Any reputable pot metal restorers out there?

[NC1968Riviera]

I am looking for a reputable person or company that can restore chromed pot metal trim parts (specifically 1968 Riviera tail light bezels). Someone who can remove the old chrome, remove the bubbles and pits, smooth the surfaces and re-chrome the parts. Job quality is important. 

Edited November 9, 2017 by NCRiviera (see edit history)

[SpecialEducation]

We've used Superior down in Houston. 

 

www.justchromeit.com

 

They are one of the few shops left in the country that can chemically strip the chrome from the pot metal before they restore it.  Mechanical removal embeds debris into the base metal, which propagates more pitting. 

 

They have done steel & pot metal for us, and the pot metal is WAY more expensive. If you can find better used parts or reproductions, that's always cheaper. 

[Thriller]

I recall seeing a video online about this type of repair. There's a special "solder" that can be used after stripping and drilling the pits and then it can be sent back out for detailing and chrome. 

 

I have no experience with such, just recall seeing it. Perhaps a YouTube search would find it. 

 

[SpecialEducation]

Yep. Restoring pot metal is definitely an art. Parts can be broken, bent, & cracked and be brought back, but it's not a cheap process. 

 

Not all chrome shops do restorations, some will simply plate what you give them, straight or not. 

[60FlatTop]

On 11/7/2017 at 9:13 PM, NCRiviera said:

I don't want to pay a King's ransom

 

The matriarchs of my family have told me that, in Ireland, if you owned a cow, you could have called yourself a King. And many ransoms went unpaid. So be specific.

 

Chemically removing chrome is something a shop can do and finding pitted chrome parts is no problem. If anyone was looking forward to one or two full chrome jobs on future cars it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a few parts stripped and try learning the pit filling process. I could see stripping a few pieces, filling them, and getting them plated, a few $60-$100 parts. Post grad college courses cost $1500 to $2500 these days. I could see throwing $800 to $1000 at the skill.

 

The rear view mirror bracket for my '64 is the only pitted part I can think of, that I need. Maybe I'll pick up another pitted one and see how it goes. If it works out maybe I'd do yours for....... 3/4 of a king's ransom, no bull.

 

To paraphrase what I told those poor kids of mine when passing on wisdom: "You know, the good fairy didn't come along one day and say "Poof! You are a pit filler."

Bernie

[Thriller]

Half a beef in these parts runs $600 or so plus the butcher cut and wrap charges.