The Chrome Pit

As a car restorer I am more along the lines of a “decorator”. I like to clean things, polish things, buy new things. Maybe change the oil in the driveway or shake out the air filter. I can do a few more things with the Firebird than I can with our main vehicle, (Ford Escape), but I tend to focus on what makes the car look good rather than function properly.

The hood on the car has removable “air scoops”, which were destined for chroming from the start. The challenge is finding a place to do this, as the bi-products of chrome plating are inherently bad for the environment.

Today at lunch time I drove to the former Dominion Bridge Yards to find “The Chrome Pit”; hidden in the recesses of the old plant. “Call me on the cell if you can’t find us” the guy on the phone said, rather impatiently. I didn’t have to do that, but it did take me 10 minutes to navigate the labyrinth of unused rail lines and machine sheds once through “Gate 4". It was like a movie set from the apocalypse; I half-expected a visit from the Warriors…

The door at the “customer entrance” had no knob, just an open padlock on a bar across the door. The smell of metallic grime and acid baths was strangely welcoming. “Ya, whattaya got?… OK, sixty bucks. Each”. No bartering here…

Then a man in a heavy apron appeared from the back room. His white hair was close-cropped and he had a mask over most of his face. I assumed from his skin color that he was black (Afro-Canadian? Olivia will surely correct me here) until he reached for the parts on the counter and I saw that his hands were white. I looked back at his face, then back at his hands. And back to his face again. He must have seen the quizzical look on my face, but if he thought anything of me I couldn’t tell by his mask. He grabbed the parts and left me with the other man, who filled out the paperwork and sent me on my way. Looking forward to February 21st when I get my scoops back.

In the meantime I’m going to do some research on chemical causes of vitiligo…