haha i was just saying it amazing how much more complicated cars have become :)

Looking good!

David-
You'll be kicking yourself if you paint all that hardware.

The hardware (as well as all the shifter parts, and tons of other small detail parts) should be carefully cleaned then sent out for correct plating. Get in touch with Steve Gregori at Detail Plating http://www.detailplating.com/ .

For cadmium, use Aero Propellor: http://www.cadplating.com/

THANKS Jeff! I will review with Mike.

^^ I think Mike uses a local place. Valley Plating maybe, I can't remember.

I can tell you that Steve Gregori does beautiful work, and if you are not satisfied for any reason he will do it over and make it right. He does zinc, but not cadmuim. Zinc is a much brighter finish than cad. I prefer the look of cad, but zinc plated parts should dull down over time a little.

I still can't believe how much time and effort goes into a restoration like this. I'm glad these cars are in the hands of someone willing to go the distance to make them perfect, they deserve no less.

David-
Here is an example of Steve's work doing silver zinc & gold zinc. These are the original sway bar end links off my car (new bushings obviously). I gently blasted everything with Biasil sand, then polished with a fine wire wheel before sending them to detailplating.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...estored001.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...estored002.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...estored004.jpg

It is a headache at times.

If you're trying to make it "as it was sold", one problem is the tiny details. You could take a simple question like "what kind of intake manifold gasket goes on a first-gen" and run into 3 guys giving 3 different answers.

There are also weird issues like the color of the underbody. It is nearly impossible to get a straight answer to this but it seems that all restored cars that compete at the highest level in the Camaro Nationals get a 30% gloss black underbody. The only problem is that they were definitely not like that originally.

Another problem is that since original parts cost big $, there is a lot of fraud.

I could go on and on, but I think it would get very boring quickly.
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Thanks for the encouragement!!!!!!

Very nice Jeff. Did you ever talk to Mike about Steve's work?

Have you had any chrome work done? I am not sure who I should send the Z door handles to.

No. Mike had mentioned to me if I needed anything done he could send it to his place.

Mike uses Advanced Plating. They did the windshield header moldings on my car. They look nice overall I guess. A few spots aren't perfect. I thought it was a little expensive at $500 for the pair of moldings considering they were sent NOS moldings. Oh well.

DO NOT send/bring anything to Nu-Chrome in Seekonk, MA. They ruined some of my stuff beyond repair, and lost some stuff too. Funny, though, they seemed to do a very nice job on my door handles.

The best place I have ever had chrome work done is D&S Custom Metal Restoration in Holyoke, MA. They did my rear view mirror, rear ash trays, shifter ball, sunvisor brackets, and convertible top hooks. Flawless, and I mean that. Dead nuts perfection. And if you have to ask how much it's going to cost or how quick it's going to get done, don't bother going there. The answers are "a lot" and "right after we finish this Pebble Beach car we're working on".

At times? Man, my head hurts all the time trying to get all the details the way I want them, and I'm not building a car to compete at a national level. If I were in charge of building your Z car, I'd be laying awake at night worrying about things.