Rechroming costs - 53 coupe

[studehunter]

I have a 1954 Coupe thata I am waiting in the chrom to be finished as we speak. Yes there is a ton of trim on these wonderful cars. Most if which is pot metal. Are you sitting down? my estimate from Graves Custom Plating was between $5,000-$7,000 but you do not want to cut it short. I hope this helps.

I am trying to assess how much it will cost me to restore my 53 Champion Regal Starlight Coupe. One of the big costs will be chrome plating. I counted 29 pieces including the following, all requiring replating but in otherwise good shape (no pits or dents):
2 taillamps
2 grille shells
2 grille bars
2 bumpers
2 bumper guards
one rear bumper guard (around plate area)
windshield molding
belt molding & window trim
trunk handle
emblems - hood "S", 2 qtr panel "S", 1 hood tristar

Can anyone give me a rough BALLPARK idea what rechroming all these pieces would cost? I just want to get an idea of what I am getting into here! [:0] Thanks for any comments!
Charles Schneider


'53 Champion Starlight Coupe
'60 Lark VIII
'50 2R5
[/quote]

[studehunter]

I have a 1954 Coupe thata I am waiting in the chrom to be finished as we speak. Yes there is a ton of trim on these wonderful cars. Most if which is pot metal. Are you sitting down? my estimate from Graves Custom Plating was between $5,000-$7,000 but you do not want to cut it short. I hope this helps.

I am trying to assess how much it will cost me to restore my 53 Champion Regal Starlight Coupe. One of the big costs will be chrome plating. I counted 29 pieces including the following, all requiring replating but in otherwise good shape (no pits or dents):
2 taillamps
2 grille shells
2 grille bars
2 bumpers
2 bumper guards
one rear bumper guard (around plate area)
windshield molding
belt molding & window trim
trunk handle
emblems - hood "S", 2 qtr panel "S", 1 hood tristar

Can anyone give me a rough BALLPARK idea what rechroming all these pieces would cost? I just want to get an idea of what I am getting into here! [:0] Thanks for any comments!
Charles Schneider


'53 Champion Starlight Coupe
'60 Lark VIII
'50 2R5
[/quote]

[Kdancy]

quote:Originally posted by rocinante

I am trying to assess how much it will cost me to restore my 53 Champion Regal Starlight Coupe. One of the big costs will be chrome plating. I counted 29 pieces including the following, all requiring replating but in otherwise good shape (no pits or dents):
2 taillamps
2 grille shells
2 grille bars
2 bumpers
2 bumper guards
one rear bumper guard (around plate area)
windshield molding
belt molding & window trim
trunk handle
emblems - hood "S", 2 qtr panel "S", 1 hood tristar

Can anyone give me a rough BALLPARK idea what rechroming all these pieces would cost? I just want to get an idea of what I am getting into here! [:0] Thanks for any comments!
Charles Schneider

Charles, what did you wind up doing with your chrome work ?

53commander HDTP
53 Champion HDTP
61 Cursed Purple Hawk
64 Champ long bed V8

[Kdancy]

quote:Originally posted by rocinante

I am trying to assess how much it will cost me to restore my 53 Champion Regal Starlight Coupe. One of the big costs will be chrome plating. I counted 29 pieces including the following, all requiring replating but in otherwise good shape (no pits or dents):
2 taillamps
2 grille shells
2 grille bars
2 bumpers
2 bumper guards
one rear bumper guard (around plate area)
windshield molding
belt molding & window trim
trunk handle
emblems - hood "S", 2 qtr panel "S", 1 hood tristar

Can anyone give me a rough BALLPARK idea what rechroming all these pieces would cost? I just want to get an idea of what I am getting into here! [:0] Thanks for any comments!
Charles Schneider

Charles, what did you wind up doing with your chrome work ?

53commander HDTP
53 Champion HDTP
61 Cursed Purple Hawk
64 Champ long bed V8

[dictator27]

Hey guys, take a look at www.caswellplating.com. They supply all the necessary stuff to do your own dechroming, buffing, pot metal repairing and rechroming along with all kinds of other stuff. This way you have control over the quality of the job.

