For a lot less than $5 grand he could have found a NOS grille in Germany.

 

Probably! He's got too much money. He's even built a fully fledged small apartment on the side of his new house with pool & Jacuzzi access for me to use if I don't want to stay in the main house with him & his wife as I always did in their previous home. His new home is a monster with everything driven from your iPhone & includes a fully equipped 43 car garage (shades of Jay Leno). Exterior is sealed Travertine tiled. It overlooks a lake & has it's own orchards. I think he drove his architect & builders to drink.

 

I am glad to see that the wire wheel retaining nut debate has been declared closed by the moderator. I don't recall ever noting the strange (to me) European style wheel nut.
The only ones I have had any experience with is the two lug nut system but that would be typical of Australian delivered cars.

The big cost problem of chrome plating in the western world is being driven by enviromental issues/requirements of different government instrumentalities eg local, state and federal in all countries.
Our local chrome plating company advised me that used chemical disposal costs and associated ongoing regulatory compliance requirements had driven up their basic cost prices for work by about 100% over the last 3 or 4 years.
cheers

 

Yes ~ That makes sense Bill. Chemical environmental disposal cost can be large. We as an oilco face it endlessly and we demand one standard globally. No relaxing of the rules for developing countries.