[beer100]

I saw the chrome wheels for the first time. The local dealer had just taken delevery of a new 04. It still had all the wrappers on it.

Anyhow, Is it normal for the inside of the slots to be rough down in the depths.

 

[Marc NY]

Chrome Wheels

HI Beer,

Unfortunately the original wheels where not designed to have a chrome plated finish. I was told that in the very beginning design phases there was going to be NO CHROME anywhere on the SSRs. Thus one of the problems associated with the chroming process on the SSR wheel is that there is no step for the chrome to clearly end in the slotted spoke area. Yes, that will leave a rougher finish or break off point due to the process that they use to chrome the wheels. One of the Chevy SSR Team members stated to me that there normally would be a step on the wheel for the chroming process to stop at thus giving it a cleaner finished look.

My opinion is that this is a very "minor" distraction and that one’s eyes are drawn to the over-all-appearance of the wheel and to that “golden” Chevy Bowtie. The over all wheel is truly awesome looking!

I will look for a photo to display that spot of the wheel to illustrate the issue you describe here.

 

[beer100]

due to the process that they use to chrome the wheels

Chorming is done is a dip tank. Acutally a series of them. The only reason that area isn't shiny is because it didn't get polished smooth before chroming.

It was just suprising to me seeing the slots not polished to the root.

Chroming has some interesting history behind it. I think it was a PBS show where I saw it explained that the original process left a dull finish that had to be buffed out smooth afterwards. Chrome is a hard hard metal. It takes a lot of buffing. Then, one day, a batch of bumpers were pulled from the chroming tank and they were shiny. But only on this one chroming line. All others were producing dull finishes. Finally they drained the tank and found the remains of a ham sandwich. One of the night watch finally fessed up that he lost it one night. After additional investigation they found there was something about the mustard that changed how the chrome arranged itself as it plated onto the bumpers. Saved a lot of time and effort, not having to buff the chrome after plating. Truly amaizing how some advances get made.

 

[ABLURRR-05]

ordered my 05 today

hey guys, i love the car just like everyone else here. i hadn't seen on on the road then i saw 2 within 3 min of each other. one was violet the other black. i really had a good talk with the guy in the vilolet one and he kept calling it his baby. he spoke about changing the air filter from the factory one to another kind. today i ordered a aqua blurrrrrrrr with the 1sb, running boards, chrome wheels, net packet , gauges and wind break. he said maybe 4 weeks. a funny thing though he was looking in the computer to see if one was already being built and low and behold not a single one was being built to be shipped within 300 miles og houston. but he also said that when one is ordered it goes to the front of the line. so after i left and was driving around today, i kept day dreaming how it's going to feel with the top down and that big smile on my face

 

[houtex]

Good luck

wwadern - hope it gets there quick. When you get it - PM me - I'm trying to get some South Texas SSR folks together.

 

[ABLURRR-05]

sure i'll post it when i get it, you might be able to find me once the sun goes down........... just look for the glow, i'll be beaming enough to light up the sky............ :thumbs :thumbs

 

[Marc NY]

Chrome Process

Chorming is done is a dip tank. Acutally a series of them. The only reason that area isn't shiny is because it didn't get polished smooth before chroming...

Beer,

It is not shinny there because thats where the chrome processing/dipping ends. (Don't get me wrong... I think it might have looked a little nicer perhaps with more chrome in the spoke area.)

Ps I added one more photo to show a better view... it appears to me that they wanted to keep the chrome at the same depth as the rest of the wheel.

 

[beer100]

They don't chrome the entire wheel? It never crossed my mind that It wasn't fully chromed.