Topic: Dash restoration

[Oz390]

Having a hard time finding a local shop that can do the vacuum deposited "chrome" on my '68 dash bits.  I have a few sets and a local shop is doing the new-ish chrome paint.  I have seen a few examples and it looks pretty good.  Need to check on price and want to take the parts down and be ready to hand 'em over if its good as its an hour drive each way.

Wondering what the best prep for the pieces would be, as I'd like to strip the old paint.  I have tested a few solvents, acetone works best but is really harsh and I'm afraid will damage the plastic.  Others didn't do much. Did a small test patch with a toothbrush, quick scrub, immeidate wipe and it works with acetone, but also seems dangerous as it will melt the plastic if it stays too long.

I have access to a media blasitng cabinet, but again am afraid this will be too much.

Anyone have a better option to strip the old paint for prep prior to trying a few pieces with the chrome paint?

[Sunlitgold68]

I would send them to Ray Azcue at Quality Mustangs without doing anything to them yourself.

http://qualitymustangs.tripod.com/id42.html

He's always done a good job for me and others.

[Oz390]

Sorry, shipping the parts internationally is a cost on top of the repair that I am not interested in.... it would be about $150 to ship there and probably $100 back due to size...  $250+ for postage is too much... as much for shipping as the replating and any minor repairs...  let alone if customs gets a hold of it. 

I had a guy send me a pair of convertible inner panels a while back.  Paid $250 shipping/insurance to him on top of the cost of the parts.  How he sent them ended up costing me another $450 in handling/customs/duty on arrival.  Pay or lose the parts, period, once customs and shipping agents get involved.  So I have the worlds most expensive inner 1/4 panels, all up almost $1000 due to the shipping fiasco... not keen to revisit that experience.

Before replating they must strip the part, otherwise the grain would be lost.  Wondering how they do it...

edit...  (just checked their site, they use UPS, generally the most expensive way to ship international, so revise that return cost to $200+)

[Aussiemach]

send me a pm or email (I think it's in my profile) with your email address, as we are in the same country might be able to help

[midlife]

A very good technique for removing paint and not harming metal or plastic is to use Easy-Off Oven Cleaner, Heavy Duty, which has lye as its active ingredient.  Works very well on fiberglass and doesn't harm it one bit.  I used it to strip everything off of the rear fastback interior panels, including the vents.

I don't know if they have it DownUnder, but it is worth a try.

[Oz390]

Thanks for the tip, exactly the type of info I'm after!

[Oz390]

Ding, ding, ding..... we have a WINNER!

Midlife, spot on! 

Actually had a can of baragain brand caustic oven cleanser.  Sprayed it on, waited about 15-20 mins and a light scrub with a toothbrush... paint flaking.  Waited another 15 minutes, rinsed and again a light scrub with a toothbrush.  Probably 90% of the paint gone....

Will go buy some lye tomorrowand experiment with a bath for the parts and see how it goes.

Thanks for the answer!

[J_Speegle]

Used the oven cleaner for a number of years to strip the plastic rear panels in the fastbacks to remove all the old paint (and multiple added coats from previous owners). Makes for a much nicer IMHO finished product.

Of course - be careful & safe with the stuff, when using

[Oz390]

Thanks jeff.  Yep out in the shed, plenty of ventilation and avoiding fumes/skin contact.  Lye is nasty stuff! 

I did some other similar work a while ago while looking at stripping anodizing.  Had a pair of scuffed rocker molds and will look into having them chrome painted too, if its not too expensive may give it a go and see if the end result looks OK, if not "correct".  May even contemplate color chrome if they have something that may tone into the car.... OMG moving towards a resomod!

[Oz390]

Well, that worked great! 

Used a large plastic bin and made up a strong lye solution, about 1 cup lye per bucket of water.  Most parts cleaned up really well in an hour or so of soaking with a light scrub with a toothbrush.

Odd to me that the two dash sets I stripped were made from different base plastic, one grey, one blue.  The instrument clusters were a -A and an -C engineering number, and had some slight differences in how the lenses for blinkers and running pony hi-beam lens were attached.  As well as the fact that the -A was chrome on the back and the -C was not and painted an off white.  A few other minor differences, but not in the base casting I could see.

I was surprised, as the cars were both San Jose Dec '67 builds and came off the line 6 days apart... no telling if the dashes were original but as they are FoMoCo correct and had the typical lack of chrome on the faces due to wear it would seem odd that they had been replaced...

Now to find a chrome solution, the local shop want $400... per dash, to chrome paint.... OUCH!!!  Might be cheaper to ship to Ray, but they don't seem to answer emails.... tried to contact them a few months ago, no reply. And no reply to the recent email sent the other day...

[J_Speegle]

Yes you have to find someone with a vacuum forming machine and the right mylar product to get the plastic all nice

[Oz390]

My understanding is it is actually and aluminum vapor deposition in a vaccum, not a vaccum forming process with a film.

Anyone seen the Alsa Killer Chrome paint and compared it to the OEM?  On the web it looks pretty slick, but there's no replacement for seeing it in person.  Expensive stuff, over $100 for a 3 can spray-bomb kit to "chrome" paint, but way less than the local shop wants and way less than shipping to the US... maight be a viable alterantive but would hate to fork out $150 Oz or more and find out its not worthwhile...

[NEFaurora]

"Easy-Off Oven Cleaner, Heavy Duty, which has lye as its active ingredient."

+ a million..

I started using the Heavy Duty Easy Off Oven Cleaner to strip Chrome from plastic back in the early 1980's when I was big into building 1/24 scale model cars and restoring old '60's slot cars (which I still do). A guy that I knew (Bob Shebliske) who still runs a company called ChromeTech rechomes small plastic pieces such as Model car parts and old slotcar parts, but he will rechrome just about anything plastic (Only).  He does great work if anyone is interested.

Chrome Tech (Plastic rechroming Only - Usually small pieces)
Bob Shebliske
2314 Ravenswood Road.
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 274-9811

Tony K.

[ajd350]

+1 for Chrome Tech. He did my '67 Shelby dash pieces and they came out perfect. Great guy to work with, too.    Al

[Oz390]

Neither Acuze or Chrome Tech seem interested in answering emails and letting me know if they will deal with interantioanl shipping, and give me an estimate.  Local options seem non-existant. 

Frustrating to get good recommendations and then a business can't even be bothered to reply to a request for info, or just say "not interested" instead of ignoring a RFI.

2 complete dashes, 3 horn bezels, dome light ring, and a few other bits so not a one part order...

Found a local guy who will hard chrome, for $1000 for one dash.... I'll buy NOS for that $$$

Will keep looking.... thanks for the leads.