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 Chroming My 02 Candy Front Suspension (Page 1)
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| Author | Topic: Chroming My 02 Candy Front Suspension |
RedCat  POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Connecticut |
posted 10-30-2004 02:42 PM
    
It's time to chrome the front suspension of my '02 Candy Prowler. I'm buying the parts through Prowler Products by Gary. Does anyone have any comments on the plus and minus' of chroming? Also, for those of you that have done it, do you have any tips, tricks, or other helpful comments before I embark on this exciting modification? Comments? Bruce |
ALLEY CAT                  POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:mesa, az, USA |
posted 10-30-2004 03:29 PM
Bruce - are you doing the work yourself? If you have the tools and mechanical background,,,great. If not, you might consider having a tech to do the work? While I don't have chromed or polished suspension,,,,,they do look awesome on the cats. Good luck |
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condor Prowler Junkie From:Frankfurt a.M. , Hessen, Germany |
posted 10-30-2004 03:30 PM
I have the same question. Who has a chromed front suspension for a wile ( or some thousand miles) on the Prowler. Usually Chrome make problems on alu parts , specially when they are so hard shaken like the front arms. Polishing shine not so good, makes more work to keep it shine . What do you think ???? |
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RedCat POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Connecticut |
posted 10-30-2004 04:06 PM
My brother has a car lift and the tools and talent but I think I'll have either the Chrysler dealership that changed my ball joints or a local alignment shop do the work. Gary (seller) says the chrome process he uses holds up and does not pit. Because Chrysler chromed the wheels all the way through, chroming the rest of the parts just seems to make it all come together. |
SirReal POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Burtonsville,Md Good ole U.S.A |
posted 10-30-2004 04:16 PM
Red Cat I had mine done this past Spring. GaryE's product is fantastic. I had everything chromed. I would suggest ordering RealRods billet nut covers and have them shipped to Gary to be chromed also as it really adds the final touch to the look. The excitement of the finished project was second only to the original purchase of the my Prowler! Don't forget, you need to do a front end alignment. My mechanic did the work at his home garage and trailered my Kat 50 miles to the dealership where he works. Be prepared to do a lot of gazing after it's done Condor I have one season on mine and no troubles. I know of others that have had it done longer and no troubles. As I said before Gary's product is top notch. If I had it to do over again I'd do it in a heartbeat! |
jd2ksilver POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Mt. View, CA |
posted 10-30-2004 04:18 PM
I probably have 20,000 miles on my chrome front end. Everything is fine and shiny. But you do have to pay attention to the threads as they seem to show some rust over time if not polished and waxed some. Looks Awesome. |
KatAddict POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Greencastle, PA, USA |
posted 10-30-2004 09:00 PM
I have mine done for 2 years now. Still looks like new and gets a lot of attention, especially when it is parked beside a stock KAT. |
CJ POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Rochester Hills, MI USA |
posted 10-31-2004 01:10 AM
Nothing wrong with stock cats............  |
dooboy POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:western canada |
posted 10-31-2004 01:30 AM
anyone know how to seperate the fender mounting bracket from the fender? looks like they are riveted, i want to chrome those.   |
c.mangeng POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Port Orchard, WA, USA |
posted 10-31-2004 11:34 PM
Contact Scott, he has a kit. scottsprowlerstuff@yahoo.com or call him, 650-967-3609, |
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jd2ksilver POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Mt. View, CA |
posted 11-01-2004 08:20 AM
From Scott
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RedCat POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Connecticut |
posted 11-02-2004 08:29 AM
Thank you for your comments. It sounds like GaryE cares enough to do it right and I like that. This is an exciting project and as much as I agree that car should be left as "stock" the draw of bright shiny chrome has lured me from the straight and narrow. If they hadn't chromed the wheels all the way through this might be a different story. I visited Strong's Alignment shop in E. Hartford, CT and showed him what I want done. They quoted 13 hours @ $70 per hour or $910.00 for the work plus $75.00 to align it. These guys have worked on classics before but never a complete Prowler front-end replacement so they're being conservative on the time. It makes you feel good when they say things like no power tools, only hand tightening. They worry about chromed nuts chipping but I think GaryE's products are coated thick enough to withstand a little torque. Scott, can you explain the difference between the fender bracket you offer verse what GaryE offers? Maybe some instructions on your method of fastening? PS: CJ, you have been asking me to post more on this site instead of just reading so this one's for you!! Thanks again Bruce (RedCat) |
DR PROWLER POA Site Supporter Prowler Florist From:TORONTO,ONTARIO,CANADA |
posted 11-02-2004 09:35 AM
It's gotta be one of the best mods I've seen....looks stellar! |
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Rpowell593 unregistered Admin Use |
posted 11-04-2004 09:10 PM
Hey, Please post any pics of the chroming. Would love to see what my candy would look like with it. |
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CJ POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Rochester Hills, MI USA |
posted 11-04-2004 11:02 PM
Bruce.......   It's always nice when someone listens to me... LOL! |
dupes POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Minneapolis, Minnesota |
posted 11-08-2004 10:12 PM
Please be sure to post before and after pictures. Also let us know your suggestions after this is completed. Let us know what you would have done different. |
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RedCat POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Connecticut |
posted 11-09-2004 09:11 PM
Gary sent me a note to say the parts are on the way! I'll be taking some before and after pics to show everyone the change. It seems the bumpers may block the view and may be the next mod. I'll have to see how it looks before I remove the classic Prowler bumper look. Hey CJ, I'm just a little slow but I do eventually learn. Thanks for the advice. |
BadCatII Prowler Newbie From:Chicago, IL USA |
posted 11-13-2004 04:41 AM
