Lesson Learned... Hoping to Recover (Literally)

[BearsFan315]

as many of you know I am working on my 1929 Chevrolet 4 door. Ted (Chistech) did my interior and Roof (kit from HCLB) when it came time to send out my headlamp reflectors i worked with Ted and sent them to him, his friend removed a ding, they stripped them down, then copper coated, then nickel coated and polished. at the same time Ted had a set for a pickup he was doing ( i think). he sent them out to Uvira to Bill to do his magic. they went out in one box. Bill got the 2 sets, and did his magic. packed Ted's up and sent him his set, and did the same for me. i got the set opened the box did a quick glance and was happy.

 

jump to know and i am assembling my headlamps, i pull all the parts out go grab the reflectors and they are NOT the ones for my 1929 Chevrolet. they are about an inch smaller, have one 15 mm hole and a 7mm socket. not sure why i did not see that. first thought was that maybe Bill mixed up our sets and we got each others. but a quick call to Ted and NOPE Ted has his set all built. so now i am hoping Bill out there in Oregon has my 1929 set sitting around OR has another customer who has my set looking for their set ?!? not sure what they go to or fit.

 

Lesson learned (thanks Ted) open EVERY package as you get it and VALIDATE and do a TEST fit of parts and confirm they are the CORRECT ones....

 

I am really hoping that on Monday when Bill opens up he can assist and has an answer !! finding another set of 1929 reflectors can be a PAIN or nearly impossible. but also having o go strip, clean up, copper, nickel, polish then out to Bill for round two. can be a costly expense !!

1929 Chevrolet Reflector

 

1929 Chevrolet Reflector, see the notch, 1 of 3 on rim and 2 15mm holes for light sockets

 

what i got back, first glance looks correct

close-up of the hols for sockets

 

notice the 15mm hole on right for socket, and 7mm socket on left for ??

 

1 tab vs 3 notches

 

8-3/8" od vs 9.75 or so for the 1929 Chevrolet

Edited May 11, 2019 by BearsFan315
updated and fixed pictures (see edit history)

[BearsFan315]

these are Aluminized vs Silver, it is what Uvira does and it lasts a long time, MANY members on here have used bill over the last 25+ years;

 

before he can vacuum and aluminize them they must be nickel plated and polished. 

[BearsFan315]

Well I talked with Bill and he was apologetic said this has never happened, and I understand

 

he asked me if i could provide any details on dates, delivery, etc.. and he was ecstatic that i have all my paperwork !! so i scanned it all and sent it to him last night. he has NOT heard back from anyone getting my (wrong) reflectors. so maybe they have not started working on their project yet. he is going to research and call anyone who he did work for and shipped to in a window before, during, and after mine were done. hopefully we will find them and can get them to me and i can get these to their owner

 

while i am waiting i am starting a search for a pair of 1929 Chevrolet Reflectors with Parking Lamps. This way IF we do NOT find mine I can start all over and move forward.

 

[zepher]

Good luck.

I don't know how available reflectors are for your car but I know it would be next to impossible to find replacement reflectors for either one of my prewar cars.

Keeping my fingers crossed that you find your originals before you locate a replacement set.

[mercer09]

29 chevy reflectors should not be a big deal............

 

sh-t happens, as the Gump said!

[BearsFan315]

yeah the reflectors are NOT scarce, but not easy to come by. they are the same for 1929 & 1930 Chevrolet's, and there were 2 options for 1929 one with a single hole (for the headlamp) and then one with 2 holes (one for headlamp and one for parking lamp) mine has the 2 hole option.

 

i was able to find a spare pair (thanks Chip) he had a spare pair laying around he was willing to part with, so they are in the mail and on their way to me as i type, should be here in a few days. then i will validate fit  and then clean them up,  go by plater and talk to them about stripping, copper, nickel, polish, and then look at final coating of Silver or Aluminum. figure all this sould take about 4-8 weeks depending on plater back log and overall condition of the reflectors, (should be good).

 

just a time delay and financial set back....  will find other small projects on car to tackle while i wait. car is about 90% done now and this is one of the LAST things i have to do before i get fire in it and tune and drive for ht first time in 4+ years !!!

 

would like to find out what the reflectors i was sent fit and maybe find their owner, if not maybe sell them off to help offset my cost of the replacements.  prefer to get them back to the owner, as I know i miss mine, and sure they miss these !!

[BearsFan315]

put up a post to help ID the reflectors that i have so that i an find their owner.

 

i have bought a set of reflectors from fellow Member Chip, he packed and shipped them to me, I now have to take them over to the plater to get quotes on copper and nickel plate / polish. as well as the time frame to do so.

 

i did a test fit and went over them twice to ensure form fit function. bucket fitment, socket fitment, etc... 

 

inside of the reflectors

 

backside of the reflectors

 

bucket fitment

 

socket fitment

[zepher]

Other than the plating, they look to be in good shape.

