Recommendations please for a good firm for re-chroming

[PaulE]

You are painting it too? Who will do that? You could have saved a bit by joining the trendy 'Patina' and 'It's only original once' cult.
I have a neighbour who restores VW Campers and he gets super results using a local painter. Should I get the name for you. ?
Paul.

[Martec]

Thanks again Paul for the offer, no I'll be painting it myself again. I was really happy with the results I got in 2000 and it was fine until a few years ago until the reaction spread. So it will be similar to last time, back to bare metal and even though I'll be treating the rust with an old fashioned rust converter this time, most will be removed before painting.

I attended a 'taster' spraying course last winter at the local college and it was enough to learn better techniques, but also enough to convince several of us that our home spraying will be in Cellulose (that's as far as I want to go to originality). A local factor will supply me with the paint and thinners.

It can't be any worse than the present 'Rat' look.

Brian

[piman]

Hello Brian,

I'm interested as to why your course persuaded some of you that cellulose is the best for home painting. I have always used it but reading so many opinions that 2 pack (Isocyanate) is far superior. Others say it is too plastic an appearance?

Alec

[Martec]

Hi Alec,

'Home spraying' is the important bit, the course was all about preparation techniques and then laying on the 2 pack primers and colour coats. It was all done in a spray booth with massive air changes (air in at the top and extracted at the bottom), we were wearing filtered air feed masks and wearing full protection on our skin.

2 pack gave a much better film thickness so fewer layers were required and much harder when fully set, plus sinks less. But spraying at home in my own garage I choose health over better paint, and have a good new mask for cellulose (sold by the college).

I recently had to have paint repairs to a 2006 shopping trolley and paid someone else to use the paint. As I expect to have to do steel repairs to my toys I prefer a paint I can use with care and safely at home, plus I'm a cheap git.

Brian

[Martec]

Update on the chroming.

I took all the bits for chroming to 'Prestige Electroplating' of Mexborough on 11th October with completion expected in 4 months.

I got a phone call about a week ago to say it was all done and available to pick up, but due to personal events I couldn't go until today. I took the two bumpers, 4 overriders, 4 hubcaps and 4 rimbellishers that looked very much past their best with a dent in the rear bumper.

What I picked up was brilliant smooth shiny chromed metal, it looks too good to put on a car. I am very pleased with the results as you can see, I found them very pleasant to deal with and would be happy to use them again. Now all I have to do is fit it and protect it for the winter months, but the S type is running again so time is available. All for £920.

Brian

[ecosselynx]

Hi Brian

Many thanks for your feed back on your job. Always nice to have member feed-back when dealing with vendors. Look forward to seeing a picky when you have it all bolted together again.

thanks

John

[Martec]

Sorry for the delay in uploading a picture of the chrome, It has been decided to store it in the loft as I don't fancy working in the cold garage at present. So before I put it in the loft and covered the shiny sides with petroleum jelly I took this picture. Also drove the car up and down the road a bit so its not parked on the same part of the tyres.

[Martec]

Halfway through the year and due to the sudden improvement in temperature in the garage I stripped off the chrome strips to start repainting, they didn't look that good.

I have spent I think a month now stripping the reaction paint off almost every panel and then made a cock of the initial repaint using my old spray gun (hoover type), so with approval and guidance from the guys at the tech college I bought a new spraygun and 3 ltrs of paint plus thinners and all the usual paraphinalia.

I did as I was told and started at 50% paint and finished at 60% (I didn't have the b!lls to go thinner) so now have approx 7 coats all over with no runs and a nice gloss finish, but will cut it back with 1500 w&d paper to get the bits off and then polish up before waxing.

I phoned Ken Jenkins the other day and asked where best to get replacement chrome strips, his advice was to get my existing chrome done at 'Prestige Plating' in Mexborough. After the management had agreed that 8 pieces needed rechroming we set off for a pleasant run in the 'S' type and delivered the chrome strips, their price is by the 'Foot', so I know it will cost less than £120 for all the strips except the 8 on the doors. That is half the price of 'new' strips and I know these will fit.

So comments that the chrome strips are tooo thin to be rechromed isn't true up here! Its so nice to find pleasant people to deal with, my wife will say its because they are Yorkshire!!!! I will need to wait 2 months, but the last 4 month estimate was just over 2 months. The car doesn't need them to run.

Brian

[PaulE]

Looks like we may see you fairly soon in the 'looking like new' motor then?

[Martec]

Looking new-ish Paul, its hard work rubbing the paint back with 1500 w&d but it still has a shine on it??? Next will be polishing with Farecla G3 and then wax and the chrome.

Brian

[Martec]

Well I got a 'hurry up' today, yesterday my stepdaughter came by as I was refitting the bumpers (a day and a quarter to get them on!!) and saw the progress. Lesley came home and asked if it would be ready to take my youngest grandson to his prom in it as I had previously taken my grand-daughter!!!!

No pressure then, so I'm into a painting plan for the wheels now, going to body colour rather than the previous grey. It will be short of some chrome strips and rim bellishers, and I need to bleed the clutch hydraulics again, but It should make it. See if the 9 month old petrol will burn, I'm a bit short on gas??

Brian

[piman]

Helo Brian,

My Triumph has been standing for three years and still started on old petrol.

Alec

[Martec]

Yes odd that, I can often start old carb cars on old petrol, but the briggs and straton motor mower won't if left over winter. I usually drain it off and stick it in the Marina (but thats fuel injection) and refill the mower with fresh petrol.

We had a talk at the last JEC meeting from a guy selling adatives and gave the odd horror story of the effects of ethanol! One of the members said the plastic float in his Honda mower had melted, can't remember what our old B&S engine has.

No problem for the MkII as it has brass floats, but the float chamber jet has plastic on it, plus some plastic in the fuel pump. I think I'll look out the dates of my rebuilt kits from Burlen fuels and ask their advice. I think HD's had metal floats and HS's plastic floats??

Brian

[piman]

Hello Brian,

yes that's right, as far as the floats go.

Alec

[Martec]

Attached hopefully is the re- chrome bumpers, over riders and hubcaps on my partially resprayed car.

I am very impressed with the chrome, but can see every blemish in my paintwork!

Brian