$2500 to chrome my mirrors - now need fasteners!

[davepl]

During my restoration one deviation from stock I made was to get my West Coast Sr mirrors (and brackets, etc) chromed. They're normally white.

In any event, I was more than a little surprised to see it cost $2500 to do it. Granted, there are 26 pieces to them not counting fasteners, so it was about $100 a part on average. Still seems steep, but what's done is done.

Anyhooo... now by comparison the acorn nuts and bolts and various other fasteners will look ugly by comparison, even though I polished them as best I can.

I cannot seem to find a "bolt kit", particularly in chrome. So I'm thinking I need to piece together two new sets from individual plastic washers and chrome acorn nuts and so on. Some are so specialized I'll have to use the originals.

Before I start spending $7 a nut at a fastener place I thought I'd check to see if anyone knows of a bolt kit for the mirrors.

Thanks!
Dave

[cdowns]

a large motorcycle shop will usually have a good selectin of hi quality fasteners and stuff

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by davepl

During my restoration one deviation from stock I made was to get my West Coast Sr mirrors (and brackets, etc) chromed. They're normally white.

In any event, I was more than a little surprised to see it cost $2500 to do it. Granted, there are 26 pieces to them not counting fasteners, so it was about $100 a part on average. Still seems steep, but what's done is done.

Anyhooo... now by comparison the acorn nuts and bolts and various other fasteners will look ugly by comparison, even though I polished them as best I can.

I cannot seem to find a "bolt kit", particularly in chrome. So I'm thinking I need to piece together two new sets from individual plastic washers and chrome acorn nuts and so on. Some are so specialized I'll have to use the originals.

Before I start spending $7 a nut at a fastener place I thought I'd check to see if anyone knows of a bolt kit for the mirrors.

Thanks!
Dave

Wait. What??? They are trying to charge you $2,500 for chrome mirrors? That's rape. I wouldn't stand for that. They can try to say all day long that this is the going rate, and that there were lots of pieces, bla bla bla. They should have stopped, and asked themselves "is it right to charge this guy $2,500 for mirrors", and got you on the horn for approval. Something doesn't smell right. You sure they didn't use solid gold? Complain. Raise hell. Don't stand for it.

If you can't get anywhere, and you're stuck with them, is $7 a nut really a big deal, after what you just spent?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Sillyoldman]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

Wait. What??? They are trying to charge you $2,500 for chrome mirrors? That's rape. I wouldn't stand for that. They can try to say all day long that this is the going rate, and that there were lots of pieces, bla bla bla. They should have stopped, and asked themselves "is it right to charge this guy $2,500 for mirrors", and got you on the horn for approval. Something doesn't smell right. You sure they didn't use solid gold? Complain. Raise hell. Don't stand for it.

If you can't get anywhere, and you're stuck with them, is $7 a nut really a big deal, after what you just spent?
Posted via Mobile Device

Well he did say "what's done is done". I'd also be interested in a bolt kit. I pieced mine together but they usually fail to withstand 65mph before they fold in.

[Tx Firefighter]

Chrome work is fantastically expensive. I'm not shocked at his prices. I get motorcycle parts chromed periodically for my restorations and it never fails to take my breath away at what it cost.

Here is one I finished recently. That shifter there, 50 bucks for chrome.



That kick start lever in the middle of this picture, 50 bucks. The rest I just had zinc plated since I was going for originality.



There's guys paying 5000 dollars each for front bumper chrome on 57 Chevys.
Posted via Mobile Device

[WIDESIDE72]

And i thought $1000 to rechrome the oem grill eyebrows headlight rings hood bar and bumper on dads 71 gmc was high. It would have been easier to swallow if the chrome hadnt started peeling off the bumper and the grill rusted after 2 yrs of sitting in the garage, never driven in rain or sat outside overnight.
Posted via Mobile Device

[WIDESIDE72]

Imo $50 for a shift lever doesnt compute with $2500 for a pair of mirrors
Posted via Mobile Device

[rkintn_68]

I say let m keep them mirrors ... wow !!!

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by davepl

During my restoration one deviation from stock I made was to get my West Coast Sr mirrors (and brackets, etc) chromed. They're normally white.

In any event, I was more than a little surprised to see it cost $2500 to do it. Granted, there are 26 pieces to them not counting fasteners, so it was about $100 a part on average. Still seems steep, but what's done is done.

Anyhooo... now by comparison the acorn nuts and bolts and various other fasteners will look ugly by comparison, even though I polished them as best I can.

I cannot seem to find a "bolt kit", particularly in chrome. So I'm thinking I need to piece together two new sets from individual plastic washers and chrome acorn nuts and so on. Some are so specialized I'll have to use the originals.

Before I start spending $7 a nut at a fastener place I thought I'd check to see if anyone knows of a bolt kit for the mirrors.

