Gas tank Chrome panels

[ckpine48656]

Has anyone had luck getting Eldorado tank chromed and just have exposed panels polished leaving rough chrome on rest of tank ? and where to get it done at, Thanks for any info

[fotoguzzi]

I might be wrong but I don't think you polish chrome.

[DARKHORSE]

From my limited experience on two eldo tanks, strip the tank and see what you have. The chrome might be good enough. It is a very thin wash of chrome and then a copper wash to hold the chrome. You polish the metal first where you want the chrome shiny, not polish the chrome as stated. From what I have seen on these tanks, if the side panels are painted it was for a reason. good luck.

[guzziownr]

Charlie at Antietam Classic Cycle can give you the complete story.  I had a '72 and did the side panels in antique white.  For my '75 I waited until a tank with "just O.K." chrome came up on ebay.  I cleaned up the panels and had the paint redone.

For a proper job you are looking at +1K.  The whole tank will need to be stripped, repaired and then chromed.  Only the panels are polished and then the rest is etched and painted.

Are you a recent lottery winner?  Contact Moe at Cycle Garden:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnKiOEXZ7y4

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Back when Brown's Plating was still in business, they did a tank for $375. Knee panel area only shiny, the rest dull. IIRC, copper first, nickel, then chrome. Excellent work and fast (1 week) turnaround. Wish they were still doing chrome. 

Another plater quoted me $650 for the same job. Still waaay cheaper than Cycle Garden and doesn't involve cutting panels out and welding them back in like they do.

I've heard of stainless steel applique (very thin stainless steel sheet with adhesive backing) being used instead with good results. It's available online, used to make painted appliances look like more expensive stainless steel ones.

[Demar]

Contact Eric Lussier. He will give you the details of his procedure but it involves applying chrome to the entire bottom half of the tank then masking the chrome panel area and roughing the chrome outside of this. He then feathers the chrome/non-chrome area and paints. I don't know any cost details.

Eric Lussier
2nd Avenue Scooters
 4224 N. 2nd Avenue
 Phoenix, Arizona 85013
 (602) 799-0252

http://2ndavenuescooters.com/