Another sign things are changing

[Rodney Bullock]

I went to my old chromer in Baltimore this morning. I had called them off and on for about 6 months. They are not chroming parts anymore. When I called last year the lady gave me the run around. When I showed up it was very clear what happened.

I finished my Studebaker last year without the rechromed parts I left with them. They simply could not find my parts. I drove the hawk to there place of business and showed them the parts I left with them. They found the 2 spears, the rear tail light bezels. She said she say the grlls however they were in another room and it was locked. I had her sign a work order that stated I got 4 parts two grills for 1961 hawk still pending.

They said that to chrome parts just was not worth the time and effort. These are not car people they are looking to make a living doing powder coating and aluminum jobs. The craftman they had was not paid well so he started his own company polishing wheels. What's going to happen 10 years from now, if you can't buy it repo you just will not have it.

Oh well, I guess I will have to stop driving my car so it will last longer. What do you all think;)

[Robert Horne]

Very much of the chrome on my cars is not in good shape. It is very expensive to get them rechromed here in Va. I will have to make do with what I have. I try to keep my vehicles out of the weather as much as possible, but do not hesitate to cruise a little.

[HanksB3B]

you know..where everyone is "green" The EPA (and Erin Brockovich) has made it SUPER expensive to run a chrome shop. My chromer Don, of Decore Chrome told me "it costs him $70,000 a month just to turn the key in the door". Don is a really great guy, his work is outstanding and what's more really affordable. If you are looking for chrome call Decore and ask for Don

310-324-6755.

Hank

[greg g]

The chromer here while still doing auto parts, has seen the bulk of his business changed to retail store fixtures, and small pieces sent on to assemblers where the pieses are added to consumer products. He also has a couple oc contracts for kitchen cabinet folks.

He no longer does stailess repair and or polishing. But his turn around time is pretty quick due t the steady work this other stuff brings. He is also chroming plastic stuff.

[BobT-47P15]

There was a chrome shop in Independence, MO - near Kansas City -

who just recently quit chroming metal and has gone to plating plastic

items.

The fellow who rechromed my rear bumper has gotten older and says

he doesn't now feel like hefting around bumpers......so last I knew, he

was only doing small stuff. He may have even closed the doors of his

small shop.....

[randroid]

Folks,

The farther I tear into Pigiron the more I find little figity things that could use re-chroming and it occurs to me that the chrome paint that was on here a few months ago might start to look good. The major drawback to it that I heard was that it's paint but so's the rest of the car and if it gets dinged it might chip but so would the rest of the car. Seems as though the trim inside the car would have small chance of getting dinged and if it could be made to look new without the expense of re-chroming, it might be what that paint was made for.

Has anybody looked into it?

-Randy

[Bingster]

I think you have more patience than I'd have, Rodney, with people who couldn't find my parts behind a locked door after months of time went by. And it seems rather sad this chroming dilemma. I don't think we restore these cars as musuem pieces to be put in storage and roped off to gaze at. Driving them is the fun after restoration (if I may use that particular word).

Undoubtedly, a restored classic today does not see anywhere near the daily wear & tear by weather that it did when in its original service. Who's going to leave a restored car parked out in the rain and snow all year long? I would think that with some diligence the chrome will last a long time - our lifetimes at least - without flaking off. Of course, you have to pay for a decent job to begin with.

It just may be that the future of restoring classic cars will see a limited amount of very highly priced chrome shops due to environmental regulations. On the other hand, green states like California who have regulated themselves into bankrunptcy cannot survive without industry. Maybe industrially hazardous proceedures such as chroming will be centralized in states who do a multitude of other environmentally unfriendly jobs. I mean, somebody has to do it. We can't regulate ourselves out of heavy industry, can we?

If I knew two years ago what I know now about classic refurbishing, I would have gotten a car in better shape. I know I have seem some since. But the car was local and easy to purchase. But the chrome is going to really cost a bundle. The car will end up costing more than it's classic value. I wonder if time will eventually even things out

as our cars getter older and older - scarcer and scarcer - and especially if things like chroming become difficult to obtain and prohibitively expensive in the future.

[Captain Neon]

I debate with myself often as to the next BIG project in my '46 P15S more door. Bumpers chromed, interior trim woodgrained, rebuild engine, disc brakes, or overdrive tranny?

This thread has reminded me that chrome may be a better project than the woodgraining. With some practice, I can wood grain my self. I just need to buy the tools and materials. There's no way that I can open my own chrome shop just to get the job done.

The engine and the brakes may be decided on their own as I do drive the old girl, and things do wear out with time. The standard tranny was rebuilt just a few years ago, and it seems wasteful to swap it out before these other very worthy projects are completed. Wife's car is starting to get tired. It may finally give up the ghost, and it will be time to get her an other.

Right now, I am still basking in the glow of the new upholstery this spring. How sweet it is, literally (phew, what's that smell?), to finally get it done after 20 years.

[BobT-47P15]

Just F Y I, Mark and Jim from St. Louis both had chrome done at Highline

Plating in Cuba Missouri. Both seemed pleased with the work and the

price.

Think I need to make a road trip up there with my front bumper.

There's a big chrome shop in Nashville, which evidently does top of

the line work. They quoted me $850 or so to do my front bumper only.

Would be nice, but, a bit steep for me.

Found a place in Kansas City that will do smaller pieces, but most

bumpers (including the one on my P15) will not fit in his vat due to

length. Saw some of his work and it looked good.

The owner gave us a brief tour of the shop......boy is there some

corroded looking equipment in there. And, I'd guess that the dust

in the buffing shop is hazardous to your health as well. It appears

to be a rather messy profession.

[Captain Neon]

My understanding is that chrome plating is a bout as hazardous as painting used to be. It takes a certain amount of skill to be good at it too. While cars are painted every day in auto body shops and manufacturing plants, chrome plating is becoming a craftsman's specialty service due to the ever decreasing number of vehicles with chrome bumpers and other bright work. In addition, in comparison, paint is cheap to redo if one fouls up.

[Bingster]

I got a quote in Des Moines for bumpers at $350 each a couple years ago. The shop has a good reputation.

[BobT-47P15]

The $350 figure sounds about right to me.

[bobjob55]

back in the 70's ,, on southern cal. ,, we used to get a whole lot of chrome for around $125.00 .. Close to a whole motorcycle .. Then the EPA got involved because of people getting sick ,, and dieing from arsenic poising .. Now ,, i don't think that there aren't any chrome shops left in the whole state .. I think on my cars ,, they will be no chrome .. Just powder-coated a contrasting color from the paint .. None of my cars are even close to stock ,, so it won't matter anyways ..

[Captain Neon]

I got a quote in Des Moines for bumpers at $350 each a couple years ago. The shop has a good reputation.

Which shop?

[Don Jordan]

I had to shop around for someone to chrome anything. One thing they all agreed on was $300 per bumper. This was a few years ago. One guy was just going to swap them out. It's interesting how much stuff is chrome and how much is stainless. I was going to try to polish some of the stainless myself. Very time consuming. It was worth it to have it polished. Very pleased with the outcome.