Question on Euro Headlights (70's-80's)

[Strife]

I've been restoring (at great expense) a set of 107 Euro headlights. The reflector bowls are shot and should be replaced. They are flat unobtainable in the US. So, I'm looking at having them refinished. Question: On a new, unmolested Euro reflector bowl of this vintage (any MB), is the finish shiny like a mirror or less so, like silver paint or powdercoat. Can you see yourself? Thanks in advance.

[RPM55]

The finish is like a mirror, very shiny.

[Willie White]

Hi Just sent my reflectors out to be rechromed. visited the shop and was impressed by the work they were doing. ChromePlating00@aol.com I sent them photos to get a "ballpark" quote. Good luck! Willie (Poor Soul)

[Strife]

Well, I did some fairly serious reading on this subject, and here's what I found: Chrome was probably not used on these reflectors, because chrome is not as reflective as aluminum. The original coating was probably aluminum, with a thin overcoat of silicon oxides or similar material to limit corrosion, because this type of coating is extremely thin. Obviously, aluminum does not plate onto steel; this is put on with vacuum flash, where a bit of aluminum is vaporized electrically in a vacuum box and the vapors are deposited on the part. Now, given that there are "super" bulbs available put out more light than the original bulbs, maybe this would equalize things if you used these super bulbs with the less reflective chromed units.

Silver is the most reflective of all metals to use, but it does tarnish and silver does not "like" overcoatings as much as aluminum does, so most of the time it is left bare. Eventually, the silver plating will wear off from this polishing (the good news is, because it is electroplated and not "flashed", it's much thicker).

I'm hoping this will not happen for many years, because I'm getting mine silverplated. Combined with the considerable copper/nickel layering and buffing that's going to be done to my reflectors (which were in very bad shape) this is going to cost me a lot of dough.

There is a company (with no website, strangely) that performs aluminum flashing coating, but you have to give them an absolutely _perfect_ spotless nickel-plated part, with no other types of parts attached to it - as though it had just come from the platers.