[Shrivardhan]

Originally Posted by DKG

Rajiv in Calcutta do you have workshops where they plate brightwork with copper first before the nickel and chrome?

I agree with Rajiv as regards to problems faced with chrome plating. However a good chrome job is not only copper coating, but it is a three stage process. Copper-Nickel-Chrome. Goes without saying that the item needs to be buffed before copper coating. Yes, personal attention is vital or else be ready to be taken for a ride. Cheerz!

[wasif]

Originally Posted by DKG

Rajiv in Calcutta do you have workshops where they plate brightwork with copper first before the nickel and chrome?

DKG.

This process is also possible in Hyderabad. You need to speak to the plating company and specifically ask for the copper coating, followed by nickel and then the final chrome.

It is expensive and you would need to hang around the shop to see they do it this wasy.

I had some parts for a 1930 Ford Deluxe Roadster I restored for Iqbal Patni done in this manner.

Originally Posted by rajiv ghosh rac

Hi Everyone,
Well this is the 1930 lancia of Mr. Hemant Ruia, restored thoroughly. This car was also a prize winner at the cartier show...
regards rajiv

Sir.

First let me commend you for achieving such high standards of finish on your projects.

Since you brought up the Lancia project it would be great to learn more about why the car features the rims it has on today.

This point has been under debate on the Cartier thread and it would be nice to find out the real story .

Its positive that the car didn't actually come with these rims so after spending so much on the car why were the correct rims not imported for it.

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[harit]

Originally Posted by Shrivardhan

I agree with Rajiv as regards to problems faced with chrome plating. However a good chrome job is not only copper coating, but it is a three stage process. Copper-Nickel-Chrome. Goes without saying that the item needs to be buffed before copper coating. Yes, personal attention is vital or else be ready to be taken for a ride. Cheerz!

All true and well said. But THE most important thing is to ensure thorough cleaning.

[DKG]

Wasif at the moment no one in Hyderabad does copper-nickel-chrome. They do a straight nickel-chrome. You know the pitfalls. Nickel does not bind to the base metal as well as copper, hence the compromised finish.

In buffing you also have the risk of overdoing it and eroding "features". So to do it safely a good plating job would entail layers of plating-buffing-plating before you first sign off the copper and then move to nickel and chrome.

And as Harit rightly pointed out, last but not the least no surface is ready unless cleaned thoroughly.

I think for the vintage car world till now the biggest problem is people do not want to pay for quality. This stingy attitude is what has driven shops to dispense with the copper process

But now as the general quality of cars around India seem to have improved dramatically (I never saw such great stuff in such finely restored condition ever as I do today) perhaps slowly the demand for custom quality chrome plating is around the corner.

Until then some of us are better off retaining the original chrome and not meddling with it.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by DKG

a good plating job would entail layers of plating-buffing-plating before you first sign off the copper and then move to nickel and chrome.

Here I am specifically referring to pitted metal. This apparently is tough as you need the copper to fill in before you get the even surface for further plating

BTW I am no expert in plating, just thinking aloud

[rajiv ghosh rac]

Hi, sir
fantastic question that you have brought up. This is the second lancia di lambda that we have restored. Strangely both have these same rims.
We were really amazed at this, we were so puzzled that we did not know how such a co incidence, that both the cars have the same type rims. After a little probing and help from other sources we found out that the lancia use to come with spoke rims, which were very weak, they had a tendency to collapse, that is individual spokes beaking on bad roads.
These were substitute rims produced by dunlop, england, which were substitues for the lancias. This information has also been confirmed in the UK magazine called The Automobile, march 2009, vol 27 no 1. In this magazine there is a cartier write up and this information was confirmed.
regards rajiv

[rajiv ghosh rac]

HI,
These are three of our personal cars displayed at the calcutta auto expo, 1947 chevrolet fleetmaster/ 1947 buick super 8/ 1949 cadillac v-8....
The chevrolet is our first owner car bought in 1947, the buick and cadillac have been much later additions to our small stable.

regards
rajiv

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by rajiv ghosh rac

Hi, sir
fantastic question that you have brought up. This is the second lancia di lambda that we have restored. Strangely both have these same rims.
We were really amazed at this, we were so puzzled that we did not know how such a co incidence, that both the cars have the same type rims. After a little probing and help from other sources we found out that the lancia use to come with spoke rims, which were very weak, they had a tendency to collapse, that is individual spokes beaking on bad roads.
These were substitute rims produced by dunlop, england, which were substitues for the lancias. This information has also been confirmed in the UK magazine called The Automobile, march 2009, vol 27 no 1. In this magazine there is a cartier write up and this information was confirmed.
regards rajiv

Interesting. These rims have a Dunlop stamp on them?

The Cartier article in The Automobile was discussed here earlier.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1197301-post78.html

I really don't know what the true story with the wheels is, but these really look awful on the car. Spoked artillery wheels would have been much a more apt replacement, even if they were replaced how many ever decades ago.

On a similar note, here is interesting reading on Vijay Mallya's Fiat 501 S Corsa.

