is my bumper a repop?????

[lowrodderchev]

Hey guys a friend of mine gave me a rear bumper for my 57 downfall it needs chroming is there a difference in repop and original ones? If its a repop is it worth chroming is there a weight difference between the 2 thanx

[Divine 59]

measure the thickness of the bumper and I'll tell you if it is thinner than mine rear bumper. I know mine is factory original.

[lowrodderchev]

Ok took a look I believe its 1/8 of inch

[_Ogre]

repops are so cheap that it is not worth the time or money to rechrome a bumper

[lowrodderchev]

hey Ogre ive heard magazine bought chrome parts don't hold up well. i have some taillight brackets I bought chrome that rusted in a year maybe you have some insight on it? ive read post that say the after markey bumpers I really thin and don't hold up to well

[62lwbc10]

I can tell you my repop front bumper is WAY thinner than the original, so much so you need to be careful with the bumper bolts, or you willl easily bend the bumper. My original bumper is much much thicker, and heavier. My rear re-pop bumper is pretty heavy and comparable to the original.

[_Ogre]

not sure where i bought mine, either brothers or lmctruck for $99 6 yrs ago.
i drive it everywhere in the rain, looks good after 3.5 yrs, and 20,000 miles
brothers has theirs on sale for $149 right now, probably 3x that to rechrome

[Speedbumpauto]

The only reason to get a repop and have it chromed is if you're going to smooth the bolt holes and/or modify the width/length of the bumper. You have to be very careful with heat during welding BECAUSE they're so much thinner. I had to pay the chromer extra to tune mine up after I got it the shape I wanted.

[lowrodderchev]

I do need to save all the money I can from what ive heard my grill is going to be around $1,000 to rechrome

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by Speedbumpauto

The only reason to get a repop and have it chromed is if you're going to smooth the bolt holes and/or modify the width/length of the bumper. You have to be very careful with heat during welding BECAUSE they're so much thinner. I had to pay the chromer extra to tune mine up after I got it the shape I wanted.

Good point, If it is a reproduction you would be a lot better off money wise to just buy another reproduction from a reputable vendor and go again rather then spend three times and maybe more to have that one redone. If it is good oem bumper it might be better to have it redone if your wallet can handle it.

If you have a buddy who owns or works in a body shop you might ask if they deal with any outfits that redo bumpers for the body shops. Around here there was a truck that came around once or twice a week delivering freshly refinished chrome bumpers to body shops and if there is such a service you might get a better price than sending it off yourself.

[lowrodderchev]

so back to the original question is there a way to tell if its a repop or not? I know its 1/8 thick and I know this has been talked about over and over but who is a reputable vendor? Im really sweating the cost of the chrome grill I see them go for $550-$800 but I always hear people say crappy chrome or thin metal. is there anyone that can really say wow that was money well spent (course when it comes to our cars it always is )

[Speedbumpauto]

hard question about the grill. I bought a repop from a chrome guy in Phoenix on sale at a swap meet our car club put on a couple of years ago and it was less than $300. It fits pretty well and it is shiney but it's definitely thinner and cheesier than the painted, used one I thought about buying and having done. You might be able to sell the REAL one to a fanatic and come out OK.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by lowrodderchev

so back to the original question is there a way to tell if its a repop or not?

if it looks shiny, it's probably repop
don't sweat it, if it looks good, buy it
$1000?

[Divine 59]

Hey I measured my rear bumper. It is 0.174" thick according to my digital calipers. Hope this helps you figure it out.

[Divine 59]

I would imagine the weight will also be telling. If yours is 1/8 it may not be factory. Mine was almost 3/16" thick.

[lowrodderchev]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

if it looks shiny, it's probably repop
don't sweat it, if it looks good, buy it
$1000?

it was free I got it on my truck just the chrome is chip off with rust under it. figured I have to send the grill and hood emblems so add the bumper to the mix. the $1000 is the quote I heard for the grill to get chromed.

[lowrodderchev]

Originally Posted by Divine 59

I would imagine the weight will also be telling. If yours is 1/8 it may not be factory. Mine was almost 3/16" thick.

yeah must be a repop it was free and who passes up free right. so till my money tree starts sprouting i'm rolling on a budget

[Divine 59]

I don't know where you are looking at for the rechrome on the grill. But for 1k I would certainly shop around. Of course if you are talking about a "show" chrome job on the grill it could be that much. If you are looking at a good chrome finish it should not be nearly that much. Try Ogden Chrome or some of the other chrome places. A friend of mine had some pieces chromed local to me and they turned out pretty good. I think he chromed a front and rear bumper a front grill and all the emblems for a 1940 Olds and it was probably $2k. It looked pretty good to me. But if you want to "shave" in the reflection of your grill your gonna pay.

[lowrodderchev]

Buddy of mine who's all about bomb style show cars talk to his chromer he quoted the price maybe I better tell him daily driver chrome

[vht]

My chevelle has the original bumpers. They're straight and in pretty good shape so I thought about getting them rechromed. WOW!!! I was told around a grand for both so I decided they look pretty good the way they are. I can't believe how much chroming has went up. A guy told me to seal the reproductions good on the back side and they will last a lot longer. The chevelle and truck will get reproductions unless I find a deal on rechroming.