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I am wondering if anyone has had any recent experience getting a car bumper rechromed here in the Midwest and approximately how much it cost. I have tried to find a reasonably priced rechromer here in Indiana but so far I have been quoted a lot more to rechrome than to purchase a reproduction bumper for the 1960's car.
It was about $300 to rechrome a full size pickup bumper. This was about a decade ago. Looks like new and much better than overseas crap. What sold me to this particular guy was only one thing...he advertised his shop by showing a chromed brick out front!
I can tell you I recently had the two bumpers, and a bunch of other parts, rechromed, and the total cost was a lot more than the car cost new. This early 50's GM car sold for around $2500 when new. I have twice that much in the chrome work I did.
If you are restoring a car and have to ask prices, you can't afford to restore a car. Everything is crazy expensive.
Here is a classic car site you might be interested in viewing. You can get an answer to most any questions you might have on classic cars, for the early 1900's, to the 80's... AACA Forums
Grab yourself a copy of Hemmings Motor News, there are several plating shops advertising in there. Graves in Alabama tends to be the most reasonable. They did a rear bumper for a 68 GTO for me, the finish was not really up to factory standards...looked OK from 10 feet away but that was about it.
Doing proper chrome work or any kind of body work is labor-intensive, and it's craftsman labor, you can't just hire an alky from the local mission and have him doing good polishing work by noon. Lot of chemical stuff going on in the chrome tank, and if you don't start with a copper plating, then go over that with nickel, then finally put the chromium on like a clear coat, it won't be right.
I can tell you I recently had the two bumpers, and a bunch of other parts, rechromed, and the total cost was a lot more than the car cost new. This early 50's GM car sold for around $2500 when new. I have twice that much in the chrome work I did.
If you are restoring a car and have to ask prices, you can't afford to restore a car. Everything is crazy expensive.
Here is a classic car site you might be interested in viewing. You can get an answer to most any questions you might have on classic cars, for the early 1900's, to the 80's... AACA Forums
Everything has GOTTEN crazy expensive. Heck in the last 15 years it's been open season on car restorers and hot rodders. Used to be you could get this stuff done for a reasonable dollar amount and you wouldn't have to ask what it cost...because it was generally affordable. Now everything has gotten rediculusly expensive.
Maybe I shouldn't ask the price before bringing my old rusty bumpers into a shop and saying "Give them the works!!!! Make them super street grade. Go extra heavy on the chrome too because I don't want to do this again for another 40 years."
I was going to get my bumpers rechromed, in my research it was much cheaper if I removed the old chrome. Apparently it is more hazardous removing than rechroming. Also the disposal is hazardous waste.
You may want to look at powder coating. They have a nice chrome powder that looks real nice.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
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Yep, hazardous waste for chemicals used in plating shops + EPA regs has hurt the industry and driving up prices.
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