Removing chrome parts??!!

[bluemoggie1970]

Hi, don't know if I'm just being a bit of a thicko, but, I'm looking at removing and replacing chrome on my traveller.

I want to replace things like hockey sticks, headlight rims, the chrome surrounding the radiator, wing mirrors.....just how do they come off?!

I can't see screws anywhere!!

Thanks for your tips

Luke

[//no.comment]

The hockey sticks are held on by three nuts going through the wings, acessible from inside the wheel arch, just put full lock on the wheel and scrape away the road grime untill you find them!hope that helps!

This is what it should look like without them, you can clearly see the holes through the wing
[frame][/frame]
i asume the top chrome round the rad comes off in a similar way

headlight rims are removed by a downwards push, and then it just pops off at the bottom, well mine do atleast

if youve got the same late wing mirrors as my saloon( the springy squareish ones) theres a black cap covering up the thread on the underside of the wing(again accessible with full lock on the wheels) remove this(should just pull off) it reveals a screw. by removing the screw the wing mirror comes off from its base. to remove the mount(base) put some mole grips on the base(above the wing) and undo the nut from inside the wing with a socket, i had to get my house mate to hold the mole grips as you cant really do both jobs on your own as mine were pretty gunked up!

[bluemoggie1970]

Excellent, Thanks a lot, and thanks for the picture. Can't wait to get nice new shiny ones!!

[mike.perry]

Make sure that you get decent quality chrome or it will be worse than the old stuff in a couple of years

[aupickup]

buy new old stock if u can trawl ebay or get good second hand old stock

[pjh56]

Make sure that you get decent quality chrome or it will be worse than the old stuff in a couple of years

Mikes right there, don't get caught out like I did, bought shiny new ones thinking they'd fit ok and they were poor quality the holes in the back were countersunk at the wrong angle therefore I had trouble fitting them on

As AU says go for NOS at least you'll know they fit and also the chrome will be of better quality.

[aupickup]

keep checking the for sales you never know what comes up on here

[bluemoggie1970]

Thanks for tips, so even the well known companies such as Bull Motif (can I say that)? aren't very good for chrome??!

[aupickup]

does not matter what company or make of classic car the chrome these days is not so good

check ebay or auto jumbles for new old stock or good second hand

a friend of mine had a new repro bumper put on and it only lasted one winter before it was so badly pitted and tarnished and virtually all chrome had gone

[bluemoggie1970]

That's a joke! Ok thanks mate, glad I didn't spend out on all that.

I'll keep my eyes peeled!

[MarkyB]

One of the suggestions I made on the MMOC survey for the club spares was to do some chrome parts to the original standard.
No idea how many different coats of different metals were used but there is no comparison between old and new chrome work.

[aupickup]

chrome can not be done the same way as it was

there is a process they can not use, i think neil on here mentioned it as he works for a re chroming firm

[lesrollins]

Do as I used to on the harley, plenty of polish, muir or any car polish NOT AUTOSOL its to abrasive it scratches the chrome and leaves swirls. I found that out when I started to polish the plastic chrome piece on the tank autosol ruined it I ended up buying another one at harley prices ! Chroming may not be as good as it used to be but if you keep on top of it, it will last. Plenty of polish and if you can, dry it off in the garage if it gets wet. You don,t see many rusty harley,s about and I know one fella who used to ride is all year round snow, rain anything and it still looked good. All the best

[aupickup]

i allways polish the chrome and never use any chrome cleaner

[marcusthemoose]

only ever use autosol on chrome parts that have a bit of surface rust. as has been said, get either NOS bmc stuff, or autojumble for good secondhand- and remember, even if it is a little dodgy, it will respond better to cleaning, and will last for ages! autosol is brilliant on aluminium. also use t-cut for something less abrasive. i find with bike stuff that the new chrome is peeling away, while the old stuff is still shining brightly (30+ years old!)

avoid any american plating at all cost, it is very inferior. triple plate is the best. copper, nickel, then chrome.