PREPARING YOUR PARTS FOR RECHROMING

Sensitively dismantle assemblies

The items to be chromed need to be reduced to their components parts. Glass, rubber, fasteners, wiring and so-on all need to be delicately extracted. Doing this in a sensitive manner takes a significant amount of time, so you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself rather than delegating it to the chroming specialist. Don’t rush. Work systematically, have plenty of cups of tea and study your workshop manual to figure out exactly how each subassembly goes together and how you can gently pick it apart.

Quarterlights and windows

Remove the glass from the frame, plus any rubber seals and channels. Remove catches, hinges and fasteners, and any non-chromed sections of the frame. Take photos and label the bits as you go to aid reassembly. Avoid mixing up left and right.

Lamp units

Separate the chrome rims and light unit retainers from the lamp assemblies. If they’re attached by spring clips, note or photograph their position and orientation before removal. Store the non-chromed bits from each unit together.

Windscreen surrounds

Take great care when dismantling windscreen and rear screen surrounds. A chrome strip set into a rubber surround demands very delicate extraction, particularly if the rubber’s old and hardened. If you kink the chrome strip, it may never be the same.

Bumpers

Bumper sections will need to be separated from their mounting brackets. Mark the positions of the brackets first. Remove overriders. If the securing bolts are to be reused, keep them with the bumpers so they can be rechromed at the same time.

Hubcaps

The screws of screw-on hubcaps are often held in place with circlips, R-clips or split-pins. Remove the securing device and the rubber washer, if fitted. Again, don’t forget to keep the screws with the hubcaps so they can be rechromed, too.

Small castings

Badges and other small castings attached to bumpers and grilles will have to be removed, rechromed separately and refitted. Take enormous care: Mazak can be brittle and is near-impossible to repair if broken. It’s challenging to rechrome, too…

Complex assemblies

It’s usually necessary to fully dismantle complex assemblies, such as this multi-slat grille. Ask the chroming company if in doubt. Look for factory marks to aid reassembly: our grille’s slats are numbered. If none exist, make your own.