I have heard that it could be dangerous heating up the alum parts for chroming. Certainly would not want to weaken those critical parts. Has anyone heard those concerns? My preference is to polish them. |
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Rpowell593 unregistered Admin Use |
posted 05-28-2005 07:28 AM
Bruce, where are the finished pics? Would love to see the outcome of the chromed candy front end. Please Post along with any comments to what the job entailed. |
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Tom Santella Prowler Junkie From:Sandy Hook Ct. USA |
posted 05-28-2005 07:51 AM
REDCAT... Let me know how that shop works out for you in Hartford. I would love to do my front end someday, and my hesitation would be about who to do it. I wouldn't mind bringing the Kat up to Hartford for the right shop. ------------------ |
cnote6 POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:Dallas, TX |
posted 05-28-2005 10:46 AM
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obi-wan Prowler Junkie From:Los Altos, CA, USA |
posted 05-28-2005 03:35 PM
Hi Gang: Well, on the subject of fender brakets I have offered a Show chrome set for several years now and have a number of them out there. They work great. They are the stock brackets that have been striped of there powder coating and one unused portion of the bracket that has a hole that does nothing. If you chrome the bracket and put it on the car you will really see this ear and its unused hole 'cus it's chrome-with it black it disappears. The rivets have been cut off without damaging the supports by using a 3"x 1/32" thick green wheel on a sidewinder/casting grinder(electric) and a simple technic. The actual rivets are "Huck" fasteners(used in the trucking industry) and are a kind of pressurized rivet. When the entire head of the rivet is ground down from the top to its base it will "pop"off when it gets down almost to its base. The head of it can easily be driven out of the bracket that you see on the inboard of the fender. You must be careful doing this so you don't cut into the forged area of the inside of the support bracket itself but it's just good craftsmanship or rocket science. I make the plenums that you see on the inboard sides of the fender out of Lazar 8 polished s.s.(316). I mark out the shape and cut it out on a band saw. It's then edge sanded to the same shape as the orig. and I have it blend polished and radiused.I also make a special gasket out of closed cell rubber to cushon the area behind the plenums to the paint surface of the fenders. The orig holes in the forged brackets are drilled out to 5/16" for 3 out of the four holes on each fender and the front hole is drilled out to 1/4" I use special hardware(s.s.) to replace the orig. rivets and there polished and slightly cut down in length so I can use s.s. dome nuts and s.s. split washers. That's how I build the kits. I also use s.s. metric button head bolts(metric) to put the clamshell brackets back together. I use a special mastic strip and silicone rubber to seal water out of the clamshells when I put them back on the support rod because I've found A LOT of rust in those areas on every one of them when I've had them apart doing this opperation.Also the chrome is far more slippery that the orig. coating so you need the mastic strip to help "stick"it altogether so it won't slip around while going down the road. No one step takes a long time but it does add up overall. I charge 350.oo for the kit and I thank that's very fair. They come with instructions and all the prefab is done. All you do is install them and adjust them as required to your car. If you have any mare questions on this it's best to call me and we can discuss it over the phone. That way I can really answer YOUR questions properly, Obi-Wan |
redman Prowler Junkie From:Northglenn, CO |
posted 05-28-2005 04:05 PM
quote: do you offer credits if the old part is returned to you? |
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obi-wan Prowler Junkie From:Los Altos, CA, USA |
posted 05-28-2005 06:15 PM
I must have the parts off your car. The only way to buy the bracketing is to buy the fender and there over 700.oo each. Then, you cut off the Huck rivets, remove the brackets and began the process. I only have one set of these to rotate. The set I have is being chromed now and is promised and paid for. I hope to get it back in the next couple of weeks and it will take about a week to get ready for finial installation(which I'm doing-it's a fairly local car) So. if you want one of these sets let me know. When I get the bucks, that starts the contract. I will talk anyone through the installation and adjustments needed. I would like to thank John Davies for posting the pic.'s, I really appreciate it. As far as I know Gary uses the same set of fasteners to replace the Huck rivets on his set up but he does not cut off the unused tab with its blank hole. I don't know how he handles the plenums or there gaskets. As to the a-arms and the knuckle I only offer professionally polished ones. By doing it this way they can be spot polished or corrected if there is ever any dings, scratches or other damage. None of the ball joints have to be removed and I personally like the finish better. The chrome finish done be Gary is very nice but I just prefer to do it this way. I've got a number of these out there and everyone is VERY happy with them. My set up is 1600.oo for all six pieces on exchange only.I believe that to be a very good price. The quality is first rate and when you start polishing other parts of the aluminum parts on the car it all begins to come together.I do like John Davies chrome front end(Gary's process)but I prefer the simpler process and cost factors of what I've come up with. John's Davies' Kat is a really beautiful semi-show car and to say the least I really like it alot.For his needs he has put together a really exceptional vehicle. I realize that John's not had to correct the chrome yet and I hope he never has to 'cus that means taking the front end apart and sending the parts out to be redone. That also means taking out the ball joints from the arms if that are the ones to be reprocessed.He's also got a lot of chrome on his car and has a "California Shaved" look car and that together with a very special Spectaflair paint job really sets the chrome off so for his car it really looks neat. I have only one rotation set and there being finished up for a customer as I write this. They will be sent away to that customer just as soon as his cores come back from this process to me shortly to be done for the next Kat. That could be yours-just let me know and the bucks will put you in line for the next set. I hope I've answered the questions and I'm sorry I'm so long winded but I'm trying to answer the question fully, Obi-Wan |
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halicat unregistered Admin Use |
posted 05-28-2005 06:29 PM
obi-wan.....he needs your flyer ... "let the flyer be with you" |
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