Original Parts Destroyed by Chrome Shop

[Tom L.]

I'm hoping someone can make some suggestions. I had big block valve covers and an air cleaner lid chromed by a local shop. Regarding the valve covers, the insides where plated without being cleaned properly and chrome and cooper flakes were falling off all over the place. Afraid to put them on my new motor with all of that junk peeling off, I spent $100 to have the insides blasted. After 2 hrs in a high pressure blast cabinet, its not all off and I still have pieces flaking off in hard to reach areas, moreover, I now have a significant amount of sand caught under the concave drippers that I can't get out. These are now shiny junk, I can't put them on the motor like this.

Regarding the air cleaner cover, I paid extra to have to inside masked off to save the original silk screen, but the masked edge looks like garbage. Also, they welded a drywall screw to the underside of the cover (that I paid extra to protect by masking) to hang the piece during chroming. They then ground it off, along with the original finish, and then spray painted it silver to cover the grind and weld marks.

I paid $250 per valve cover and $300 for the air cleaner lid to have them chromed. I figured it would be better to pay more to re-chrome the originals than to buy repops. Now I need repops anyway. Does anyone make valve covers with the dripper weld marks or an air cleaner lid that will pass judging? Thanks.

[Jordan S.]

Re: Original Parts Destroyed by Chrome Shop

Tom,

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. I too am looking towards rechroming my original 70 BB valve covers and air cleaner lid. Your experience makes me very nervous.

I believe paragon has valve covers wth drippers that will pass judging (not cheap, I recall something like $400+) and also have original style air cleaner lids. Might be worth looking into salvaging the originals with a more experineced plater.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Original Parts Destroyed by Chrome Shop

The concerns with parts chroming has been going on for a long time. My 63 came from the factory with a bad chrome job on the air cleaner base. Within the first year, all the chrome inside the base started to peel off. Not wanting the peels to get into the engine, I took most of it off myself (like dead skin after a bad sun burn) - right down to the copper plating. It remains that way until today and is one of the conversation pieces I have for car shows. Also, in the mid 70's, I had my rear bumpers rechromed due to checking from TEL, I guess. The chrome came out good, but the processes used to prep the bumpers removed some material from the welded joints between the sections which exposed raw steel. Today it looks like a crack between the sections with some corrosion in the cracks (joints). You just can't win. You try to rehab your original parts as they are usually better than any Repro and then, well crap happens!

Stu Fox

[David K.]

Re: Original Parts Destroyed by Chrome Shop

Water over the dam. But the valve covers should have went back to the platers. They could have stripped them without sandblasting. Or you could have taken them to another plater and paid them. The sandblasting is probably what ruined them more than anything......if they can't be saved anyhow. I have had peeling chrome before myself. I called them about it, they were not happy either about it. They thanked me for bringing it to their attention to make things right. I took a day trip to hot foot the parts there and they repaired and replated them while I waited. Of course, there was no charge.

[Tom B.]

Re: Original Parts Destroyed by Chrome Shop

I learned about trapped sand the hard way too on an oil pan. Never again. Had to buy a new pan. First I'd take them back and let them handle it. They can back the chrome off the parts in a process similar to but reversed from the plating proccess. Once they are bare they can be cleaned properly. Just like painting clean is the key.