64 bumpers...

[hotrodbrando]

Hey all, what are the options for bumpers? Not looking to do fiberglass. I'm assuming from my google activity that nobody makes them... If not, what's the sting on re-chrome? I know a lot depends on condition....

Thanks in advance!

Brandon

[A/FX]

Brandon
I just had a pair of’64 bumpers re chromed, they were in very nice shape but the Chrome was not as nice as I wanted. The cost was $500 each, they now look better than when they were new.
I have been to the Meltdown event the last two years, it is a great event for nostalgia racing. The swap meet is OK also.
Jim

[Jims65cyclone]

I checked out a number of re-chroming services at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Auto Fair last year, and they ran from $450 to $750. The cheap end were the Bumper Boyz guys, and for good reason. You could pick the chrome off the back side of the bumpers where they hadn't been cleaned adequately before chroming. The expensive guys had sample bumpers that showed the steps they took from a rusted core through cleaning, repairing, copper plating and multiple layers of chrome plating. Basically, the cheap guys were for flippers, hobbyists or daily drivers, and the expensive guys were for the collectors and concourse guys.
Jim

[A/FX]

My bumpers were done by North Star plating in Minnesota. I have all my other Chrome work done by The Chrome Shop in Menasha Wisconsin but they do not have facilities to do large bumpers. North Star did an outstanding job, they are perfectly straight and the back of the bumper is done very nice (but not polished) the Chrome has that “blueish” glow to it like good chrome normally has. Like I mentioned in my last post it was $500 for each bumper, well worth the money for good results.
Right now I am preparing my side window frames to send for new chrome, the door frames are fairly complex and the 1/4 window frames are less complicated. Almost every piece of chrome and almost all the stainless trim will be refinished during this rebuild, right now I have about 3/4 of it done. Last week I picked up the stainless steel rocker panel moldings and wheel well trim from the polisher, it looks like jewelry.
Jim

[hotrodbrando]

Thanks for the info!

Have you guys had any of the interior windshield trim done? My pillar covers and header are damn near completely brown with rust. I'd have to see how bad they are after I clean them up to see if they are worth plating. Funny thing is they look exactly the same as the '53 Merc I did... Don't know what the issue is with those pieces but damn they don't hold up...

Thanks again! Jim, hope to see you at the Meltdown. I'm one of the "whites shirts". I'm also the guy that MC's the pinup contest... rough job. Try and make it to the Uncle Sam's one June 2nd. Even to just watch. It's going to be very cool...

Brandon

[A/FX]

Brandon
In one of the last batches of plating I had done I included the inner windshield trim, mine had some minor pits and I wanted it to look better. The chrome that came on these cars 54 years ago just wasn’t that nice so time takes it toll.
These cars had multiple kinds of trim, none of it is cheap to have refinished, my next item to tackle is the anodized aluminum trim, although I do have some of the pieces NOS that I purchased 30+ years ago.
We will have to meet at Byron.
Jim