VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Headlight Reflectors

What is the best way to get the reflectors shiny again?
Replate with Nickel? or Silver?
Does anyone sell mylar inserts?
Thank you, Lou c1937@znet.com

There are three options for the headlight reflectors if the silver plating is gone:

(1) Replate with silver as per the original. Problem: They will tarnish over time, so have to be occasionally gently polished with silver polish.

(2) Have them "vacuum-coated" with aluminum. Replicates the silver quite well and never needs polishing. There is a company called "UVIRA" on the West Coast which does this work: http://www.industrynet.com/listing/1837323/uvira-inc You have to have them nickel plated first. Problem: Much more expensive.

(3) Have them chrome plated. Less expensive and requires no maintenance. Problem: The color is ever so slightly different from the silver.

They're all good solutions, but each has some drawbacks as outlined above. A search through Chevy Chatter will find much more information on this topic. Hope that helps.

All the Best, Chip

Regarding item #2 above it depends on who plates the reflectors. My total cost including shipping for having two 32 lenses aluminum vacuum sealed was less than $150.00 and UVIRA did the vacuum seal process. The best price I could get for chrome plating was $160.00.

And, the reflectivity is lousy when compared to number 1 or number 2 above.

Can someone recommend a good silver polish for re silvered reflectors.

Aluminum reflects about 90 percent of the light across the visible spectrum, while silver reflects about 95 percent. These are the best two materials for reflectors.

Aluminum is fairly stable as a mirror, but silver tarnishes quickly unless kept in a dry, contamination-free environment. For example, a silver mirror that can last for months in Albuquerque, N.M., may degrade within a day in Orlando, Fla.

UVIRA does what is called a dielectric material. A solution to degradation is overcoating the mirror with a dielectric material that is harder than the metal surface. A common overcoat material for visible mirrors is silicon monoxide (SiO). A mirror with a simple dielectric overcoat is called a protected metal mirror. Environmentally stable silver mirrors can be made by including various overcoat layers.

Are you guys following me? Anyway, chrome might sound good, but it will not work well. I have talked with the guy at UVIRA, they use this process for making light mirrors for hospital operating rooms.

I think the last time I talk with them, it was $125 to have the process done which included return shipping. Now you needed to have your reflectors nickel plated and ready for there process.

I have there contact information if anyone wants to call them.

Bruce

Unless you talked to UVIRA real recently, the cost for two reflectors was $85.00 and that included return frt.

Hey Steve, you very right, I just happen to notice my note hanging from my monitor from when I last talked to them. The cost was $75 when I last called them.....I doubled it. Sorry

I actually think that the job is worth the price you quoted as they work and look that good. Also I probably should have explained in my post above that the price I listed was a total with the reflectors first nickle plated. That was done locally for around $65.00 .

Thank you for all the tips.
I'll start with UVIRA to see what their price is today.
Thank you again, Lou

UVIRA is definitely the way to go.

Skip......don't get UVIRA confused with Elvira

That would be totally impossible!

If he does, someone will need to check him out...