thinking about having my stock wheels chromed instead of going to expense of buying all new wheels! anyone have an estimate for having this done?
thanks

 

I'm guessing that by the time you have your stock wheels chromed, you could purchase chrome reproduction ones for about the same cost or perhaps a little more.

 

Forget about it !! I just went thru it and it is not only easier in the wallet but it also took about 8-10 weeks for the wheels to return....and like I said the price would have been the same to just buy a new set put them on and your off.....complete nightmare.

 

From what I have heard, it is about $150/wheel for the chrome, plus the cost of shipping to and from the chromer. I would agree that it is much easier to just buy a set of aftermarket wheels already chromed and put them on the car. Comes out to about the same price.

 

thanks guys

 

I do vending for a company called transwheel, they fix, repair and chrome rims. The supervisor i talked to said 150 a rim to chrome and thats a 1 yr warranty. He said it would be cheaper to buy aftermarket rims !!

 

Might want to do a wheel exchange thru West Coast Corvettes

 

I was considering the same thing. I have polished factory rims and was considering buying repo rims. However I have 2 vettes and 3 sets of tires and wheels. Factory "painted", factory polished, and chrome repo's. It seems to me that when I run the stock "painted" rim set up they feel quicker, lighter, hence more responsive than the repo's. I have also read here about the sprung weight of wheels having a "seat of the pants" impact on horse power to the ground, I have come to believe this has some real merit. What amazes me is the amount of difference I feel. So I am considering having one of the factory sets chromed for a couple of reasons, none of which is costs. Although I did not have any problems with my repo's, I have read other members' issues with aftermarket rims such as difficulty with balancing, wieght issue, leaks at valve seat etc. For my money I think I want the best built rim, which in my very limited experiance seems to be the factory original ones, and just have them chromed. I am going to do some more research and try to compare weights of repo's and stock and also see if anyone has had problems with rechroming original ones. Hopfully some of that info will show up on this thread. Thanks for posing the question by the way. Not sure where I am going with this but just wanted to add my thoughts. I forgot to mention the tire set up, as this may have a bearing to what I am "feeling" also- Repo's - D3GS / "Painted" - Goodyear Runflats / Polished - Michelin Piolts Run Flats.

 

The only thing I see you might want to consider is ..do you want OEM GM wheels back on your vett,or CHINA wheels.For me, winter time when mine sets idle for awhile, that would be a good time to have my original rim's chomed.The resale value would be ALOT better also. Just my $.02 cents worth!

 

I have been thinking about chrome plating my factory wheels.

The factory wheels weigh less and most likely better made than the after market repros.

I need to locate some wheels and tires to use so I can move the car in and out of my garage.

I will use the place mentioned below, they sound like the place I'm looking for and price should be around $ 600 complete.

I don't think you are allowed to include links to some sites but you can figure it out:

www DOT pca-industries DOT com

 

I had my CCW's done bt WCC (West Coast Corvette's) for about $1,000 bucks plus shipping.

They took the tires off, chromed the wheels, install Chromes TPS sensors, mounted and balanced tires.

Workmanship was excellence and took about 4 weeks total time.

Sorry no pictures as body kit is not complete and it's still in body shop.

 

Some thoughtful points have already been listed in this thread for you to consider. Basically, when calculating final cost, keep in mind that if any of your originating wheels are found to be warped, dinged, dented, scraped, bent, etc., these impairments must firstly be actually repairable, AND, then repaired BEFORE chroming. Such wheel repair services are at an extra cost. The wheels themselves will then be resurfaced to accept the chrome. The process from service to delivery may take from two to six weeks depending upon the servicer.

The cost of chrome plating has risen in recent years due to EPA and HAZMAT rulings and constraints. In general, most chrome platers will charge $200+ per wheel to chrome your wheels. And, there are a number of separate wheel platers that exist within the nation. Call around and compare for the cost and quality that best suits your pocketbook. However, be aware that quality may vary. Chrome plating warranties will also vary, but, are commonly one to three years, only.

Moreover, in regards to chrome plating warranties, "possible" coverage is at the discretion of the plater, and/or, vendor. Examples: Factory Reproductions stipulates a one to three year warranty. However, there have been numerous threads reporting customer dissatisfaction as to the adherence of such warranties by the manufacturer-plater, OR, vendor. Perform a Corvette Forum search and you will discover many threads regarding this issue. Thus, be informed.

Furthermore, aftermarket wheel companies such as Kinesis, iForged, and, Forgeline, etc., send their wheels to outside companies that specialize in painting, and, chroming wheels. Again, of course, chroming wheels IS at an extra charge. And, companies like Forgeline charge $210 per wheel for chromed wheels. Period. Platers such as California Chrome, American Wheel, San Jose Chrome, Faith Plating, and, Stockton Wheels are just a few of the multitudinous platers that exist in this market. Please feel free to PM me for any further feedback, and, I would be most happy to assist you. Good luck to you on your project.