Bad Chrome Plating experience

[pauldridge]

I seem to always be the bearer of bad news on this forum.  Probably because I never take Michael Salemi's advice to stick with the quality name guys.

I got taken in by very low pricing for replating a number of parts on my pagoda... Only because I want to save another owner from the grief I've experienced will I mention the name:  Vickerman's chrome plating, out of Illinois.  

It took 4 months for me to receive the work (the original turnaround estimate was one month).  When I opened the box, my heart fell in the gutter.  I've honestly never seen such a butcher job.  I sent in two, nice, driver quality headlight rims, absolutely no pitting. They came back totally mis-shapen, one is 1" taller and 1" narrower now than the other.  They managed to break off the upper attach clip on one.  But even worse was the quality of the work... It honestly looked like someone had taken a rotary wire brush to the job AFTER the plating was finished.  There were bubbles, pits and huge scratch marks on pieces that were nicely smooth when presented.  On several pieces, there was still copper showing on visible sections where they didn't even get any plating at all on the piece.

Bottom line, I'm going to have to send a number of pieces to another plater (a reputable one this time), and search for replacement headlamp rims, since these look unusable (anyone have a source for Euro rims?)

I've attached a picture of the "finished" product from these guys, a section of the headlight rim.  I'd advise staying well away.

Download Attachment: bad chrome.jpg
51.86 KB

Phil Auldridge
230SL soon to be 172 Metallic Grey/blue interior. Auto/AC

[Paddy_Crow]

Man, that's some seriously bad work. Sorry to hear.

[Mike Hughes]

Have you contacted the shop about this incredibly fifth-rate work?  Did you take photos of the pieces you sent to them before you packed them for shipment?  Perhaps they returned someone else's bits?  It boggles the mind that any business owner would let work that shoddy out of their shop!

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[mdsalemi]

Paul,

This is dreadful.  Sorry to hear of this experience.

You do have the names of the good guys, now, don't you?  Any you do know now, that there's no cutting corners on good chrome plating.  It starts at "expensive" and goes up from there.

I cringe when I hear "well, I don't want or need (read that: don't want to pay for!)a show chrome job"...

I'm sorry to also be the bearer of bad news: there's only ONE way to do chrome plating, and that is correctly.

I've seen Tijuana chrome jobs that look better than what they sent you...

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[Benz Dr.]

And I can't understand why anyone would bother with some sorts of plating. The rims are a type of pot metal and some places just can't do that type of work. Some places WON'T do this type of work at all due to the problems it presents. Not every place can, or will do pot metal and for good reasons.
 These parts are still available so you might want to ask for new ones as a replacement for the mess they made.

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org
  1 877 661 6061