View Poll Results: What type of 1 piece tail light trim would you buy?
Cast Aluminum
76
33.93%
Molded Plastic
59
26.34%
Something different (please explain in post)
23
10.27%
Not interested in this item
66
29.46%
Voters: 224. You may not vote on this poll
Rear Tail Light Trim Poll
08-10-2006, 10:05 PM
#22
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 04-19-2006
Location: Arvada CO
Posts: 5,065
Originally Posted by captain howdy
If plastic wont last in real sun then why did GM use so much of it? 
It's a good thing too...otherwise we'd be seeing Chevrolet Avalanche's in a pile of melted plastic all over the road.
Seriously, this is all about how many are interested in seeing this product coming to fruition, which I'm sure many of us would like to see. It's also about making this affordable for not only the consumer, but the manufacturer of the product as well, as was mentioned by Truckstop.com and Mike from SoCalHHR's in other posts.
08-11-2006, 07:05 AM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-12-2006
Location: Space Coast, FL
Posts: 847
Any material would be good with me as long as it's chrome plated or highly polished.
I made my own with that chrome trim stuff they sell at Pep Boys, and although there's a seam it looks good and is holding up real well, no pealing off here. I just cleaned the lens's real well with brake clean first. It's been on there for 5 months now and no problems.
CJ makes a good point about the chromed plastic not holding up well. But this like all chromed plastic depends on the process used. The reason our chrome trim on the HHR (as with most chromed plastics used by auto manufactures). The plastic is layered with a copper coating before chroming, this makes it hold up as well as chromed steel. The much cheaper process of chroming directly on to plastic (like that used in model chroming) will not hold up to the elements very well.
I made my own with that chrome trim stuff they sell at Pep Boys, and although there's a seam it looks good and is holding up real well, no pealing off here. I just cleaned the lens's real well with brake clean first. It's been on there for 5 months now and no problems.
CJ makes a good point about the chromed plastic not holding up well. But this like all chromed plastic depends on the process used. The reason our chrome trim on the HHR (as with most chromed plastics used by auto manufactures). The plastic is layered with a copper coating before chroming, this makes it hold up as well as chromed steel. The much cheaper process of chroming directly on to plastic (like that used in model chroming) will not hold up to the elements very well.
08-11-2006, 07:28 AM
#26
Deceased
Join Date: 10-03-2005
Location: Sachse, TX NE Dallas
Posts: 2,351
Dan's right and i forgot about that, when they plate any kind of item in the music business they always copper flash them first before nickel, silver or gold plate it. black nickel looks awesome and would make some fine roof rails and trim like the pics i found on photobucket.com.
silver mpcs are copper flashed, then silverplated
gold mpcs are copper flashed, then silverplated, then gold plated which is cool because when the gold wears off you still have a new silverplated mpc to use for a while
they have started making mpc's out of stainless now.
i have mouthpieces from that are 30 yrs old and less that still look really well even w daily or weekly use.
if our lenses were perfectly round it would be alot easier. someone will come out w some soon i am sure.
silver mpcs are copper flashed, then silverplated
gold mpcs are copper flashed, then silverplated, then gold plated which is cool because when the gold wears off you still have a new silverplated mpc to use for a while
they have started making mpc's out of stainless now.
i have mouthpieces from that are 30 yrs old and less that still look really well even w daily or weekly use.
if our lenses were perfectly round it would be alot easier. someone will come out w some soon i am sure.
08-14-2006, 12:25 PM
#29
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 04-19-2006
Location: Arvada CO
Posts: 5,065
Originally Posted by MaXRSmart
I vote billet aluminum instead of cast aluminum. Cast aluminum can leave pits and it not as clean as billet. I am in the process of making a set of these as we speak.
Also...
to chevyhhr.net...where you can find anything HHR...and then some. 
For those wondering about why cast aluminum was one of the choices...please see post below by Truckshop.com who is one of our vendors. Just took his lead and the suggestions for a poll.
It's good to hear peoples ideas on what they think will and will not work. Keep up the great threads.
Originally Posted by TruckSHOP.com
Billet would be quite expensive due to the amount of material and machine time required, not to mention the polishing and chrome X4 for a set. A cast aluminum or molded plastic part would allow a more reasonable retail price, but the set up costs on something like that make it really hard to offer unless there is a commitment for several hundred parts. How much interest is there? A poll might be a good idea.
