Rechromed Taillight trim and misc. plastic parts

[Carl Beck]

. Also, please note that the parts will all be chromed.....this is not the "vacuum metallization" processed most frequently used on plastic parts.

Can you tell me a little more about the process? I don't see how Plastic and be chromed otherwise. I might not make the Oct. cut off this time - but as I clean out the garage I may wind up with several pieces to send out at one time.

thanks,

Carl B.

[9teen7t240z]

Hi, Carl,

Thanks for your question. I am not an engineer or chemist by any stretch of the imagination....but I will do my best to answer your question.

Electrolytic Chrome plating of ABS and other plastic resins has been used in various industries since the 1960's. Demand for the plating of plastics was generated primarily by the automotive trim industry, as the durability, finish, aesthetic appeal, and corrosion-resistance of chrome

was needed to match the industries escalating use of plastic materials for weight savings on their automobiles. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that the original trim parts from our Z cars were electro-plated. The primary issue with plating plastics is generated by the lack of conductivity of the plastic material substrate. In order to compensate for this problem, various processes were introduced to counter the issue. These included things such as etching the substrate with chromic acid, then applying base coats of copper, nickel, or both to provide the necessary electrical conductivity for the final chrome surface. (I am going to try to attach a link to a much better source of information for you.....but any google search will yield numerous results for chrome-plated plastics).

In any event, all of the processes require considerable extra time and materials to complete, thereby making it a relatively expensive process. The combination of waning demand due to the lack of chrome use in modern automobiles, coupled with the high costs of labor domestically and the higher regulatory costs of EPA compliance, have resulted in the virtual elimination of this segment of the industry here in the US. However, the ever-growing interest in collector cars worldwide will insure a sustainable demand for chrome plated plastics for the foreseeable future, and the low labor and regulatory costs available overseas will help collector's access these services at affordable prices.

Sorry for the verbosity of the previous paragraph....it sounds more likie a "business plan" than an answer. () The short answer is this:

1. There are several different processes that are used to electro-plate chrome onto plastics, and

2. My research seems to indicate that any one of them is as good as the next, and

3. Precisely which one or combination of these proccesses is utilized by the overseas facility is unknown to me at this time. In the future, I hope to visit the facility myself and will be better able to answer that question.

Thanks again for your interest....I hope that I can help you with your future chroming needs.

Mike R.

http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=525

[Carl Beck]

Thanks Mike - just the info I was looking for.

Carl

[Bonzi Lon]

A very good program that shows the process of this is Modern Marvels "Chrome". The parts I could recognize what they were was the grills of Ford trucks.

Bonzi Lon

[9teen7t240z]

Carl,

Am glad to hear that the information is what you wanted. Bonzi's recommendation on the Modern marvels episode helped me alot too. While I couldn't find a site to watch the entire episode, I did find a segment of the segment on Youtube and found it to be informative. Thanks for the input, Bonzi.

There is still 2 weeks left to get in on the group buy, should anyone else want to participate. Let me know via PM or personal email.

Thanks,

Mike R.

[9teen7t240z]

Update:

I have had numerous requests for pricing for the chrome plating only, as many of you would rather re-paint painted surfaces yourselves. In hindsight, I should have priced everything just for the "strip, dip, plate, and polish" of the chrome, instead of the final painting as people do like to have the opportunity to customize their cars. In that vein, I have put together a more detailed price list of chrome trim parts that will be priced without the final painting (where applicable). As the list is quite detailed, I may have to break it into a couple of posts.

New prices are as follows:

Part Description 240z 260z 280z

Hood emblem $32.00 $32.00 $32.00

Roof emblem $32.00 $32.00 $32.00 Prices are Each piece

Fender emblems $32.00 $32.00 $32.00 " " " "

Deck lid grille $32.00 n/a n/a Series 1 240z only (each piece)

Deck lid 240/260/280z $32.00 $32.00 $32.00

deck lid "Datsun" $32.00 $32.00 $32.00

Tail light bezels $80.00/pr. $140./pr. $140./pr.

Fuel door knob $18.00

Chrome center caps (mags) $96.00/set of 4 $96.00/set of 4 $96.00/set of 4

Series 1 "D" hubcaps $320./set of 4 n/a n/a (includes re-chroming of center caps)

New prices for the interior chromed parts will follow on the next post.

Thanks,

Mike

[9teen7t240z]

I apologize for the formatting on the previous post.....at least it looked good when I originally typed it. Anyway, the new prices for the interior trim parts to be re-chromed only are as follows:

Part description price

Center air vent (240z) $32.00

Round side vents $32.00/ea.

chrome door handle escutheon $32.00/pr.

Ash tray (240z) $28.00/ea.

Cargo strap chromed hardware $98.00/set of 8 pieces

seat belt/shoulder strap hardware $190.00/set of 14 pieces

Heater panel faceplate $45.00

I believe that this covers everything that has been requested to-date. These prices are good for the domestic (US) market only and do include delivery with a minimum $100. order. I hope to be able to accomodate orders from Europe, Canada, and Australia in the near future, as we develop the logistics to enable you to direct-ship to the platers.

Thanks again for your orders.....you have just one week left to order for the upcoming shipment. Please let me know via email or pm if you'd like to be included on this upcoming shipment, or on any subsequent shipment.

Mike R.

stoogeman_1999@yahoo.com

P.S. Should you want the "full refurbishment" option as originally outlined on this thread, that will still be available at the prices quoted earlier in this thread.