Seat Hinges Information

[Safetypup]

Hi, I am going to get my 1961 Roadster seats reupholstered and I was considering taking the opportunity to pull off the seat hinges and rechrome / refresh them. Looks like I need to make an assembly tool to get the curly spring back in, but that's OK.

My question is - Is the connecting tube between the left and right hinge sides chromed or just more "shiny metal" (but not chromed). What's the best way to restore them to "nice" condition so they don't look ratty compared to my newly chromed seat hinges?

My other question is - there are some things that look like rivet or bolt heads (4 of them) on the seat hinge. Are those separate pieces? How do I rechrome that? If I disassemble the hinge, do those unscrew or something? Oh yeah - and the large screws... do I just give those to the chromer guy and he figures out how to chrome the heads? Or is the whole screw chromed including the threaded bits? (scratching my head)
Sorry if these questions are basic - but I don't want to pull it all apart without more info. I like to know what I'm getting into I grew up in the 80s and 90s when cars were all plastic and stuff, so things like chrome are mysterious topics to me!

Thank you for any information that you can provide.

Brian

[Jbrooks]

Brian


all the chrome seat parts can be cleaned up and polished pretty easy. Depending on how pitted they are. I start with a SOS pad and hot water. It will remove the dirt and green corrosion. Then a metal polish, or a Cotten buffing wheel and white rough. Go slow and they usually clean up and will be presentable .

If they are badly pitted and flaking then its polish, copper plate, Polish some more to replace and fill the pits with new copper and polish off the high spots until they look presentable. Then take them to the plater for nickel and chrome. You can do the copper plating your self, it's not hard, but does take a variable DC power supply, plastic tubs and lots of time. But when you are done you can say I did it myself.

Hazard and fraud has an OK buffer and wheels for ~$50.00 . The labor at the plater is the big cost, For them to copper plate, then remove 90% with a buffing pad then polish and replate again and again until it's smooth and pit free , before the shinny nickel an d chrome, just cost. But if you do most of that first so all they do is just the chemical process you can save a lot.