Hi All
I’m looking for recommendations for a company that does chrome plastic vaccum restoration dash bezel work for my 68 Cougar,
Thank you very much!
I used Vacuum Orna-Metal in Michigan earlier this year for the dash on my 67. Not necessarily the least expensive, but they did a fantastic job. They can do some minor repairs to the bezel too if needed.
www.vacuumorna-metal.com.
You can also check some older threads on this forum that discuss other options.
In the past three years I had one set done by Instrument Specialties and another set done by Vacuum Orna Metal.
The set done by Vacuum Orna Metal took three months less time. The set sent to Vacuum Orna Metal was less expensive by $200. Both companies have excellent quality and communications.
2nd for Vacuum Ornametal. Reasonable price and great quality.
I also used Vacuum Orna-Metal for the same reasons - better price and turnaround time. Very happy with the quality. Also used them for some smaller plastic chrome items like the steering wheel center emblem and AC vent border.
I know you were asking for recommendations for vacuum metalizing, but in case you are considering alternatives…
I finished wrapping my Bezel with chrome vinyl last night. Think it came out pretty darn clean for $20 worth of material. A few blemishes here and there but nothing noticeable.
Where do you find vinyl chrome? I assume it is some type of wrap. For the price it does seem to be very acceptable.
I was planning a trip to Detroit this year and I was planning to drop off my dash bezels with Vacuum Orna-Metal. Maybe I can try the vinyl chrome first.
Steve
Steve,
There is a ton of different brands, types out there on amazon. Below is the link to the product I used
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZNJ9GDH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It’s a bit different than your traditional wrap in that it actually has an adhesive backing. It can be heated and stretched slightly which makes it easy to work over the curves. Another member on the forum had used chrome vinyl wrap and apparently it has held up very well.
Arin,
Thanks for the link! I will give it a try and see if I can my instrument panel to look similar to yours. If I mess it up, I can always drop the two panels off in Detroit later this year.
Steve
No problem,
You’ll have a lot of material to practice with and make mistakes.
Tip: You’ll want to cut the film in multiple sections rather than try to wrap it all with one piece. For reference, on my cluster the wrap took a total of 6 pieces, cut at the seams and corners so they are not visible.
- Top and Left side trim
- Bottom left straight run
- Curve under speedometer
- Middle straight run
- Curve under the Tach
- Bottom right straight run
Hopefully that makes sense and helps
I got some very high prices when I inquired about this. What’s considered reasonable?
Thanks
Mark
I paid around $500 including shipping. If that seems high compare to Critter Creek who quoted me $900 or Instrument Specialties that charges around $700. It’s not an inexpensive process.