Bumpers revisited, and $ Chrome

Warren

Warren

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The chrome on my bumpers is quite thin with the under plating showing thru.
I have a spare set from my parts car and was thinking about getting them re plated.

A few days ago, I was walking too close to car and caught my leg on the edge of the bumper and got a nice gash in the leg. To make matters worse I sat down on the spare tire cover and burned the other leg on the hot tailpipe. Can't do anything about the pipe, but that sloppy edge work on the replate has got to get ground down.. Kitty bites bad Kitty..

Having seen the 2009 postings about the ebay bumpers from Vietnam, I was wondering if these were the same as Sunbeam Specialties is offering today.

I would also like to know what people have been paying for chrome on their bumpers. Not flash chrome but copper, nickel, then chrome.

Is it just California AQMD "air quality mgmt.district" or is it really the FED's and the EPA making everyone miserable?
 
I don't know what the going rate for a good chrome job is where you are however, on the other side of this planet, a recent (few years ago) rechrome of each bumper and the 2 other parts was about $450. Buying the stainless units worked out a bit cheaper with the advantage of stainless. Another plus, I have a club owner who wants to buy my old ones.

I am happy with the stainless units supplied however have not fitted them yet. I have heard a comment that the stainless units are thinner than the origionals. That does not concern me as the major function is cosmetic, not structual. And a stainless piece of smaller thickness may have the same or better impact resistance to a 50 year old british steel piece. (now wait for the howls of not origional).:)
 
chrome

i have a bumper and two early over riders at a shop in the harrisburg,pa area and when i pick them up in a few weeks the cost will be 450.00 for the bumper and 125.00 each for the over riders. they are triple plated. the problem i have seen with the stainless bumpers is that the profile is different from the originals. the bottom edge does not curve under like the originals. it goes straight down. you can not use original over riders for that reason. the bumpers also do not have the square holes for the bolts which makes it tough to tighten them properly. original bolts have the head profiled to fit the bumpers so they don't work on the stainless. the last set i saw were three pieces welded together and took a lot of time and effort to fit. no flex like the originals.
 
Chrome Plating

Warren,

I used Vern's Plating, 1559 W. El Segundo Boulevard in Gardena, to straighten and chrome my bumpers and bumperettes. Bob is the manager. He's a gear head and has several hotrods. He goes to Ruby's on Friday nights. He asked me what quality of plating job I wanted - Pebble Beach or Manhattan Beach? I told him Rosarito Beach. One bumber was bent at nearly a 20 degree angle (not me). They did a fabulous job. The bumpers are perfect. It was $190 each bumper, but that was 8 years ago, yet they still look perfect. That said, no chroming job is cheap nowadays.

I mostly use Supreme Plating, 330 E. Beach Ave in Inglewood, for all of my piece parts, since they are ~30% less expensive than Vern's. Luis is the manager.

Here are some pics of my car before, during and after.

Gary
 
Mostly Ditto

We've got two good guys left here in the Nor'east USA. The fussy wooden boat people use them also. The EPA regs drove the rest underground. Same questions about end result quality vs expense. Ya get watcha pay for and $450 seems the norm on a decent bumper. Over riders and small parts can vary with quantity together lots.
 
I have just sent all the hard top brackets as well as another 2 windscreen latches to the US to be plaited. The quote to do the lot is US$650 which I was a little surprised at, but I have been assured that it will be a very good job.
 
You sent parts from NZ to the USA for chroming? :confused: i would have thought there are some good platers in NZ given some of the restos i have seen from there... if not.. there are guys here in AU that do parts for international concourse jobs.. thats closer and surley easier than USA?
 
Maybe 4 or 5 years ago, I used Astro Chrome in Van Nuys to re-chrome a bumper. Show chrome- beautiful! Steve Laifman had used them in the past, also, and was very happy with their work. Can't remember how much, but the work was flawless.
 
I just got my bumpers done about 2 weeks ago---2 blades, 4 bumper guards and 4 bolts was $680 out the door.:confused:
 
The reason I sent them to the States is there is a long wait here for getting chrome done, the car come from LA and was partially rebuilt, and the parts are going to the plaiting shop that did the other work on the car, it only cost $55 NZ to send the bits, and I am going over there in 4 days time, so will pick them up and bring them back
 
grelley said:
The reason I sent them to the States is there is a long wait here for getting chrome done, the car come from LA and was partially rebuilt, and the parts are going to the plaiting shop that did the other work on the car, it only cost $55 NZ to send the bits, and I am going over there in 4 days time, so will pick them up and bring them back
Click to expand...

That's for bumpers? eek.. it would cost me that much to send a small package to NZ.. i should come across the ditch! :D
 
Arizona?

Like to hear from someone in Az. or Nevada. I hear you can also get better paint there still too.

Thanks for the replies, I have used Verne's and probably bought one of Bob's Harley Davidson bicycles for him with all I paid him for my Falcon , VW conv. et al other rolling toys.

I will have one spare core left over after I get them sorted..
 
Oh ok.. thats more likely! I was stunned at such cheap shipping for big heavy objects... also would have loved to see check-in/customs with a set of sunbeam bumpers in your luggage! :p

A friend ofmine brought back genunie magnesium minilites for his mini as hand luggage a few years back... when they scanned his bags they got quite a surprise :D
 
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