Terry
27 Dictator sedan
54 Commander hardtop

[dictator27]

Hey guys, take a look at www.caswellplating.com. They supply all the necessary stuff to do your own dechroming, buffing, pot metal repairing and rechroming along with all kinds of other stuff. This way you have control over the quality of the job.

Terry
27 Dictator sedan
54 Commander hardtop

[Roscomacaw]

Terry,

Caswell's been around for quite some time - at least 15 years or more. If it was worthy of show chrome, it'd be BIG in the hobby. The fact that it's not is telling. Pot metal's NOT easy to plate - especially since so much of it is odd-shaped and the chrome doesn't just uniformly cover a piece like you'd like it to. It takes expertise that only comes from experience. Throw in the rare talent to fix, bent, cracked (and worst) PITTED stuff and you've got a recipie for frustration. PLUS, if you screw up your stuff (quite possible!) you're gonna be looking for replacements to take to a reputable plater anyways!

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle!!

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Roscomacaw]

Terry,

Caswell's been around for quite some time - at least 15 years or more. If it was worthy of show chrome, it'd be BIG in the hobby. The fact that it's not is telling. Pot metal's NOT easy to plate - especially since so much of it is odd-shaped and the chrome doesn't just uniformly cover a piece like you'd like it to. It takes expertise that only comes from experience. Throw in the rare talent to fix, bent, cracked (and worst) PITTED stuff and you've got a recipie for frustration. PLUS, if you screw up your stuff (quite possible!) you're gonna be looking for replacements to take to a reputable plater anyways!

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle!!

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Kdancy]

It takes a lot of experience to be able to plate pot metal. So much variation in the metal itself. It is pretty easy to screw it up.

[Kdancy]

It takes a lot of experience to be able to plate pot metal. So much variation in the metal itself. It is pretty easy to screw it up.

[bonehead007]

Took my Avanti air filter cover to Librandi. They claimed 8 weeks, took 12 due to Herehsey.Cost $140 & UPS. Did a fantastic job. Taking the bumpers to them as well. If Harley can trust them with their chrome, you can trust them with yours. Their right by Harrisburg PA Airport

[bonehead007]

Took my Avanti air filter cover to Librandi. They claimed 8 weeks, took 12 due to Herehsey.Cost $140 & UPS. Did a fantastic job. Taking the bumpers to them as well. If Harley can trust them with their chrome, you can trust them with yours. Their right by Harrisburg PA Airport

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by bonehead007

Took my Avanti air filter cover to Librandi. They claimed 8 weeks, took 12 due to Herehsey.Cost $140 & UPS. Did a fantastic job. Taking the bumpers to them as well. If Harley can trust them with their chrome, you can trust them with yours. Their right by Harrisburg PA Airport

They may do excellent work, but it looks to me like you are making an apples and oranges comparison. Chrome plating a used, and possibly pitted, pot metal piece from a 50 year old Studebaker and doing new, production work for Harley is not the same thing. If they screw up a Harley piece, they can just throw it away and do another. If you are actually refering to rechrome of old Harley pieces, that would be a closer comparison.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by bonehead007

Took my Avanti air filter cover to Librandi. They claimed 8 weeks, took 12 due to Herehsey.Cost $140 & UPS. Did a fantastic job. Taking the bumpers to them as well. If Harley can trust them with their chrome, you can trust them with yours. Their right by Harrisburg PA Airport

They may do excellent work, but it looks to me like you are making an apples and oranges comparison. Chrome plating a used, and possibly pitted, pot metal piece from a 50 year old Studebaker and doing new, production work for Harley is not the same thing. If they screw up a Harley piece, they can just throw it away and do another. If you are actually refering to rechrome of old Harley pieces, that would be a closer comparison.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by studegary

If you are actually refering to rechrome of old Harley pieces, that would be a closer comparison.

Also, as Biggs has stated, there is a BIG difference between rechroming steel (air cleaner, bumper, etc.) and rechroming pot metal.

I've seen A LOT of pot metal ruined by good chrome platers. It takes a very special chrome plater to do pot metal. Very few around and they ain't cheap.




Dick Steinkamp
Bellingham, WA