Frigiking outlet vents

[TR]

Folks -- The three chrome(?) plated outlet vents on the Frigiking A/C unit of my 280SL have a dull, discolored, tired look.

Has anyone had experience getting these to look new again?  Replating, special cleaning techniques, whatever?

Thanks.

Tom in Boise

[Douglas]

Tom,

Run a search on key words. Ed Cave just went through this. I think you can have them re-plated successfully. There are a bunch of plastic chromers who advertise in Hemmings about whom I've heard good things.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[TR]

Douglas -- Thanks ... it's great to hear that someone else (e.g., Ed Cave) has done this.

I've done the web search and have even talked with a couple of vendors who advertise there.  I didn't get what I considered straight answers from them and was left a little uncomfortable.  I was even warned that they may destroy the vents in the process.  I've tried finding suitable, direct replacement vents, but haven't had any luck with that.  I guess I'm a bit nervous about it because the original Frigiking vents seem to be rare as hen's teeth.

If there is direct and good experience with a particular re-plate company I'd sure appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks again.

Tom in Boise

[n/a]

I took mine apart, cleaned them with a grease cleaner, then alcohol, then used a chrome plating paint I purchased from "Eastwoods". It is not like new, but much better than it was before, as mine had most of the chrome worn off.

[Tom230sl]

i recently ask about this as well. I beleive Ed Cave directed me to Motoring Investments in San Diego. That contact gave me the name of a firm that does vacume metalizing. The company is "Back in time" out of Michigan 517-458-8178. I havn't used  them for myown yet but it sounds like they do a good job as long as you diassemble the vents first. Let us know how they turn out.

[Ed Cave]

You all are correct, Brian Peters of Motoring Investments www.motoringinvestments.com recently had this done to the Frigiking vents for my restoration project. Brian is a member and occasional contributor to this forum so I'll ask if he will post the information here, and although Tom230sl may have in fact already discovered that, I'll see what Brian can add.

For those who have followed his restoration journal of our project and find this interesting, I think you'll see additional information there in the next couple of days.

Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA

1964 356C
1971 280SL
2002 SC430
2004 A4 3.0

[TR]

Ed -- Thanks very much for the off-line communication.  Very helpful and most appreciated.

As mentioned, I will contact Brian.

Tom in Boise

[pagodapete]

As has already been mentioned I used "Back in Time" to have Ed's vents "vacume metallized".  I understand this is the method that was used originally.  Other outfits somehow actually chrome plastic but "Back in Time" indicated that you wind up with clearance issues as the chrome process deposits more metal than the metalizing process.
   When dissasembling the vent we were not able to remove the center right-left black diffuser without possibly breaking it so it is now chrome(not really noticable inside the assembly).  
   I will try to upload a photo of one of the vents.  If I can't get it to load I will have the photos up on my site eventually or maybe I could email one to another member and they can upload it for all to see.

Download Attachment: ac_vent1.JPG
59.27 KB

Brian Peters
Motoring Investments

[TR]

Thanks Brian.  I really appreciated your time the other day.

Your photo looks great.  I will be speaking with "Back-in-Time" tomorrow.

Tom

P.S.  I won't forget about that extra set of aluminium plates for the front panel of the Frigiking unit.

[TR]

Brian -- A little follow-up: I just played around with one of those Frigiking vents.  I see what you mean about being unable to disassemble it and that the black diffuser will therefore also have to be chromed.  But I wonder about the small, front & center finger tab...which is also black.  It would seem any thin vacuum plating here might easily wear away.  My guess is that a light pass over of the new chrome with a Drimel cloth might just return the finger tab back to its original black state.

[TA250SL]

Vacuum metalizing is the same process used to refinish the plastic tail light reflectors, as I did on my all-red 250sl tail lights.

Tom

[hauser]

Pick up a copy of Hemmings and you'll find several companies that deal in this sort of plating.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[George Des]

Evidently there are two types of these vents floating around. I have a Kuhlmeister unit that has metal vents but I've also seen units that have plastic. The metal vents are much heavier and are chromed as well.

George Des

[TR]

Hello Hauser -- Earlier today I made contact with Ernest at "Back-in-Time".  He was fine to talk with (as opposed to a few others I've contacted) and based on good inputs from Ed Cave and Brian I think I'll give it a go with him on this little, but important, vacuum plating project.

Turn around time will take awhile ... But I'll let everyone know how it comes out.

Tom