Chroming stuff

[kevinr1970]

I had to deliver some things to the plater today for my company. While I was there I asked the owner about rechroming my front bumper and he said it would be about $200. I also just recieved my chevyduty catalouge and a new bumper is around $120.
It has been said that the "new" bumpers are a thinner gauge steel than the original but is this a bad thing? Are they a quality bumper besdies that? I'm not building a show truck and just want something with good chrome.
Is $200 a reasonable price to rechrome a front bumper?

I also had another thought about maybe chroming a set of rallye wheels. Anybody seen or done that? Any opinions on that?

[RockHQ]

I'm no expert on the subject, but chroming a part should have three steps to it, first copper plating, then nickel plating and finally chrome plating. Of course all imperfections are removed in between the steps. What i've heard is that the el cheapo bumpers do not have the bottom copper layer which makes them inferior. That, and the fact they're made of thinner steel.

The front bumper of my '79 is a chrome repop and it's slightly bent from me standing on it while working on the engine. Thinner steel than the rear bumper which is original or a GM replacement.

Chroming a set of wheels is another story. Because of the shape of the wheel the jig used to position the electrodes is far more complicated. I've been told it's way too expensive and that the results are often not perfect.

[SanitysBane]

from what i've heard, back in the day when they said "triple plated" that ment that they dunked it in the chrome tank 3 times. now its just 1 dunk in the copper, nickel and then chrome, and the chrome is alot thinner now and when they buff it up to a shine they only leave about 30% of it on the bumper.

[piecesparts]

In the old days they would dip in copper and then work the metal the same way you would sand body filler and smooth the bumper. The copper is the filler and then the nickle is the sealer and it allows for chrome to adhere to the piece. This day and age the prep is more like going to Maaco and you get what you pay for. I would bet the finished bumper that is in the catalog is definitely inferior to you old bumper and the finish will not be absolutely smooth. for the extra money get the guy to redo your bumper and set a standard of quality that you want him to acheive.

[Hot Rod Willy]

kevin: ide go with chevyduty bumper. Buddy ordered one and they look to bad. His chrome is nice =)

[Captkaos]

I have had good feedback from customers on the bumpers I have sold from my site.

[Mike76251]

It takes 1 amp per square inch to chrome something.......that means a big-time expensive power supply is involved plus labor.
Add that to all the environmental laws they have to adhere to and you know why it is so high.
I think $200 is a steal.
Just make sure thats a 3 layer job or it won't last.

[kevinr1970]

Originally Posted by Mike76251

It takes 1 amp per square inch to chrome something.......that means a big-time expensive power supply is involved plus labor.
Add that to all the environmental laws they have to adhere to and you know why it is so high.
I think $200 is a steal.
Just make sure thats a 3 layer job or it won't last.

We have been doing business with these guys for about 12 years. We make high-end wood and gas fireplaces, inserts and stoves. We have a lot of different plated faces and trim for them. Mostly gold, nickel and copper.
The bumpers I saw looked like something for a street rod, or maybe restoration. The were only about 4-5" tall and were curved from end to end. There was about 10-15 of them on a rack and they were copper colored. I am assuming that was one of the steps in the process.
I bought a real nice rear bumper off of Blazer that only had around 60k miles. One of my concerns is that the rear bumper won't be as "bright" as the replated front bumper?

[cliffsta]

Yeah, i think i agree with hot willy. Just looking at the pics the ones in CD look better than LMC. Which could just be a ploy, but....

[Mike76251]

If it is in good shape to begin with and they polish it well......and they do the 3 step copper/nickel/chrome process.......it should look as good as any chrome out there.
I still think that is a good price for that much work.

[kevinr1970]

This may be a moot point as I took a look at the front bumper I have today and its not as straight as I remember it being?
Oh well!
I have the engine in the Sub ready to be pulled and the engine in the 2wd Blazer is just about there too. Hopefully by monday I'll be able to start the Blazer again.
Then I'll start looking at those A/M bumpers.

No one had anything to say about chroming the rallye's? Anything???

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by kevinr1970

This may be a moot point as I took a look at the front bumper I have today and its not as straight as I remember it being....
No one had anything to say about chroming the rallye's? Anything???

If you have the bumper chromed at a bumper shop, they can straighten it. They have the presses and a whole bunch of BFH's to make it like new again.

Most chrome shops won't do wheels because they can't get an anode to set properly where the rim meets the face of the wheel. You would be much better off buying chrome plated rallye wheels from one of the companies that stocks them....

[kevinr1970]

Does someone stock chrome truck rallye's? Links????

[Mike76251]

Ask your chrome shop if they do wheels.
If they say yes......ask how much.....might not be worth it.
I think it would look great and sure beat the silver paint on em'
Keep us updated and be sure post a pic if you get it done.