Sent out my bumpers for a chrome plating quote

[studiog]

I just sent my front and rear bumpers & rear lic. plate bumper (5 pieces) to Nu Chrome in MA for an exact price quote. They called me today just a day after receiving the parts. The price is higher than the email quote which I am not that surprised at due to the fact that one front bumper has a rust through spot and they said they would really need to see it. This place seems to have a good rep. and also seems very organized. They quoted me $1300.00 after seeing the parts. Is this a fair price? My dilemma is that at this price I can buy new front bumpers and just have the rear bumpers chromed, and I could probably auction off my front cores to pick up a few bucks to boot. New front bumpers at Paragon are about $360 each with my discount.

So should I:
(A) Try to negotiate the price with the chromer? Has anyone done this successfully?
(B) Just go for the new bumpers?
(C) Take a vacation?

 

[Gasman]

Have you looked at http://www.arebachrome.com/index.html
they have a price page to get you started.

 

[56 Texas]

anyone have experience with them???

 

[IH2LOSE]

So should I:
(A) Try to negotiate the price with the chromer? Has anyone done this successfully?
I would never try and negociate with a service company for there services.You have to wonder what they would leave out,The only negociation I would try with them would be to remind them how much they pay for taking credit cards,and then offer to send them a certified check if it would save you some money. Normally in order to accept credit card payments a company has to pay a service charge to the bank any where from 2.5 percent all the way up to 5% depending on the deal they made.So I would just ask them could I save any money by paying with a certified check?

(B) Just go for the new bumpers?
Dont count on paragons reproduction bumpers in the mix yet,They were dated out 9 weeks and have 29 orders in allready,So as I understood it.they wont be shipping any new bumper orders for quite some time.

I am still undecieded on who I am using for my chroming work,I do know that by hook or crook I will be decided tomorow because that was the dead line for me to ship them out.

 

[vintagecorvette]

Hello,

Do you know anyone in Canada? The chrome shops up here are usually quite abit cheaper plus most triple chrome plate. I have many friends up the westcoast who bring their parts up. Just a thought, may not be that convenient for you. but it could save you some $$$ which you could invest somehwere else in the car. Thanks oWEN

 

[Paranoid]

I had my rear(s) done locally. Guy only does "show quality" They look great. Are the replacements done "show quality?"

cost me about
$225ea + tax

 

[Vette66AirCoupe]

I was quoted $325 for one side, rear bumber. Show Chrome. I haven't gotten it back yet.

 

[lawcpi]

I had mine done last spring here in Denver for $225.00 a corner. License bar was additional $85.00. They were in excellent shape when I took them in so they didn't have to do extra work. They came out excellent.

 

[Z28Canuck]

So should I:
(A) Try to negotiate the price with the chromer? Has anyone done this successfully?
(B) Just go for the new bumpers?
(C) Take a vacation?

What option / options did you go with or are you undecided? Re-chrome or new? Was there any issues on the build up re-chroming that would affect fit up tolerances or was the chromer confident it wasn't a factor due to his method of chroming? Just curious!

 

[ChuckG]

Here's another thought...if your original bumpers fit, have them chromed. Sometimes, replacement bumpers don't fit. I have NO experience with the repro's.

Case in point....decades ago, I drilled a 1/2 inch hole under my left front bumper to mount a fog light. I was going to have all 4 corners rechromed, and thought I'd buy a "core" to replace the left front bumper.

Having been around the block a few times, I took my original off, and trial fitted the new "core". Couldn't get it to fit right.

Had the hole welded shut.....sent all 4 to Librandi's....about 8 months ago, where they were plated for about $175.00 each....$700 for all 4.

They need NO repair....as they were in excellent shape. Chuck

 

[studiog]

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. As an update I should tell you I sent all my existing bumpers out to Nu-Chrome and told them to proceed with the job. They all needed a bit of work. The rust through spot is on the bottom of a front bumper and wouldn't be that noticeable. They said it can be repaired properly so I am not too concerned. The turnaround time is suppose to be approx. 3 weeks. They called me last week but I just got back from vacation and haven't had a chance to return their call. I'll keep you posted.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. As an update I should tell you I sent all my existing bumpers out to Nu-Chrome and told them to proceed with the job. They all needed a bit of work. The rust through spot is on the bottom of a front bumper and wouldn't be that noticeable. They said it can be repaired properly so I am not too concerned. The turnaround time is suppose to be approx. 3 weeks. They called me last week but I just got back from vacation and haven't had a chance to return their call. I'll keep you posted.

