Chroming cost nowadays?

[Buck]

I haven't had any chroming done in 30 years and I want to have my Avanti bumpers done. What would a good chrome job cost to do those now?

[63r2]

Not sure on cost but if it's anything like over here then the problem will be to find a good one. Generally I have found them to be expensive and for the chrome not to last very long.
pb
ps Isn't one of the forum members a chrome plater?
pb

[Alan]

Jerry Forrester, and he is close to you.

[johnod]

PM Jerry Forrester here on the forum, he's in the biz.
Done some stuff for me, and I've been happy.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Contact Jerry and get a price. forr62@bellsouth.net 707-949-8942 I'm sure he knows Avanti bumpers well. I can tell you that he is MUCH less than chromers in the Seattle, WA/Vancouver, BC area and his work is the best I have ever seen. He has done a lot of work for me. Here is some of it...

[mbstude]

Yea, Jerry's shop is pretty good.

I went to an all-make swap meet today and hung out with Jerry for the most of the day. I even told him, "Hey you need to send Steinkamp something for free. He does more promoting for you than anyone I've ever seen." We even learned all sorts of new things about his '55 Commander coupe. It's actually a Golden Hawk with a 390 Golden Commando engine. Everyone's uncle had one that was green.

Was well worth the trip just for the entertainment.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Yea, Jerry's shop is pretty good.

I went to an all-make swap meet today and hung out with Jerry for the most of the day. I even told him, "Hey you need to send Steinkamp something for free. He does more promoting for you than anyone I've ever seen." We even learned all sorts of new things about his '55 Commander coupe. It's actually a Golden Hawk with a 390 Golden Commando engine. Everyone's uncle had one that was green.

Was well worth the trip just for the entertainment.

I KNEW that Studebaker used those Ford engines....first the 289, then later that 390 Commando.

Here's another reason I use Jerry.

He did all the chrome for the Kart Hauler. The last batch came back to me on time, but with a deadline approaching to get the car to the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona in a few weeks. The box that the chrome was in had split open in transit. One little (crucial) but quite rare part had fallen out. Clearly not Jerry's fault, but Jerry networked with his Stude buddies, found a duplicate of the missing part, had it shipped to him, rushed it through his chrome shop, and got it to me before the deadline. What other chrome plater would do that?

Jerry doesn't owe me a thing.

[studegary]

Contact Jerry and get a price. forr62@bellsouth.net 707-949-8942 I'm sure he knows Avanti bumpers well. I can tell you that he is MUCH less than chromers in the Seattle, WA/Vancouver, BC area and his work is the best I have ever seen. He has done a lot of work for me. Here is some of it...

Your bumper has the incorrect end bolt <G>.

[8E45E]

Your bumper has the incorrect end bolt <G>.

Its not HIS anymore!

Craig

[Dick Steinkamp]

Your bumper has the incorrect end bolt <G>.

but...it's a custom, not a stocker and that's the way I wanted it <GGG>.

[37CoupeE]

I have found that chrome for Avanti bumpers is ridiculus for what is being done.
The front is almost $400 for the center and the ends are almost $300 each.
The rear bumper alone is almost $500.
The rear guards are $150 each.
This from two different chromers.

[mdelapp]

Where is Jerry located?
I'm in Chicago area and have used Calco for some bumpers. So far good results and farily good prices (whatever that means). There is Finishing Touch in Chicago but higher priced. Our SDC chapter is doing a meeting at Finishing Touch on Tuesday. I will report any information that seems wothy.

[Kdancy]

I've used quite a few platers over the years on various restorations and have learned that re-plators are not an "exact" science and their prices are all over the place. I've used one recommended on this site that resulted in one of the worst jobs I've had done and wound up sending it to these guys for a re-do--

http://www.chromeplatingin.com/

They fixed the screwed up plating job and it looked better than new when I got it back. At a cost that was 10.00 more than I paid the other place, and this was to totally re-do the just plated item. Needless to say, I now have them do all my plating.
I've sent them a lot more work including the 70 Jag XKE we did and all the plating for the 58 Packard Hawk I am working on now along with the 37 Terraplane PU (some parts that another plating company screwed up and charged "Rolls Royce" prices for Yugo results). It is a family run business and all plating work is done "in house".
Things I have learned--
1- take pictures of each and every part along with parts list of items sent. Have this record on hand in case a part comes up missing.
2- Make sure there is a guaranty-warranty on the quality of work and that the plater understands what type of work you expect.
3- I don't use a "middle man" to have my stuff plated. Be sure you ask if the person does their own work or farms it out for some one else to do. You would be surprised at the work that is actually subbed out to other shops and by doing this quality suffers.
4- price is not a guaranty of quality. Some of the worst plating I've seen was also some of the highest cost.
5- The quality that one person receives isn't a guarantee that you will get the same.
6- I send out test pieces first - to see what kind of quality I can expect ---the above item was one of those "test" runs.
7- Most of these shops have low paid employees, which generally results in high employee turn over- thus the guy that did your plating this time may not be working there next time!
It is the one area that you must stay on top of if you expect superior results.

[bezhawk]

I second Kdancys' statments completely. However, if your dissatisfied with quality of services, they should be given the opportunity to rectify the situation to ones satisfaction. I will say it's very disappointing to send off good parts and get back parts that were worse than you sent.

[speycaster]

a great chromer and master metal finisher who does top quality with copper nickle and chrome is super chrome in spring field oregon mr mike shipley he is also a car collector with 13 cars 541 741-7881