Repairing pitting in cuda hood inserts

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Cuda68Scott

Cuda68Scott

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Anybody have their inserts rechromed? Is there much they can do with the pitting? I am looking at some 340s inserts with the typical pitting, mostly in the grooves, but some on the flats, and weighing if I should wait for a better pair to come along or if the pits are fixable?
 
Here is a photo of the one I was looking at
 

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they can grind and fill the pitting but detail is lost and when it's on a ridge line like in your pics it is time consuming ie expensive to do right , it' is probably cheaper in the long run to buy some chinese repops and have them properly rechromed when they start showing the first tiny little signs of pitting , IMHO those are beyond redoing ,others may disagree .
 
cannucky said:
they can grind and fill the pitting but detail is lost and when it's on a ridge line like in your pics it is time consuming ie expensive to do right , it' is probably cheaper in the long run to buy some chinese repops and have them properly rechromed when they start showing the first tiny little signs of pitting , IMHO those are beyond redoing ,others may disagree .
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Do you know who is selling repops, I have not seen any?
 
I havent either, I have about 3 sets now for my 67 I try something a little better each time. I cant find perfect ones and to have mine made perfect is way to expensive.
 
My non formula s inserts are fine (no pits) probably due to it being an Arizona car, but I would like to acquire the 340-s units sometime for a clone project.
 
cannucky said:
I thought PG had them but I just looked and it is the Dart GT inserts that they have , I'll keep looking tho .
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Thanks, I just emailed PG to see if they had any plans to repop them. Think I will try the same with Laysons.
 
It is possible to mount the part in a milling machine and re machine the contours, removing maybe as much as .02 thickness if necessary to remove all the pits.
This would take days to complete.
To map the parts and write a CNC program would be smarter but then this question will arise.. Do I restore or do I create a mold to reproduce the parts ?
I know which answer the aftermarket/smart money would choose.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
It would be nice if they were repopped in a material like a quality stainless steel so they would never pit.
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I know Laysons taillight bezels were once advertised as SS, not sure if that is still the case. For the hood inserts it almost seems they could make it out of plastic, although certainly the longevity would not benefit.
 
Just had mine redone by Paul's Chrome in PA. They had to do a "hand engraving" repair to both pieces. $350 each for the chrome and $150 each for the engraving. $1K so far plus $125 for the inserts from ebay. Paul's made them perfect. Next is paint.
 
You might want to shoot a PM to Waggin. He can do some amazing things with metal,might save you some money,just sayin.
 
ermarccio said:
Just had mine redone by Paul's Chrome in PA. They had to do a "hand engraving" repair to both pieces. $350 each for the chrome and $150 each for the engraving. $1K so far plus $125 for the inserts from ebay. Paul's made them perfect. Next is paint.
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Do you have any before/after pics?
 
Unfortunately I don't. I should have, but I guess I was in such a hurry to get them shipped to Paul's Chrome I never took pictures. They were in real good shape for cores. They had all the original paint still on them. I was surprised they needed engraving to save the step on the out edge, but I wasn't going to argue. Paul's are the experts. Now the body shop has them. I'll get some pics but it might be a few days.
 
Thx ermarccio, I assume not much pitting by your description. I think I will pass on bidding on the set I have in the photos and wait for a better core to come along. I would like to see a picture of your car and inserts when they get back, sounds like you are doing a top shelf restoration.
 
http://muggyweld.com/super-alloy-1


I have used this stuff for years and had excellent results. You can fill the pits your self, and save the money spent on labor for the chrome shop to do it. Watch the video and follow the instructions to the letter and you will be happy with the results.
 
440abody said:
http://muggyweld.com/super-alloy-1


I have used this stuff for years and had excellent results. You can fill the pits your self, and save the money spent on labor for the chrome shop to do it. Watch the video and follow the instructions to the letter and you will be happy with the results.
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I'd check with your particular chrome shop ahead of time to find out if they are ok with a part repaired with muggy weld.
 
Muggy weld looks like some pretty cool stuff. I think it's good advice to check with the chrome shop first though. Glad I checked this thread out.
 
This is the new age . The best and cheapest way to go

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-1cTpSZ1l8#t=8"]YouTube[/ame]
 
You can even do the seats. and your carpet.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBNfMd0Plec"]Spraying Spectra Chrome - YouTube[/ame]
 
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