Headlight Chromey Bits

[Bob Tucker]

Bob at RSJigtec has located a supplier of much better quality headlamp shells.

Cant remember the price tho, but he is likely to be at Stafford.

PS all inside mine (October 2000) are now rusty, so I'll be saving up & on the lookout for replacements too.

Bob.

[Longboarder]

I would recommend Stafford Vehicle Components. Mine are 5 1/2 inch chrome on brass and will last forever but cost a bomb.

 

Nigel

[Guest chris brown]

Agree with Nigel the only way to get shells that dont rust is to go for crome on brass and that costs :boohoo: but I suspect there will be several of us at stafford looking for new shells after the wamp mild winter me included.

Chris

[Jon Bradbury]

Why not take them down the local plating firm and get some extra chrome electroplated onto them? Surely the issue is with the sthickness of the plate rather than the lack of brass? I mean, look at all those old classic car bumpers - some of them last forever if looked after properly (although obviously they'll rust eventually).

[Guest zip]

the ones on my hood are fairy cained as well. I tried to salvage them and had some success. I got an electric toothbrush and some autochrome cleaner and attacked the units. One of the lamps is to far gone rust wise, but the other came up a treat.

 

just my 0.2

 

zip

[Longboarder]

Jon, the oldies used to chrome by first plating with copper or brass, I forget which, then nickel then chrome and not a micron or two onto bare steel like todays cheap chromers who seem to forget that chrome is porous. Thats why Austin Seven bumpers still shine.

 

Nigel

[IanS]

First plate with copper.

Brass is an alloy and it is nearly imposible to plate an alloy onto anything.

Copper can be plated onto just about anything which makes it a very usefull interlayer.

[Guest timswait]

Mine are also going rusty, I'm going to try polishing them up as best I can any then spraying them with clear laquer of the type used on metallic paint finishing. Don't know it it'll work, but will keep you posted. I guess it ought to, after all a layer of paint on bare steel is all that protects all production cars.

[Guest MikeD318]

The clear laquer should work but if might look a bit cloudy afterwards.

[Jon Bradbury]

Jon, the oldies used to chrome by first plating with copper or brass, I forget which, then nickel then chrome and not a micron or two onto bare steel like todays cheap chromers who seem to forget that chrome is porous. Thats why Austin Seven bumpers still shine.

 

Nigel

Oh well, that explains it then. Didn't realise the stuff was porous! I must have got carried away when I got my wishbones back from the plater's shop - although they are kind of gold - coloured plated, not chrome. You can see 'em on my web site.

 

Anyway it sounds like my headlamp shells will be rotted through before I even get a chance to fit them... bummer...