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Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal
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'55-3Hemi
Posted 2019-08-31 5:52 PM (#586849)
Subject: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal



Regular

Posts: 75
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Location: VIrginia
HI,

Have not had much luck in finding a chrome rear view mirror (Interior) mounting bracket for my 1955 Dodge Convertible. I may have to go with the re-plating route but do not know of any good platers nor what it will cost.. Does anyone know of any good chrome shops and a possible ballpark figure to replate? I have enclosed a picture of my pitted bracket attached to the mirror next to a NOS 2 door hardtop bracket that does not fit.

Edited by '55-3Hemi 2019-08-31 6:08 PM




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GaryS
Posted 2019-08-31 10:59 PM (#586862 - in reply to #586849)
Subject: Re: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal



Expert

Posts: 1207
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Location: Ponder, TX
I did some of the repair myself on my wiper bezels. I used a Dremel to dig out the pitting and then Muggyweld to fill the holes. It saved quite a bit of labor at the plating shop, but many shops that will not work on any pot metal job that anyone else has started.

If my car was going to be a pure restoration, I wouldn't have done it, but it will be a daily driver and it will not be stock. If interested, here's a blog link to the results.

https://56plymouth.blogspot.com/2016/04/chrome-plating-results.html

Warning! My Plymouth is all Mopar, but it is not a stock '56. If modifying FWL cars bothers you, please save yourself some grief and ignore my blog!
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mikes2nd
Posted 2019-09-01 2:41 AM (#586872 - in reply to #586849)
Subject: Re: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal


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I use muggyweld a lot
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'55-3Hemi
Posted 2019-09-01 10:10 AM (#586882 - in reply to #586862)
Subject: Re: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal



Regular

Posts: 75
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Location: VIrginia
WOW! Great job on the wiper bezels. I am not doing a pure restoration on the convertible. Just like doing some of the work myself and to save money.

I have heard about Muggyweld but not sure if I could sand/grind the repair as smooth as yours turned out. Did you end up sanding as far down as you could to eliminate the pits and cover the entire bezel with Muggyweld & sand smooth?

I need to rebuild my wiper bezels for they are worn out. Where did you find the bushings & other parts?

Your blog is well done & detailed. Your work on the pitted stainless parts has inspired me to give If a try. My rear stone guards are dented and pitted. Same goes with the stainless rocker covers. Any tips on doing the stone guards would be helpful.

If only I could weld...

Thanks
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GaryS
Posted 2019-09-01 3:24 PM (#586892 - in reply to #586849)
Subject: Re: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal



Expert

Posts: 1207
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Location: Ponder, TX
I didn't really have the tools to do a good job on the bezels, so I mostly concentrated on the labor intensive part which is to use a small Dremel tool to grind out the pits like a dentist does on a tooth. You have to get all the black corrosion out as the Muggyweld will not stick to a dirty surface. The pot metal is harder than the Muggyweld, so when you work the surface, it's easy to remove too much of the softer material.The plating shop has all the tools to do it right, and yes I was very happy with the end results for the price. Had I let them do the entire job, I'm sure the quality would be even better, but as I said, it will be a driver, not a restoration.

My parts car had a pair of bezels with the little parts I needed...except the bushings. I can't recall where, but I found some oil impregnated bushings that only had to be shortened.

As I'm sure you are discovering, '55-'56 FWL cars are much more difficult to restore than any other years before or after. The aftermarket ignores them completely.

I can't help with the stone guards. Mine doesn't have them, but if yours are as bad as most I've seen I think it will require a lot of professional smoothing, shaping and chrome plating instead of stainless polishing.

Plymouths didn't offer the stainless rocker covers, so I'm going to install some meant for a DeSoto. The ones I got were a dealer installed Mopar part and are too long for a Plymouth, but the shape is right. Found them on the Internet for a reasonable price. I'll shorten them at the front end, form a nose from quarter-inch steel to mate with the cut end, and then have it chromed. I intend to install them with trim adhesive instead of nylon clips.

These blog entries show a better view of my crude surface prepping job. The plating shop said they could do the final surface prep, so I left it to them.

https://56plymouth.blogspot.com/2014/03/muggyweld.html

https://56plymouth.blogspot.com/2014/04/repaired-wiper-bezels.html
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mikes2nd
Posted 2019-09-01 11:46 PM (#586911 - in reply to #586849)
Subject: Re: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBg00xp1mLY
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billy
Posted 2019-09-07 8:34 PM (#587234 - in reply to #586849)
Subject: Re: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal



Extreme Veteran

Posts: 395
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Location: upstate new york
I just had my tail light bezels quoted at a shop in Tennessee that specializes in pot metal chrome plating...Best be sitting down when you get the quote...billy
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'55-3Hemi
Posted 2019-09-08 11:09 AM (#587258 - in reply to #587234)
Subject: Re: Suggested vendors for re-plating pitted pot metal



Regular

Posts: 75
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Location: VIrginia

I just E-Mailed some pictures of my Rear view mirror bracket and Sunvisor brackets  (both are pot metal which I know will be expensive to repair) to Ogden Plating in Utah for a ballpark quote for their Street chrome and Show chrome. I will be sitting down!X





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Attachments IMG_5380.JPG (23KB - 109 downloads)
Attachments IMG_5456.JPG (22KB - 105 downloads)
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Attachments IMG_5461.JPG (22KB - 93 downloads)
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