Re-chroming

[pompei]

I've had my Fiat 500 for over 20 years now and am on its third set of bumpers (*bumbers*)  All have gone rusty and the chrome is peeling off like a KitKat wrapper.  I have seen 40 year old cars abroad with really good chrome.

 

So I am considering getting mine re-chromed properly if it is not too expensive.  Has anyone had any experience of chroming companies?  Price, quality etc?

 

Thanks as ever. 

[cros]

I had my Rover P4 front bumper rechromed by a firm called Niphos Metal finishing in Crewe 6 months ago. It is in 3 pieces and the centre section has the number plate 'box' so only needed chrome on a small area. They charged around £320 which I gather is on the cheap side these days. Their factory looks like a proper old school establishment, but only time will tell how well the finish holds up.

  I've had plenty of chromed car bits where the chrome falls off at the first sign of salt.  Morris traveller rear quarter bumpers and LD van hub caps lasted less than a year, and I'm always careful to keep a protective coating on the in the winter.

  If at all possible I adapt something made from stainless- you can get bumpers for BL Minis in this material, I'd rather have it looking slightly wrong than very rusty.

[mat_the_cat]

I too have had ropey plating which peeled off after a couple of years, but heard good stuff from several people about Derby Plating.

http://derbyplating.co.uk/

[Tamworthbay]

There used to a great place in Bedworth but ot closed a while back. Just make sure they copper plate before the chrome, but any quality outfit will do that anyway.

[alf892]

 

Flaking chrome?........this is the stuff for a shite repair

[pshome]

go for stainless steel.

Peugeot been doing all "chrome" parts in stainless forever and you cant tell the difference.

 

http://www.oldieglanz.de/Fiat/Bumpers-for-Fiat-500.html

[mercrocker]

Bumpers on the Cowley are peeling badly. I am going to get them blasted and powder coated aluminium grey. I had some chroming done a good few years ago by a highly reputed company and it didn't last two years. Got loads of better shit to spend my money on than shonky chrome.

[stephen01]

I worked closely with a plating co many years ago, still have a 'in' at the place, It's not a cheap game, If you've got pics I can make enquires if you wish,  

[Des]

I've an engineers next door who do plating, I've had him do some bits, although he reckoned I'd have been better off using some powder coating firm who do something close. Has anyone tried that system where you paint things glossy black then apply a silvering whilst running distilled water over? If that stuff is any good I'd be interested in painting in some missing bumpers.

[Clanger]

Like the stuff Jay Leno used?

 

http://www.nbc.com/jay-lenos-garage/video/spray-on-chrome/n35122

[Bobthebeard]

My only experience was with a company that was highly rated locally. Admittedly a long time ago. I took a few parts in to be re chromed. The owner rang me to ask if I wanted a quick job or a proper job. The difference in price was huge. Re chroming properly is very expensive!

[plasticvandan]

chrome wont get you home

[Taff]

re-chroming is the one part of 50's yank car ownership that makes me cry.

 

But enough about me, my local one is S&T Plating in Bristol. But the fact that they are good means its still enough to drive me to tears.

[UltraWomble]

Aqua Plating in Preston have done the shiny bits on the 8 that needed re-doing - part of the problem is if the metal is badly pitted there is a lot of prep and then it will need to be brassed to accept the chrome.

[gordonbennet]

I know from the merc forum that some people have had chrome paints applied to their diamond cut and polished alloy wheels with good long lasting effect, whilst obviously not a chrome finish exactly it isn't far off so might be worth inquiry.

[Jimmycrackcorn]

There's a company called Aerocoat who have a powdercoat called Chromex, a friend had his metal work done with it instead of being chromed and it was amazing. 

http://aerocoat.co.uk/

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

go for stainless steel.

Peugeot been doing all "chrome" parts in stainless forever and you cant tell the difference.

 

http://www.oldieglanz.de/Fiat/Bumpers-for-Fiat-500.html

 

 

I don't think you will be able to spot the difference in colour between chrome and stainless on the Fiat 500 since the bumpers don't sit directly next to chromed parts. Jaguar used a mixture of chromed parts and stainless steel parts on the XJ40 (and presumably earlier cars too). The bumpers are chrome plated and the window frames are polished stainless steel, for example. Put directly together, the stainless parts are marginally yellower in colour - but they have to be very close together for you  to tell.

[Junkman]

This is where most of the people I know in the resto business have their stuff re-chromed:

 

http://www.galvano.pl

[hennabm]

I've used Quality Chrome in Hull a few times with excellent results.

My items were all small so cost for a bumper I can't say. But quality it is.

[MikeKnight]

I had all the chrome on my GT6 redone a while back.

 

Proper job, ie horrendously expensive and took bloody forever.

[groovylee]

thanks all, i'll pass the info on to my friend