Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

[Jeff S.]

Mine are chrome plated with no evidence of paint. Judging guide addresses as "trim moldings" & indicates that they should be "...sheet metal stampings painted full gloss to match interior."

Seems odd that a PO would have removed paint AND plated these parts -- or, that the supplier plated the moldings, only to have them later painted. Whatever ...

Curious if others have experienced same & if I'd have paint adhesion problems to return to black/standard color.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Mike E.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

Actually, it's fairly common to have PO do this to hardtop---56-62 were bright stainless, and C2 people (long before the cars were C2's,) would do this.

[Ara G.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

Geez Jeff,
I have seen a LOT of midyears in my time and I have NEVER seen those moldings chromed....Ever......I had a gorgeous Lynndale blue roadster that I sold 2 years ago and I personally restored the hardtop. I did some research into the correct amount of gloss, color, etc on the interior of the hardtop and I confirmed that the moldings were painted to match in the interior of the car which also matched the headliner of the hard top.....
Those are some shiny moldings...odd thing is they look kinda cool.....would look even better if your interior was chrome.....just kidding....ARA

[Wayne W.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

63s had a lot of stainless. Sure they are not stainless?

[Stuart F.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

My original 63 hardtop moldings are painted dark blue to match the interior, but it is not what I'd call glossy.

Stu Fox

p.s. back in the day it was common to chrome your interior moldings. I had a 57 Chevy post that I chromed everything that was easily removed for that purpose, including; glove box door, ash tray door, window moldings and rear seat speaker covers. After much glare and reflections, I learned my lesson. Sometimes now I can't even stand the SS wiper blade holders on my 63 Vette when they blast me with a beam of reflected sunlight.

[Tracy C.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

I think Mike and others eluded to the answer. Most of the interior hardtop mouldings are stainless. People simply stripped the paint chemically and buffed the stainless to obtain the "chromed" look.

You can do it all on a Saturday afternoon and be "really cool"

tc

[Jeff S.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

I'm almost certain it's carbon steel that has been electroplated. I have access to a spectro analyzer at the lab at work & will take a piece in to ID. If it is plated, I expect paint adhesion would not be great & that the plating would prevent any self-etching primer from making a tooth. Sigh ...

[Tracy C.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

Just put a magnet on it. If it falls off, you know it is stainless.

[Henry S.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

Mine are chrome plated with no evidence of paint. Judging guide addresses as "trim moldings" & indicates that they should be "...sheet metal stampings painted full gloss to match interior."

Seems odd that a PO would have removed paint AND plated these parts -- or, that the supplier plated the moldings, only to have them later painted. Whatever ...

Curious if others have experienced same & if I'd have paint adhesion problems to return to black/standard color.

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff,
I'm also interested in the answers you get. When I started restoring my 67 a couple years back I screwed up. When I sent my all my chrome in to get it redone I sent along the mouldings you are talking about, the inside hardtop moulding. I just realized this a month or so back when I started to restore the hardtop and dug out all the pieces. I'm planning on getting the car judged at some point so if I do it with the hardtop on the moulding will have to be painted. Good luck, I hope you get the answer you want. Shooter

[Wayne W.]

Re: Midyear hardtop garnish moldings

Just put a magnet on it. If it falls off, you know it is stainless.

Probably a lower grade of SS, so the magnet will stick a little.