Gary good luck I was able to get my bumpers out in the mail on monday,I choze the guy in texas that was on your first post on chroming.I just check the UPS tracking number I had and they arrived this morning,I will contact them on monday to confirn the price quote.It took me hours to pack them I was soo afraid of the window post's or the windsheild post getting damaged.My shipping weight ended up being 85lbs.I will advice of you of my final quote as soon as I get my hands on it.You know I should have sent these out months ago but I just didnt.



​

 

[studiog]

Gary good luck I was able to get my bumpers out in the mail on monday,I choze the guy in texas that was on your first post on chroming.I just check the UPS tracking number I had and they arrived this morning,I will contact them on monday to confirn the price quote.It took me hours to pack them I was soo afraid of the window post's or the windsheild post getting damaged.My shipping weight ended up being 85lbs.I will advice of you of my final quote as soon as I get my hands on it.You know I should have sent these out months ago but I just didnt.



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Hi Larry,
One thing I have learned about platers in general over the past few weeks of getting quotes is that they don't hang around by the phone all day. It seems to be hit or miss contacting these guys by phone. But I guess that's a good thing if you're the one waiting for your bumpers to come back.

My 4 bumper corners and the rear license plate bumper weighed 38 lbs. wrapped in newspaper and cost $12.50 to send from NY to MA, about 3.5 hrs. away from me. I will send out a second set of smaller parts including windshield & door posts as soon as I get the w/shield apart... wish me luck.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Gary

Just get the WD40 soaking in the screws as soon as possible,

 

[61 Silver]

Hi Larry,
One thing I have learned about platers in general over the past few weeks of getting quotes is that they don't hang around by the phone all day. It seems to be hit or miss contacting these guys by phone. But I guess that's a good thing if you're the one waiting for your bumpers to come back.

My 4 bumper corners and the rear license plate bumper weighed 38 lbs. wrapped in newspaper and cost $12.50 to send from NY to MA, about 3.5 hrs. away from me. I will send out a second set of smaller parts including windshield & door posts as soon as I get the w/shield apart... wish me luck.

studiog,

Just a thought prior to sending out the doorpost for chrome. Make sure all the small screws and rivets have been removed from the stainless channel mounting holes. I removed mine (screws & rivets) after chroming and it was a ^$$#$. I wonder if you could drive small wooden dowels into the holes to prevent them from building up with chrome.



Ray

 

[IH2LOSE]

studiog,

Just a thought prior to sending out the doorpost for chrome. Make sure all the small screws and rivets have been removed from the stainless channel mounting holes. I removed mine (screws & rivets) after chroming and it was a ^$$#$. I wonder if you could drive small wooden dowels into the holes to prevent them from building up with chrome.



Ray

Ray I removed all of mine but one in each window post(they were the middle screws to retain the window channel). I ground and pushed out all of my rivets,ran a tap thru all holes. and a die on the courner post studs.

Gary you should do the same as Ray suggested,

 

[studiog]

Larry & Ray,
Thanks for the advice, I haven't really examined the posts yet but I will soon and will follow both of your suggestions.

 

[Vanity Plate Bob]

Orange County Choppers bike builders just had a frame done on the TV show of 2 28 05. Could try and call them.
Couple of car programs advertise Pauls Chrome Plating.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Well my chrome is done and on its way to me.I should see it wensday,thursday of next week.I have to purchase a new windsheild this week so I can get that put together. I have my plate mount coming from mary jo so by next week end I should be able to post some pictures of the vanity plate I got for the car and see if you guys can figure out what it means.

 

[firstgear]

I was at a show last year at a local Chevy dealership and there was a guy there with a 62 that had his chrome redone by one company and had bought some chromed pieces from someplace else....in talking with him, the one thing he didnt like was that depending on the source, the chrome had a different look to it...let us know how the pieces you bougth from Mary Jo stack up against the pieces you had rechromed....it wasn't that they all didn't shine, it was more like they were a color of chrome off from each other......