This is a Fiat Corsa 501 S, of 1925 vintage, nothing less. It was created to satisfy the whims of an Indian maharaja, who saw a Fiat Grand Prix car on one of his visits to Europe and wanted one for himself. While the body style is that of a race car, what's powering it is a normal, road-going car engine from the 1920s. Legend has it that when the car arrived in India, it had fancy wire wheels instead of the authentic artillery wheels – not one to make a compromise, like many others of his ilk, the maharaja sent the car back to be refitted with the wheels that you see on it today.

Long time no see - Rosso Corsa! - Business Standard Motoring

[harit]

Originally Posted by rajiv ghosh rac

Hi, sir
fantastic question that you have brought up. This is the second lancia di lambda that we have restored. Strangely both have these same rims.
We were really amazed at this, we were so puzzled that we did not know how such a co incidence, that both the cars have the same type rims. After a little probing and help from other sources we found out that the lancia use to come with spoke rims, which were very weak, they had a tendency to collapse, that is individual spokes beaking on bad roads.
These were substitute rims produced by dunlop, england, which were substitues for the lancias. This information has also been confirmed in the UK magazine called The Automobile, march 2009, vol 27 no 1. In this magazine there is a cartier write up and this information was confirmed.
regards rajiv

Hi Rajeev,
And I thought that the second Dilambda was a state secret. Pun on the word state as it belongs to one. In my previous post of 17th March on this link I had mentioned discrete jobs, because I was given to understand that this was so.
About the wheels, I do not believe the wheel story. Maybe a Dunlop salesman conned two royalties in India into changing their wheels. Nowhere in the world has it ever appeared that Lancia wheel were weak. The other Dilambdas in India do not have truck wheels. And could Dunlop not have offered proper wire wheels? My Lancia has original wheels, used for racing, they did not collapse. All Lambdas have wire wheels.

The article in The Automobile does not confirm anything. He is simply parroting the story given by the owner at the event. And if you read the article carefully (see my comment in the cartier thread) you will see that the author does not know too much about the car scene. The article is titled 'Cars of the Maharajas' but he shows ex viceroy's Daimler.
Lastly, why not ask the previous owner what he has done to the car?

Just saw Karl's post. At least the Fiat Corsa got authentic artilley wheels, not truck wheels. BTW, Did you know that the Corsa radiator shell is a replica?

[wasif]

Sir.

I beg to differ. If two Dilambas happened to have incorrect wheels that doesn't indiacte that they are acceptable. Like they say two wrongs dont't make a right.

In todays times a quick check on the web would have given you the answer that the rims are incorrect.

Now the question that has gone even more pertinent in my mind is that why owners of two of these magnificient machines opted to retain rims that are obviously incorrect.

I would seriously doubt the Dunlop replacment wheel theory and wouldn't be surprised if the rims didnt' have Dunlop markings on them.

PS. Can we see pictures of the other Dilambda you spoke of ?

[rajiv ghosh rac]

Hi,
See as far as i am concerned have told you all that i knew about the rims. See the car obviously doesnt look pretty with those rims, and i thinks by this year end or may be earlier the owners would definitely import the original spoke rims for the car. At that point in time no one could wait for the rims as there was a rush against time to get it in for the cartier, so we did and it was good that the car made it for the show because inspite of the rim controversy it picked up a prize at the cartier.

The owners are very proud of their fantastic car, and i am sure sometime this year they would get the spoke rims.

regards
rajiv

Hi sir, sure i will definitely scan the hardcopy pictures of the other lancia and put it up so that you can see the rims.

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[wasif]

Mr. Rajiv.

Please don't take my comments in an offensive manner. They are meant to be constructive.

Its just that I feel cars of such significance need the owners and restorers to go the extra mile and to strive for perfection.

[rajiv ghosh rac]

Sir,
not at all, i am the first one to take positive criticism, please feel free to say what you want to point out always sir. i will post the pictures of the other lancia which you wanted to see, ill do that in a couple of days.

[rajiv ghosh rac]

Hi,
This is the mark 6 bentley of MR. Patnaik which we restored. The car came out very pretty looking in the ivory and black two tone. The car eventually got white side wall tyres which obviously made it look much more pretty. It turned out to be a great runner.

regads rajiv...

[rajiv ghosh rac]

Hi.
A picture of dad taking the statesman trophy for the best overall performance of the day on 1/2/2009 . All of you must have seen the pictures of our personal for v-8, in team bhp. Here is a piece of information on the heritage of the car. We are the first owners of this vehicle and still have the purchase voucher of the car dated back to 1932, not a xerox, the original.
Also the calcutta rally started in 1968, this is the car which has attended the maximum number of rallies in the calcutta ground..... all rallies from 1968 to 2009...... and with that it also happens to be highest trophy winner of all times at the calcutta rally...... " a grand tally of 62 trophies " with the best overall on 12 occasions!!!! which is the highest by any car in the calcutta rally ever..... this is undoubtedly the pride and joy of our family!!!

regards rajiv