Thanks!
Dave

If you don't find the kit your looking for McLendons hardware in Puyallup has a pretty good supply of chrome stuff, nuts bolts washers acorn nuts ect.

[Tom Vogel]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

And i thought $1000 to rechrome the oem grill eyebrows headlight rings hood bar and bumper on dads 71 gmc was high. It would have been easier to swallow if the chrome hadnt started peeling off the bumper and the grill rusted after 2 yrs of sitting in the garage, never driven in rain or sat outside overnight.
Posted via Mobile Device

That is a real good price for good triple plate chrome. Probably wasn't triple plate if it peeled. A very good reasonably priced shop that does good solid custom chrome is Ogden chrome in Utah.
Posted via Mobile Device

[special-K]

I don't know of a mirror hardware kit. I think I'd used polished stainless or buy stainless and polish yourself. I am familiar with the cost of chroming and how drastically,through many stages over the past couple decades,chrome plating costs have increased. I had a lot of chrome done on the Harley I now have and that was all done in the early-90s. Every few years I have someone tell me I should be glad I didn't just have it done because the price more than doubled. It more than doubled at least a half dozen times. The reason is environmental issues with what's involved in the process and how regulation demands have increased. I had these exact same mirrors chromed with hardware...every nit pickin' piece, back in '88. You will not believe what that cost compared to Dave's job...$130! It didn't used to cost much at all and I had many a part plated. I had glovebox doors,ash trays,the piece under the column,e-brake assemblies,etc chrome plated without blinking an eye. The costs have gone through the roof!

Back East here we have Paul's Plating and he does chrome for folks from all over the country. I have a few SMALL things I want done in the future

[swamp rat]

Most of the cost of chrome plating is in the prep, the surface has to be flawless, the actual running of parts in a series of dip tanks is not that costly if the place batches the orders and fills up the baskets.

[special-K]

The problem is control/disposal of the toxic solution. Labor hasn't gone up any more than anything else,it's the overhead.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...52164340,d.dmg
It also has to do with the increase in cost for mining chromium

[davepl]

A good portion of the cost is prep, making sure the surface is flawless (which it certainly doesn't start out as), and so on. As pieces that didn't start out as chromed, they would need to be extensively polished lest you wind up with the surface texture of a bare steel mirror part.

And the environmental costs of running a plating shop are getting crazy as well.

I looked around at motorcycle shops and things like alternator covers, trans cover, and so on are all in the $100-$200 per piece range. So yeah, it's expensive as hell.

Whether I got taken advantage of I have no idea, but I do know they do great work.

[special-K]

I bet they'll look like a million bucks once installed. I can't wait to see pictures

[A.Bursell]

I am local and also looked into chrome work at the local places. I was so blown away I just bought aftermarket stuff and am pretty happy with it.

Anyway, there is an Ace in Everett on Bothell Everett Highway that carries polished stainless hardware as well as chrome. I would go the polished stainless route myself.

Adam
Posted via Mobile Device

[pritch]

Originally Posted by Tom Vogel

That is a real good price for good triple plate chrome. Probably wasn't triple plate if it peeled. A very good reasonably priced shop that does good solid custom chrome is Ogden chrome in Utah.
Posted via Mobile Device

My local shop, but I don't think I can afford them!

[Joesjunk]

I bet they look very good. I would like to see a pic when you get them done

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by Joesjunk

I bet they look very good. I would like to see a pic when you get them done

Well, shoot. For that price, they better look good AND know how to cook.

I'd be more concerned with the 350 lb lady with the handicap parking pass in the beat up '92 Taurus parking next to it, flinging her door open and denting the door of the truck, and then taking out the mirror with her purse as she squeezes by
Posted via Mobile Device

[GoaterAz]

Any pictures of these mirrors?

[slikside]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

Well, shoot. For that price, they better look good AND know how to cook.

I'd be more concerned with the 350 lb lady with the handicap parking pass in the beat up '92 Taurus parking next to it, flinging her door open and denting the door of the truck, and then taking out the mirror with her purse as she squeezes by
Posted via Mobile Device

So true. People have zero awareness these days, let alone, respect. And that's me being concerned about my powdercoated bumper and below-eyeline mirrors that cost me about $150, total. $2500 for mirrors, and my truck would never be parked anywhere but my garage!

[El Campo]

Did you consider looking in the Totally Stainless catalog? They have a ton of specialty nuts, bolts and such and have reasonable prices. They will even polish everything for you if you like. I have always been very happy with their products.
Posted via Mobile Device

[special-K]

I don't believe this carefully restored rare truck will be left in any shopping center parking lots. The care continues after the restoration.

Till Dave comes to show off his picture,here's on old picture of what these mirrors look like chrome plated (sort of)...best picture I have