Hi guys. I was thinking of buying a polished plenum in the future but I began to think about chroming mine for a cheaper price. Is this a good idea or could I run into future issues like chrome flakes entering the engine. What are the risks?

 

just have them chrome the outside.previous owner did the one that is on my car and they only did the outside of the tpi system, looks good and u dn't have to worry about anything flaking and getting into ur engine

 

The Plenum is aluminum, so it might be cheaper(?) to get yours polished, but i am no expert on that...

 

Well It'll cost a good $100 buck or more to get it polished up. But since I live 10 minutes north from Mexicali, Baja California (the city that was struck with the 7.2 Easter earthquake), I can have it chromed for around $50-$80. Plus as we all know, chrome is harder to scratch or scuff compaired to soft aluminum.

 

so u can have an idea

 

DDDDDAAAAMMMMBBBB!!
That is nice bro. Im gonna do it. I got butterflies. I'll be back in about 3 hours.The wifey is buggin. Gotta go pay bills. Be back soon.

 

Polishing it to a mirror shine is the #1st step in chrome plating aluminum.
All the chrome process is after that is a zincate dip. a nickel plating , then chrome.

 

Is it necessary to polish to a near mirror finish just to chrome alunimum

 

As I said above . YES !

Chrome is only a plating. So if you dont polish it. It would come out looking just like the cast but kinda shinny.

 

Wow! You dont need to YELL at me. Just a simple question.

 

Sorry for bumping the old thread but did you ever get it chromed out since im wanting to do this and wanna know were to take it too

 

Why not polish it yourself? It's not dificult at all, just time consuming.

 

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You can get that type of gloss. You just need to use polishing compounds and rouge to finish what you've done. I'm almost positive it would cost less for you to get it professionally finished at the point you're at now than getting it chrome plated.

 

I would chrome it. Polished aluminum scuffs really easy because it is a very soft metal. If you ever take off the valve covers and you scratch the runners, you"ll be kicking yourself if the tail pipe. As for chrome, its more scratch resistant. You can take steel wool and clean chrome with very little scratches. But you can't do it to aluminum. My point is you'll be risking a polished plenum when you remove the valve covers or working with the dizzy. Just a thought.

 

Chrome will have more brilliance to it, if you can get it done for under $100 let me know I got a bunch of chrome I need to get done. In Ca.

Plenums arent that great a casting hard to get them to look "just right".

 

I'm getting a master rebuild for $400! I live just north of Mexico here in So Cal. A chroming job is dirt cheap in Mexicali. Problem is that I don't got time because I'm now a full time student and I gotta deal with the wife all the time.

 

Id like to see some of thier work.

I have a few trim pieces for my Abody I need done .They are irreplaceable...shops out in this area, the work is horrible and they are super pricy to boot.