Pot Metal and Stainless Trim Repair.

[avidflyr]

I am Rotissary restoring a 64 Polara 500 (west coast of Florida) and have some pot metal and trim issues. The front fender E trim was rechromed,but 2 mounting studs per piece have been snaped off due to poor packaging.Can the stubs be ground flat and drilled and tapped for 10-24 screws?

Also, a couple of Stainless side trim strips have small dents. Any suggestions.The car is going to the paint Booth soon so I have the time now to fix.
Any Florida Plating shops in Florida to recommend.

AVIDFLYR....64 Poly Polara

 

[furyus]

The small dents in the stainless can be worked out with a small trim hammer and a buffing wheel. Advance plating is supposed to be one of the best in the country. I think they are in SC. Where on the west coast are you? I'm in Weeki Wachee.

 

[Propwash]

I'm in Weeki Wachee

Is that Ewok for windshield wipers?


Pot metal might as well be called garbage metal because that's what it equates to. Someone said there was a solder rod or weld rod out there that could be used with it. Haven't seen it yet. Most repairs i've seen done are either with an epoxy compound or JB Weld and tend not to hold up. The S/S trim can be fixed. Bring it in, it will cost you an arm and a leg. Mainly because it is so time consuming. Pretty much anyone can do it themselves. All it takes is a table buffer, A buffing kit (including wheels-compound)-which can be bought from folks like Eastwood for around $30 bucks. Sand paper 100-500 grit or so, some small precision files and a small body hammer/dolly. Pop the dent back out from the opposite side with the hammer/dolly. File it flat with the small precision files from the other side, hit with 100 grit, than work your way up. Once no visible scratches are seen, but it looks more like a dull metal, buff it out with the wheels and compound. Do it right, your trim will look like chrome and you'll save yourself a ton. Google it or check out youtube...you'll see how easy it is, just time consuming.

 

[fatecaptured]

I researched pot metal repair a while back and started a thread about it. Haven't yet purchased the muggy weld product, but seen videos of the process. It's supposed to be so good that you can chrome over it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ2pxqt_xlQ

 

[Meep-Meep]

You can drill and tap the boss if you are really careful. I would not braze a replated part due to the obvious heat issue.

Ditto on the stainless trim repair. I have TIG welded cracks and worked the material with hammers, sanded smooth and polished.

 

[snakeoil24]

I recently had some pot metal parts re chromed. The shop first media blasted the parts to clean out all the pits and remove the chrome. Then large pits are silver soldered. Then the silver solder is sanded and and cleaned. next a coat of copper plate is applied. Again silver solder is used to fill more pits. this is repeated and costs a fortune. The muggy weld has issues withthe gas formed from the melting process.