No dings or creases in them.

[chistech]

Jerry, sent you an email. When your reflectors got sent out, one still had a slight tiny ding that the polisher couldn't get completely out. If those you got back have no ding on them, they are definitely not yours that I sent. The metal ring around the parking bulb hole is definitely not correct but I can't remember how the reflectors looked as to that ring that you sent me. Just a crazy question, were your headlights together and you disassembled them to send me the reflectors or were they already apart? If they were, maybe the PO got the wrong ones. Just a scenario possibility.

    As I mentioned in the email, the reflectors are brass and the silver is easily removed by simply polishing them. When my neighbor polished up yours and my 32' Olds reflectors, it took him less than 15mins to do both sets. Both sets went to the plater who simply nickeled the polished brass. No need for copper as the copper is normally used as filler for imperfections or as a barrier to corrosive metals. No such worries with brass. Your reflectors went out with my 32' Olds reflectors and I received mine back about 7 days later. I opened mine up and checked them immediately to the housing for fit and look. The Olds lamps are huge and diameter compared to the 29' Chevy and have only one socket so there is no way Bill sent the wrong ones to me.

         I have a buddy who kind of did the  same as you and didn't really look at some gauges he had restored for his car. When he opened the box, he found that the shop had not done a good job especially on his speedometer and he had to send it to another shop. He was not happy. Unfortunately, we are all often, too trusting of a vendor to do the job as it is quoted and as one would expect it to be done. Many times it doesn't get done the way it should. I had to send my Olds radiator shroud back to my plater as they failed to get the chrome right (yellowish tinting) around the top opening where the cap would be. It seems chrome doesn't like to go into or around holes and to get it right, more electricity is required with a heavier adnode (I'm probably not completely correct with my words or explanation here!) to make it "pull" into the hole. When I sent it back, the plater called and completely agreed that it wasn't right and they worked on it until they got it right. Same thing with my two horns. Like my radiator shell, both showed some "yellowing" through the chrome around the holes/bell throats. If I had waited to look at these parts until I actually needed them, I wouldn't have them for when I hope to have this car done. As it is, I sent my gauge cluster panel to what is considered one of the best platers in the country because the panel is the focal point of the interior and I wanted it perfect. I sent it early last year and told them I needed it for a June 1st show. I called 2-3 weeks ago and was told it wasn't even started! I had to call back two more times for them to tell me that they would have it done. Today is May 21st and still no word. Getting awful close to that June 1st isn't it!

 

Attached some pictures of my 32' olds reflectors. You can see the single hole, specially stample reflector (ribbed and shaped), and the very large diameter for a GM car. Close up picture of horn shows where the chrome didn't flow. As you can see in the picture of the headlight, bars, and horn assembly, the horns are now correct with bright shiny chrome all the way into the throat.

Edited May 21, 2019 by chistech (see edit history)

[BearsFan315]

got your email Ted and responded, thanks for the help

 

Headlamps were assembled and working when i got them, i took them apart, tons of pictures, and then after talking with you sent them to you for you and your neighbor to work your magic then ship to Bill at Uvira. the 1929 are close to 10 in dia, the ones i got back were 8 1/4" dia. not as deep and the second hole has a pressed in socket vs a 15mm hole. 

 

Stuff happens and i am not one to sit around and ponder too much, I am moving forward, and hopefully mine will show up. Bill sent out letters to the 7 people he said he done 3 days before to 3 days after ours. maybe someone has them sitting on a bench like me and has not even opened them yet. 

 

the ones i have at the platers now have a few small pits in them, but said could be easily fixed in the copper process. 

 

headlamp assy from car

 

reflector with bulbs as removed

 

crease in ori reflector

 

Uvira Front

 

Uvira Rear

 

Replacement Set Front

Replacement Set Rear

[BearsFan315]

talked with my plater this morning, and they have already stripped & polished my buckets !!  next will be a filler layer of copper to fill in the pits, and make it baby bottom smooth !!

maybe a few layers of copper, then polish and on to nickel and polish... 

 

so looks like my 3 week wait may be a LOT less, and i will NOT complain on that.

 

actually surprised me, i expected them to be sitting right where I dropped them off on monday !!

[BearsFan315]

well got a letter in the mail today from Bill (Uvira)

he refunded my money, as well as cost to ship my reflectors out to him !! 

he asked that i send him the set that was sent to me on accident. I am good with that, and hope they find their home

 

Have to say Bill has provided me TOP NOTCH customer service and i truly appreciate that !! something that you do NOT see or get much anymore anywhere.

 

now just have to wait for my reflectors to get done at the plater.... ZZZzzzzz

[zepher]

The reflectors for my Rickenbacker need to be done and it sounds like you got top notch service from Bill, but I am very hesitant to ship unobtanium and have the same thing happen.

Wish I could drive them there.