1958 Super Barn Find Project

Discussion in 'Classic Buicks' started by Balter, Jul 14, 2016.

  1. philbquick

    philbquick Founders Club Member

    I know a guy who spent $70,000 (not a typo) on chrome for a 57 Olds Conv which has less chrome than this car.
     
  2. stickshift

    stickshift Silver Level contributor

    I love that car. This past winter I un-seized a Chevy 350 sitting since 1982 with Marvel Mystery oil. If this engine is seized, I would try the same.
     
  3. Balter

    Balter Member

    Thanks for the offer but I found some ornament with the spears in good shape locally.



    Thanks for the suggestion I will look into after I get the car moved to my workshop, well outside my workshop.

    Its not going to be a ratrod per say but I'm going to get it running and driving and cruise with it for a couple years then maybe go farther.

    The owner put Marvel Mystery oil in the engine before he parked it, so that will help I hope.
     
  4. Ken Mild

    Ken Mild King of 18 Year Resto's

    :gp:
     
  5. Bad Boattail

    Bad Boattail Guest

    [​IMG]
    US$ 70,000.00 :eek2:

    A front bumper, show quality, is for sale on eBay for only US$ 1825.00
    Let's say the rear bumper is another US$ 3,000.00 (with the bumper ends)

    There is some other chrome on a car like a model year 1957 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight convertible.
    But nothing that's worth US$ 65,175.00

    So I wonder on what chrome he spent the rest of that money :Do No:

    Click image to view eBay advertisement :Comp:

    [​IMG]
     
  6. philbquick

    philbquick Founders Club Member

    I'll post his receipts next time I see him. The total was $77,000. This is a concourse level car. $5,000 wouldn't do the 160 little squares in the grill of a 58.
     
  7. nineteenfifty5

    nineteenfifty5 Well-Known Member

    ive spent over 6k on my 55 supers chrome and thats middle of the road chrome, and then you need and repair all the stainless, is that tail part stainless ?
     
  8. ttotired

    ttotired Well-Known Member

    I think when you own a car that was one of the "blingiest" cars built, you have to expect a prett big chrome/shiney stuff bill.

    Personally, I wonder whether the cost of chrome work these days is killing off a lot of the early cars

    The rear bumper on my 60 phoenix was AU$2000.00, The fronts (3 pieces) came from California and was US$1000.00 delivered here, but the chrome has already fallen off (thanks for nothing to the A**holes that stitched me up on that one)

    My 58 is also going to be scary when it comes to the chome
     
  9. bhambulldog

    bhambulldog 1955 76-RoadmasterRiviera

    Eleven years ago, I bought a 'show quality' front bumper from eBay (the largest piece, not the six smaller parts).
    After the show quality chrome started flaking off , I pulled both bumpers and delivered them to Graves plating in Florence Alabama (all seven pieces of the front, and the three rear pieces)
    $3,000 later , I had a real show quality job.
    That's $3000 in 2005.

    And as a testament to Graves' quality, the chrome looks as good now , as it did in 2005 (probably better than 1955)
     
  10. BUICK 57

    BUICK 57 Well-Known Member

    …. yes one can save a lot by having the shop just strip the chrome off in their tanks and returned back to you. Take quality jewelers silver solder and fill in exposed pits or it need be drill into them, then fill with the silver solder. Now take a set of fine files and work and flatten the solder out. This is the most time consuming part of plating process. If you have a bench stand buffer, then buff out the piece you are working on. When complete then go and get estimates as you have completed the time consuming and most costly shop time wise part of the job.

    Incidentally, all the prep procedures before the actual chroming vat dip is preformed, if properly done, the plating should never peel off. This is always without exception the result of dirty shop and unclean surface prep work. Or as known in the trades, A Slam Out Piece.

    Always interview the shop and ask about their process. The strip, grind, fill & pre buff stages, the copper baths and the number copper" mush " buffing steps and process. Inquire if they perform first a semi-bright nickel then a bright nickel dip before the final chrome tank dip. The semi bright nickel applied first renders much better sacrificial electrolytic protective conduciveness and works in conjunction with the outer bright nickel layer to protect the ferrous metal substrate part which is being chrome plated even when a pin hole or a nick is made and exposes the base metal. When ferrous metal is chrome plated using nickel the base metal become sacrificial to the nickel, not the other way around. That is why duplex nickel plating is done for extended longevity so to protect the base metal. Corrosion follows in a spider vein process under the plating along the ferrous substrate surface, so this dual nickel plating process helps to nullify this corrosive electrolytic process much better then when only a single bright nickel layer is applied. Many, many shops do not offer the initial semi bright layer and go straight to the bright nickel stage after the copper mushing stage. Ask if their shop uses the Tri-Valent vat dyed process or the true blueish Hexavalent process. The trivalent process has proven to be for various reasons less durable and has a cracking white-ish darker liquid mercury hue appearance whereby the traditional hexavalent process renders a true liquid blueish hue and is much more durable. Although many shops using the trivalent process have dialed in their vat dying process better over the last decade or so to appear more like true hexavalent work. Still when two pieces done by either process if presented side by side, the trivalent piece will present itself more like that of a piece that was painted with canned chrome paint when sitting next to the blueish true hexavalent component so putting these pieces on your car side by side will be very noticeable and standout. For EPA reasons and less paper work many shops chose the trivalent process as they have better control of their anodes as it applies in tight areas and vat life is increased, less toxic both in regards to vat disposal and worker safety than when compared to the overall hexavalent process. Still with all this, the overall longevity and durability coupled with that overall deep blueish true hexavalent look is unmatched and frankly unbeatable.
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2016
  11. Smokey15

    Smokey15 So old that I use AARP bolts.

    Thank You. Very informative. The "blue chrome" always looks very deep.
     
  12. BUICK 57

    BUICK 57 Well-Known Member

    … Absolutely no connection what so ever to this shop other than I have used them many times, but contact Van Nuys Plating in Van Nuys, California. They have been in the plating business since around 1954 or so and are now a second and third generation family run business. They have done a sizable amount of both real silver cad plating and gold cad plating on many components and fasteners for me. They are also one of the few shops in the nation that still offers true authentic hexavalent chrome plating.
     
  13. Balter

    Balter Member

    So is there a Marketplace on this forum? I might be selling this car as it is more involved then I am able to do with it, I just don't want to break any forum rules.
     
  14. Bad Boattail

    Bad Boattail Guest

    Click here for the "Cars for sale" section of the board :Comp:


    Here are the rules :beer

     

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