Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

[Keith W.]

[Kevin S.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

Hi Keith,
I have used Wayne's Auto Chrome for about 15-years and have always been very happy with the quality of work. They are not the fastest, they are not the cheapest but they do really nice work. Small family-owned business. I can't speak for the judging aspect of the chrome since I have not had a car NCRS judged yet. I can tell you that the chrome is beautiful when it's done. Wayne did my license plate surround, rear exhaust bezels, rear bumpers, and a bunch of other items and they all look nice.

Wayne Dudley is the owner and his number is (540) 220-6884
Address is 102 Fleet Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22406

https://waynesautoparts.com/

Hope this is helpful to you,
Kevin

[Joseph W.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

I think the bezels are flash chromed?
I just had my valve covers chromed and they did nickel/ chrome to get the flash chrome look.
I was very happy with this look.
Show chrome is a nickel/copper/chrome process.

[Keith W.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

Thanks Kevin and Joseph.

[Duke W.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

I know you're talking about an early C3, but I believe the C2 rear license plate "surround" attached to the body is anodized aluminum.

Duke

[Leonard M.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

Keith, Since originals are diecast and most all have the "pimples", a chrome shop would have to fill all those holes before chrome plate. NOS ones are priced at more than they may be worth, but still may be cheaper than having one repaired and re-chromed.
If the original used one you bought looks better than the one on your car with minimal "pimples" and has a nice original chrome finish, then replace, upgrade yours.
Kevin may comment on what his bezel cost to restore.

[Kevin S.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

To rechrome my original license plate surround was $210.00 in February 2021.

Wayne Dudley's team had to fill in two holes where someone in the past decided the rear license plate needed to be screwed in both at the top and at the bottom of the license plate and they drilled two holes through the lower part of the chrome surround. Morons!

Wayne filled in the holes, buffed out the "pimples" in the old chrome like Leonard mentioned and did a show chrome nickel/copper/chrome restore. it looked better than brand new off the factory floor and it will last longer than me.

Kevin

P.s. I had pretty deep grinder cut marks on the underside of my LH rear bumper, another story about morons, but Wayne's guys got them all out and you would never know that they were ever there. Nothing short of a miracle. These are a couple of reasons I keep using his service even though it is not the fastest and not the cheapest.

[Terry M.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

No criticism here. Just posting for accuracy.
Show chrome is copper, then Nickel and lastly chrome.
One or more layers of copper are buffed to level and smooth the surface. It is these layers that "hide" the pimples or grind marks mentioned earlier. Then Nickel is polished. This provides the "silver" color and hides the golden color of the copper applied earlier. Lastly the chrome layer is applied. This is almost clear and keeps the nickel from tarnishing. Both the nickel and chrome layers are very thin relative to the copper layer(s).

I have spent more time in plating shops as a spectator than I want to. They are all nasty places that are not inviting locations. They will, however clear your sinuses -- for better or worse. The cost of plating is in chemical purchase and disposal and the manual labor of polishing the parts multiple times. That is very skilled labor but the compounds used are only marginally less toxic than the chemicals involved in the actual plating.

[Gary B.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

Terry,

And what is flash chrome? No copper or nickel, and just the chrome layer?

Gary

[Joseph W.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

Terry,

And what is flash chrome? No copper or nickel, and just the chrome layer?

Gary

[Terry M.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

That is correct. What we call "flash chrome" (the industry has another name for it, but that escapes me at the moment) is no copper and no polish after the part is formed. The part gets a cleaning and nickel then chrome. Much less expensive to produce. Minimal labor in the polishing. There can't be much polishing to nickel or chrome because the layers are so thin that any polishing takes the plating right off. Parts can be produced more rapidly due to little polishing and less time in the plating tanks.

My contact for access to these places passed a couple of years ago, so my opportunity to garner on-the-ground information is gone. Many plating shops -- even those that are mass production shops -- are closing, The locations that will do "one-off," like our requirements are, are the first to go. My friend worked for a company that made the armatures for production plating. Those are the racks that that support the parts being plated. They are made from copper stock which must be protected from the acids used in cleaning and plating, at the same time they must conduct electricity for those operations. I found it fascinating operations. Unfortunately, a dying business. There is the opportunity to make a pun there in connection with his passing, but out of respect I'll leave it there. He was a great guy. Another guy willing to share his work experience freely. Those guys, like John Hinkley, George Barlos, and Phil Hawkens recognize the value of their contributions above and beyond their pay check.

[James G.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

The originals have "shadows" which are areas which do not have good chrome coverage in the corner pockets, this should be considered normal.
Most shops currently will use an anode brush or another stationary anode in the corners in order to gain the same thickness as the rest of the part.
It's the same with the hard corners of the rear bumpers they have shadows too.
Many GM chrome deep diecast parts had shadows in the chrome in deep corners.
I've got a old NOS one around which shows the shadows in the corners - the 70 RS nose bezel for my brothers Z28 has the same in the deep corners.

[Ron G.]

Re: Restore/Re-Chrome Rear License Bezel

James,

Like everyone else, I have been using a plating facility for over forty years. He does it all. Feel free to reach out to me via email at: RgodutiLT1@ yahoo.com and leave me your contact number and I will call you to discuss.

- Ron