Johnston Convertible top frame

[Dave39MD]

I am having no luck in finding a chrome shop that is comfortable with re chroming these frames and saving the Johnston logo. The diecast frames are very fragile but I would really like having the original frame on the rear window.  If a frame could make it through chroming and then installation to the wood frame on the top in one piece I think it should be safe from breaking.

 

Has anyone had any luck in getting these restored and then using them on their car?  

 

Has anyone seen reproduction Johnston logo frames available anywhere? 

 

These are from 29, and 31 Chevrolet but the Johnston frames were used on many cars in all kinds of size and shapes.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[dibarlaw]

I was planning on getting a 3/D printed patern done up to have castings made for the special shaped window for my 1925 Buick. This is as far as I got before I retired and no longer had access to the software.

 A 1928-24 Buick roadster that I judged in Portland OR. in 2014 had that the JOHNSTON rear window  plated. I asked how they had it made up and they said it was an original in good condition and they just had it replated. The one I had was crumbling pieces.

[Rusty_OToole]

It's not hard to replate if the metal is sound, the hard part (impossible) is polishing the logo. If you don't mind it looking a bit rough they can skip the polishing of that area and polish around it.

[Dave39MD]

I don't mind it looking rough but the plater felt stripping the chrome would remove some definition and then the copper would make it unreadable. He did not want to block it off with something since it would leave an edge. They did nice work on saving my headlight logos so maybe they just did not want to work the pot metal frame.

 

I am surprised no one is reproducing these.

 

Dave 

[Bloo]

The mention of pot metal reminded me of trimacar's post in this thread. Maybe worth a look: