Velvac Mirrors

[Jerry Carr]

FYI members our PT has Velvac MIRRORS, I know that Velvac is a USA company but I think they get parts in China the chrome is not long lasting.
The mirrors started peeling chrome about 3 years ago. I was so disgusted by the appearance that last year I kicked in $1200. to replace them with new units. One year later the chrome is peeling again!

I called BCS and they have new bases on the way but I am still not happy with the poor quality of the Velvac products if chrome is done right this would not have happen the first time.
 

[neil omalley]

Jerry: you would think for $1200 you would get at least $200 worth of quality:)

[Jerry Carr]

your right Neal, they are skipping something that will cause the failure I know they sell products to many different rigs/trucks so they must have many problem and you would think they would go back to the source of the problem.
I think Velvac is showing the colors of an importer.
 

[Joel Ashley]

I don't know if one could disassemble mirrors easily enough to have this done, but when our chrome bathroom light fixtures began to rust through, I took just the deteriorating parts to a local company that rechromed it.  There's been no further problems for several years now.  Seems like it was only about $30, but wasn't nearly as big as a mirror.  It may depend also on what the base metal is, and any labor to remove corrosion's rough surface, etc., prior to "dipping".  Regardless, it wouldn't go to $1200, and may be better quality than any overseas-built original.

Look for plating companies.

-Joel

[Jerry Carr]

Joel, on the first visit to BCS Sean looked into having the units redone in Bend but the shop would not do the work we even looked at doing a powder coat but also didn't find a shop.
I could ship the mirror someplace but then we are sitting in the parking area until we can get the units back. Tbis is why I bought the new base units.
I thought we would be good with new product but now we have the same problem with a poor quality supplier.
 

[Lee Welbanks]

Joel, on the first visit to BCS Sean looked into having the units redone in Bend but the shop would not do the work we even looked at doing a powder coat but also didn't find a shop.
I could ship the mirror someplace but then we are sitting in the parking area until we can get the units back. Tbis is why I bought the new base units.
I thought we would be good with new product but now we have the same problem with a poor quality supplier.

I must have a good set of mirrors on my 06 PT, there is not one bit of peeling on either set. Have just a little bit on the driver side camera box but the mirrors look new except for some tiny rock pits. We haven't spent much time near the coasts except Morro Bay and not for any extended time.

[Stan Simpson]

Jerry,

Velvac doesn't stand behind them? I have the same issue, and was going to replace them. Not if they aren't going to warranty their work.

There is a chrome plater a few miles from home. I guess I'll opt for that.

[Jerry Carr]

Stan they will stand by the products for 1 year thats why I am heading back to Bend. If I was in LA we had some great shops for chrome but part of the problem is the actual mirror units are difficult to redo, I have been dealing with the mounting bases as these come off somewhat easy.
If I could get the vinyl mirror covers that MCD had made these made a good cover for the actual mirrors,  I gave Ty Kelly (BCS) a sample of these and had hoped he would be able to make these for our club members in his new upholstery shop, so far he has not been able to do the job. it's been a year and I think he has lost interest in this project. I may pick up the samples and do them myself.

I have looked into doing repairs to finishes both chrome and powder coating in Bend with no luck. Many cities have good automotive specialty plating shops.  In today's marketplace we have few plating operations in this country due to environmental concerns, auto bumpers are plastic so you will need to find a smaller specialty shop that can do this work plus the larger shops just are not willing to do one off projects due to economics. If you do locate a shop be sure the do auto work.

[Roy Warren Co-Admin]

Jerry,
We haven't had mirrors powder coated, but we had many of Vicki's bicycle parts powder coated at CPC in Bend.  They are just up the street from BCS and on the left (also past RV Outfitters and Bend RV Repair).  Phone number is 541-330-1141.

[Joel Ashley]

I know what you mean Jerry.  As it turns out, I checked yesterday and the place on the industrial east side that I had plate a light fixture part previously is now apparently shut down by the Oregon DEQ.  If you've watched Washington news lately, you may have seen references to the fiasco that developed in Portland over glass foundry pollution.  Now there's a big blow up over newly discovered lead in the school water pipes.  Environmental concerns here have really exploded recently.

Apparently Oregon Plating is no longer in business due to DEQ finding contamination beneath the building from spilled chemicals in the basement since 1930, under adjoining sidewalks, and likely corrosives going down basement drains into the Willamette River, 6 blocks away.  Though the business had containment structures in place on the basement floor, over 80+ years there were cracks in them and the concrete, and inevitable spills.

These sorts of issues, and even preventing them, are so costly that businesses cannot maintain viability.  So our options have shrank.  The finish on the Velvac mirrors on our Monterey so far are without issue, but then I regularly keep them UV protected, waxed and sealed with various products, especially whenever I do the front cap at least every couple weeks on the road.

-Joel