Polishing and Chroming prices - Houston

[madmaxx]

Just some data points to have your existing components repolished to mirror finish. The pieces are loose off the car

All previously polished except timing cover. Intake manifold, water pump, alternator brackets, pulley's, thermostat spacer, timing cover, valve covers.

Two bids - $1600 and $750

Chroming

4-spinners, 2 headlight bezels, license plate light cover, water pump backing plate, 10 fasteners/fittings.

Two bids - $650 and $350

In the end I went with the $1100. It appears the spf supplier does not use nickel prior to chroming and this is why the spinners and headlight bezels and license plate cover showed some rust. My last spf did this also and it had never seen a day of rain in its life.

I have to admit it was more than i thought. in fact the first guy started at $2200 he came down to $1600. I told him I could buy all the parts new for that price!!!!!

[madmaxx]

Alright girls. I got my parts back after 3 weeks. For the most part they look spectacular. I am talking mirror finish. A couple misses, didnt grind out the pits in the water pump before polishing so I did, not much but they should have got it, they did't get the back of the alternator bracket. This was a simple miss as it was sanded and ready to go I knocked it out. The biggy was the high rise manifold. They nailed the polished areas but underneath was horrible. I mentioned this to them before they started. In the end I taped off all polished areas and used a blead baster on the (raw side) and it looks spectacular!!!!!!!!!!!

They did a pretty good job on chroming. Headlight bezels and licensplate light perfect. two of 4 spinners perfect two 9.5 out of 10.

I was blown away by the polish job on the valve covers and intake. they are mirrors. engine is about 80% back together and looks spectacular beyond belief!!!!! I have to admit it looks like a $16K engine. Better than my last two that were also polished.

As seen above I had to some cleanup. The valve covers on the non polished side were filthy from the polishing. so the manifold would have to be blasted once the polished surfaces are done. Again I am talking abouth the gap between where the carb mounts and the base.

I pointed out their misses to them and i dont think it will happen again, except they dont have a bead blaster.

Anybody needs the contact let me know. I will say this in most instances it is cheaper to buy the part new if it is available than polish existing except the manifold. In other words probably better to just buy a new polished water pump, pulleys, brackets, vavle covers as it is the same price for polish except their polish is cleaner than the factory but most would not notice. The big difference is time you get it in 3 days from jegs vs 3 weeks. I also had the timing cover polished which you cant buy a new one since nobody sells a polished timing cover. The backing plate to the water pump was chromed, once again you cant buy a chromed backing plate so i guess in the end it is better to have it polished as long as the price is competitive.

[Sawdust]

madmaxx
How about posting some pics. I'd love to see the job they did.

[madmaxx]

i tried to take some pics tonight. big problem the reflection off the engine is so bright from the flash it washes the picture out, lol. i will have to wait to get into natural daylight where i don't need the flash.

I should get the side pipes and headers back this week and be done by the end of the weekend.

after numerous iterations of buff pads, rouges, etc i finally figured how to polish the wheel lip. in other words i make more progress in 8 minutes than i did in 6 hours. the secret is a video i saw on u- tube on polish semi truck wheels and gas tanks. airway buffing pad with rouge and 3500 rpm buffer. keep wheel mounted on car and let buffer spin wheel while you drag your foot on tire to maintain buffing speed. pretty cool

[Dwight]

pics would be great

Dwight

[madmaxx]

Best i could do without a flash on. as you can see i still have some assembly but it is mind numbing to look at in person.

[madmaxx]

Funny things it not the intake install that takes time it installing the dipstick and going to 4 stores to find a 1/2" bushing to put between the dipstick brakcet and head so as not to bend it. It searching 4 stores for 1/4" conduit when everyone sells 3/8" and 1/2". It destroying the thermostat trying to stick an asprin in it, to hold it open to fill it the first time.


I will post all my parts numbers. With a polished engine the last thing you ever want is a coolant leak. I have found the cometic water pump gaskets to be fantastic. They have a steel liner that will not pinch out when torqueing. They do run $14.00 each vs $1.99 but you make that up the first time they dont leak. I used ultra black everywhere, 1 tube covers the whole asssembly. Right now I am at about $9.00 in shop supply including the heavy duty paper towels. I get a kick when these shops charge $17.00 shop fee to change spark plugs, LOL!!

[ajracing]

Looks Great

Aj

[TheExtreme]

Shining like a diamond in a goat's hind end.

[madmaxx]

There are little pieces that need repolished like the distributor base, hold down clamp etc. I cannot recommend white diamond metal polish enough. it is incredible polish. My firewall looks like a mirror also and it was in horrible shape before the white diamond!!!!!!!