also recommend to leave the original alone and purchase a reproduction cover. If you have not tried this get some 000 steel-wool and lightly go over the original lid it may reduce some of your issues.

 

Ralph is being very nice. What he means is “that #%$& air cleaner matches your #%$& car” 😜

 

I would agree with PJO(sorry)I have cleaned up a lot of chrome that had some damage that looks presentable and saves an original piece all that is required is a lot of elbow grease!! Ike

 

Thanks for the input folks! I'll give the 000 steel wool a go. The only thing that I've used on it so far is Nevr-Dull. Perhaps I can get it looking a little better.

 

The huge price is due to EPA regs. Hexavalent chrome is toxic as hell (carcinogen) and will contaminate groundwater in a flash. So they have to take lots of precautions. As far as the chrome process, they usually triple plate show chrome - first a copper layer to fill in the pits, then a nickel layer because chrome doesn't stick to copper, and finally chrome. Size matters somewhat since metals do cost, but the real cost is in the EPA precautions they have to take.

 

the only problem with 000 steel wool is it creates micro scratches that will make it rust faster ,, 000 steel wool is a easy fix short term but if you keep using it the problem only get worse

 

I have to ask, what's so important about the original cover? Yes, I know it has the silkscreen service instructs on the bottom side, but is that worth $200? I bought a $100 repop that looks a hell of a lot better than a polished, pitted, original.
My .02
Russ

 

Just a personal preference. I like the idea of preserving as many of the parts as I can that the car was born with. I try to do the same for myself .

 

You can fix that real easy by putting a rust inhibitor on it - car wax, WD-40, anything like that will work.

 

great advice..
IMO
i would clean with wax and grease remover
soak in evaporust..couple days at 70f and above temp..
then i would use Flitz paste and hand polish..
this is as good as it gets and make decision from there..
the evaporust removes the corrosion best it can.. the flitz polishes and shines..to fool the eye (distinctness of image).. and protects it..
i would not use steel wool..

i would not re-chrome as it is sheet metal and not easy after stripping etc..and IMO will be probably better than OEM therefore kinda defeating the purpose..

as far as repo.. i would be ok with anything but China.. even Taiwan has decent plating...