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1977/ 78 Eldorados chrome bezel material for the dash board - material for renew

Started by myelin2, February 17, 2012, 09:23:01 AM

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myelin2

I want to renew the chrome like bezels of the dash board - Where can I  buy the material for a rebuilt?

Thank's

Manfred Schlang

70sdv

It's not that easy unfortunately. Some people use a chrome like paint to touch it up I've done that before, it came out ok, but wasn't perfect.
Search for "chrome paint".
Other people have used metail foil te recover it. You cut out and carefully apply the foil over the bezel, you can find it here - http://www.bare-metal.com/bare-metal-foil.html  (You can google metal foil for other resources)
It was originally done by the oem supplier by chroming the whole piece then masking off and painting and/or applying woodgrain over the dash just leaving the edges of the chrome exposed. There are restoration services that can do it like autoinstuments.com - http://www.autoinstruments.com/chrome.htm
Good luck.


Steve McCarthy

Warren Rauch #4286

 My brother has had very good results by hot stamping. It uses a plated like surface on a plastic backing that you run a special handheld  heated roller over it. The roller melts the new plastic on and it looks like new. I don't know where he got it,but google probably will tell you. Warren

Gene Beaird

Many years ago, I used the 'chrome' spray paint on the bezels on my 71 Trans Am (they were chrome-plated plastic for 1971, went all black for 1972).  As mentioned above, they came out 'ok'.  They were pretty decent if you didn't really look at them.  One other downside is that the paint is very soft, and if you touched it with just about anything, it would scratch easily and discolor (become kind of brownish where it was rubbed). 

There is another product you may want to try, especially if the bezels are plastic.  There's some lacquer out there called Al-clad:

http://alclad2.com/

You'll need to completely remove the current 'chrome' coating.  Separate the bazel from the dash and soak it in one of the folowing for a while:

Purple Power cleaner,
brake fluid
clorox
Spic-N-Span

That will strip the chrome off, without damaging the finish underneath.

Then scuff it lightly with some 800-1000# wet-or-dry sand paper, and paint the bezels with a good gloss black paint, preferably a lacquer.  I prefer a hobby paint made by Tamiya.  The finish is nice, and it drys fast.

Once the black has cured for a couple of days, you can apply your Al-Clad with an airbrush.  Light coats until you get the amount of 'chrominess' you want but not create any runs.

Let that dry for a few days, and you can either dip it in Future floor polish or hit it with some clearcoat to help protect it. 

I have NOT tried this yet, but most bezels are plastic, and there's no reason it shouldn't work perfectly with these bezels.  It's definitely a process I'd use if I was to do the TA bezels again. 

Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

Gene Beaird

Additionally, if the bezels are plastic, there are companies that can do 'chrome' plating of them for you, like they do for scale models.   They aren't cheap, but the results seem to be nice.  LMK, and I'll find some sites for you, if you are interested in going that route. 

Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

mgbeda

If you want to send the parts to a pro there's a company up the road from me, Collector Car Stars, that has a sideline specialty in replating plastic chrome.  I've seen some plastic grills they've done and I was impressed.  Here is the website for their restoration shop; it doesn't mention the chrome, but if you contact them I'm sure they can tell you about it.  The guy I know there is Ken; he's also the local chairman of the the Buick club, but don't hold that against him ;-)

http://collectorcarstars.com/Home.html

-mB
-Mike Beda
CLC #24610
1976 Sedan DeVille (Bessie)