34 Phaeton Top Irons

JMFL36

JMFL36

Senior Member
I'm thinking of getting my top irons restored (re-chromed). Has anyone done this recently? Other than removing the irons from the car and wood bows, does each piece have to come all apart? Any recommendations for vendors who do this sort of thing?
 

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I did a '35 roadster top irons many years ago.Yes to do it right it has to all come apart.At the time I had Ezra Welding reassemble them as they need to be riveted together.They no longer are around.Maybe someone is continuing their work.
 
There's only one way to do it and have it come out well and that is to take it apart, have new stainless steel rivets made and then reassembled. But do not disassemble both sides at once. Do one side, send the pieces off to the plater and when they're done use the still-assembled original other side set of top irons for a mirror image pattern to reassemble the newly-plated other side. No matter how many photos you take, you will thank your lucky stars for not doing both sides at the same time.
 
FWIW I have an extra set with a little factory plating left on them .

If you want to do yours all at once I could borrow you these as patterns for re-assy .

Shipping won't be bad and it would speed up the process .
 
Qual Krom in Erie, PA replated my '36 phaeton top irons. They disassembled one side, replated, reassembled, then did the other side, all with correct rivets. Talk to Bob Ore.
 
V8ER said:
Qual Krom in Erie, PA replated my '36 phaeton top irons. They disassembled one side, replated, reassembled, then did the other side, all with correct rivets. Talk to Bob Ore.
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If you don't mind sharing, I'd be curious to know how much that cost, and how long ago it was.

I have a 36' top that will need plating, but I'm dreading the chrome bill. I'd expect at least $1000 in plating for the top pieces.
 
Black-painted '33-'34 phaetons and roadsters are original on Australian-produced versions as well on the North American standard versions.
 
Thanks, V8ER, for the recommendation. I'll contact Bob.

Anyone else have a vendor they would recommend?
 
Qual Krom: $1600 in 2017, including all needed rivets and bolts, and disassembly and reassembly labor. Each piece is priced individually. There is never a quality issue, and the job will always be done when Bob says it will be done. I have always been pleased with their work.
 
Qual Krom gave me a quote of $2400. Yikes! I'll have to look around some more.

Has anyone tried coating top irons with one of those chrome paint products?
 
JMFL36 said:
Qual Krom gave me a quote of $2400. Yikes! I'll have to look around some more.

Has anyone tried coating top irons with one of those chrome paint products?
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My brother painted a motor cycle fender the other day with some chrome paint and it looked pretty decent, still had a fair bit of orange peel in a few spots. I think the end results are driven by the amount of prep before painting as in this case the end results were not "Concours" driven, just everyday "Utilitarian" look good level. With a good prep job AND the right techniques I could see a "fair" to "Good" result going this route. The lastability I would question IF you raise and lower your top on a fairly regular basis and keep any kind of lube on all of your pivoting parts?? I also wonder IF the end results are also contingent upon what you are painting over as my brother painted over existing chrome??? Given the current environment and length of time between, a $700 increase over the last 4 years doesn't seem too out of line. I'm not sure the quality of the overall package AND I can certainly understand and get next to spending as little as necessary BUT there are few left that are chrome plating in the manor that Qual Krom is AND I would bet that in the next few years there are/will be even fewer still.......AND that to the fact of the quality of the workmanship and his ABILITY to handle the task.....I for one would be working as hard as I could to be sending my top frame to them!!! JMO hope it all works out for you
 
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I'm in no hurry so I may first play with a chrome paint product to see how it looks. I'll post some photos once I get around to it. In the meantime I'm going to see if I can find another chrome outfit closer to me (Florida).
 
I saw a '35 grille that had been powder coated in a chrome finish that looked pretty good. It would probably give you a better finish than a rattle can.
 
I had my '35 phaeton top irons chrome plated after taking just one rivet out of each side. They came out very very nice. Maybe not good enough for Pebble Beach but plenty good enough for a Dearborn award. (We'll see about that if there ever is a Western National Meet again). Jim in San Jose
 
I was New Age Metal Finishing in Fresno CA. Cost was about $700. I like them. They have done all of the plating on my phaeton.
 
Consider powder coating, as there are quite a few folks doing that these days. Much cheaper and almost as good.

Al Hook
 
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