New chrome

[56 safari]

Since the wagon is getting new paint over the winter, I  want to get the front and rear bumpers rechromed. My front is perfect except about a quarter sized flake and the drivers rear has some wrinkling. No rust. So far i have gotten $3600 and $3100 quotes. This is a real eye opener.

[Frosty]

Sadly yes. Big pieces get the big sticker prices. A lot of that cost is the labor to fix the metal underneath before the plating process even begins (e.g. fixing your driving wrinkling or pitting due to rust). Did the chromers you talk to say how long it would take before you got your pieces back?

[56 safari]

the 3600 is about 6weeks and the 3100 is pushing 12+ weeks. I have 4 more places im waiting to hear back from.

i have a buddy looking into spectrachrome.  He does powder coating . So i thought this could be a nice add on business. Told him if the process works and holds up i would buy half the machine and we start chroming america.

[Professur]

One of the biggest tasks with chrome plating is getting the substrate perfectly straight and smooth. Like with painting gloss black .. if it isn't perfect, it's terrible. No real middle ground there. They do it by layering soft copper and buffing and buffing and buffing it smooth before the bright finish goes on. Now plastic straight out of a mirror shiny mold and sprayed with this stuff might look good enough .. but getting a steel bumper perfect enough for this .... let's just say I don't think the chrome guys are gonna loose much sleep over it.

[Frosty]

I will say that real chrome and spectrachrome both have their places.

On a classic car like the Safari, real chrome is what people expect and frankly looks best, IMHO.

That said, spectrachrome can be tinted (in the clear coat process) to make a tinted metallic look that looks awesome for a wild looking platform, from metallic looking cars and motorcycles to whatever artwork you can imagine. Imagine a black tinted spectrachomed '33 Ford with a similarly classic flame job!

[56 safari]

I picked knox chrome from tennessee. I hope to get everything boxed and wrapped up by midweek and sent out.  

[Frosty]

Can I assume this is the $3600/6 week place you referred to above? I have not heard of them before, do they have good reviews?

What conclusions did you and your buddy come to on the spectrachrome equipment?

Edited November 29, 2016 by Frosty

[56 safari]

Spectra chrome idea sorta died off.  

Knox custom chrome has very good reviews and i have called them twice and are very nice to talk with.

hoping to be around $2700 for both bumpers and front hood trim plus the tail lights.

[Professur]

This is sort of their high season. Everyone's pulling their cars off the road and into the garage for a winter's worth of work. Bumpers and chrome head off while the car's out of sight and mind .. to return with the spring and the reopening of cruise season.

[Frosty]

Yes so they also know they can't let that stuff accumulate around the shop, so they have the turn it around quickly without sacrificing quality. Sounds like a really good price.

[56 safari]

This how she is today. Paint is 75% done. Chrome is scheduled to be done the last week of feb. I ended up not shipping the chrome out. Shipping one way was $500. I chose a place 40 min from my home , Librandi's chrome. 

[56 safari]

Getting closer. Trim on oneside is back on. Chrome is still about 4 weeks out.

[56 safari]

emailed the  chromer to check progress. Get a email back saying it is now 16+ weeks from drop off instead of the 10-12 when i took everything there. The reasoning for the extra time is that they got busy after i dropped my stuff off. So  I get bumped for someone else.  I drove to see the manager because i wanted him to explain to me with a straight face the extra time. Wasnt there when i arrived.  So i left word that i stopped by.

thought about the situation and made the trip back up a week later to pick everything up. Now everything has been stripped and copper dipped. So no picking up. They now say by the end of Feb. it should be complete.  It will be amazing when complete. 

[Professur]

Because a customer that gives them dozens of orders a year takes priority over the jobs of a one time Willie. Even if you give him the best reviews on every website, It still won't come close to the money. That's business. 

[indymanjoe]

That is a Badass car ! I see a Pontiac of the Month winner in the future.

[JUSTA6]

So unique....simply beautiful.  Hope you get your parts back quickly.

[56 safari]

Thank you for the compliments. I'm hoping next week sometime I will get the call to pick up the bumpers and misc trim pieces. Went to visit the car today so here are some new pics.

[56 safari]

Sorry for the inverted pictures the last time. After 13 weeks chrome is back and really nice. Everything is back together and brought it home today.

handling new chrome is alittle nerve racking. That front bumper is in 6 different pieces..

ill take some good pictures in the near future.

thank you

steve

[Ringo64]

Looks good from those pics at least!

[TWO LANE BLACK TOP]

Like your car. Not something you see everyday. Cool factor is of the chart....

[56 safari]

She's back together. Went for a cruise on Saturday. Ran great and really happy with the chrome. Thank you guys for the kind words and following along.

[Ringo64]

Looks amazing from the photos!

[1x99nova]

On 11/28/2016 at 9:46 PM, 56 safari said:

Spectra chrome idea sorta died off.  

Knox custom chrome has very good reviews and i have called them twice and are very nice to talk with.

hoping to be around $2700 for both bumpers and front hood trim plus the tail lights.

Are your tail lights pitted? If so, does the price include repairing them? I have one bad one on my 69 hardtop and am having a fit finding a good one and can't find anyone willing to fix and re-chrome pot metal.