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11-14-2013, 01:46 PM | #1 |
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Location: Central NY & Central CA
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Cruddy bumpers!
My '30 Coupe has dingy looking bumpers. They do not look like the nice polished stainless or chrome that you typically see on nicely restored cars. I'm wondering if at some point in the past, someone sanded off the chrome and just painted them. They look like painted steel. Other than buying new ones, is there anything I can do to pretty them up?
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Owning an antique car is "start fixing one thing, find four other things that need fixing." Lather, rinse, repeat. |
11-14-2013, 02:16 PM | #2 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
If you are not willing to pay for new ones and replating the ones you have is not good for you, take what you have to your local powder coater. There is a "chrome" powder coat that might be just shiny enough for your tastes.
Send us a picture if you do. I've always been curious just how good ... or bad ... they would look. |
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11-14-2013, 02:24 PM | #3 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Berts has re-chromed ones, Little Dearbourn has new ones. Either one of these would probably be not much more (if any) than re-plating the ones you have.
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11-14-2013, 02:30 PM | #4 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Do a search for " chrome tape". Donvito posted some pics of his "poor man's chrome".
The pictures looked good
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11-14-2013, 02:38 PM | #5 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
heres a couple of pictures of chrome tape
it sticks good ,but will peel off and if theres and pits it will show right through it scratches easy,and looks like tape |
11-14-2013, 03:44 PM | #6 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
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Owning an antique car is "start fixing one thing, find four other things that need fixing." Lather, rinse, repeat. |
11-14-2013, 08:38 PM | #7 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
I would try polishing then first. HF has metal polishing kits pretty cheap. Did a good job on mine.
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11-14-2013, 09:08 PM | #8 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Go to Youtube and search do-it yourself chrome plating, there are some neat ideas there.
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11-14-2013, 11:28 PM | #9 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
re paint them
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11-15-2013, 08:48 AM | #10 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Mine were painted black when I got the car. Don't know if chrome is there or not. Look good and NO ONE has mentioned to me that they're not chrome.
Paul in CT |
11-15-2013, 01:09 PM | #11 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
be aware that stainless bumpers are not as strong as spring steel. They will bend more easily than re plated originals or new plated steel. But if you never bump them, they will shine up really well and never deteriorate like plating. Neither the new steel nor the stainless, nor most replated bumpers look exactly like originals if you're looking for high point bumpers.
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11-15-2013, 02:44 PM | #12 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Again, thanks all for the ideas.
I'm not going for high point - yet. The bug hasn't bit me at this point. I AM going for original, though, and I want it to look like it just left the factory, as much as practically possible. It's put away for the winter (no way I'm driving a totally spotless rust-free California car in New York winter weather) so at this point I'm just making a list of things I want to fix/take care of/restore. I was looking at my desktop photo (same as my avatar) and decided I didn't like the looks of the bumpers. I've still got a lot of other stuff to do - shocks & tires at the top of the list - so we'll see what happens in the spring.
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Owning an antique car is "start fixing one thing, find four other things that need fixing." Lather, rinse, repeat. |
11-15-2013, 09:39 PM | #13 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Forty years ago a friend ground and polished his bumpers to the point that they looked nearly as good as chrome. Most people didn't notice the difference.
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11-15-2013, 09:53 PM | #14 | |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Quote:
That sounds intriguing.
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Owning an antique car is "start fixing one thing, find four other things that need fixing." Lather, rinse, repeat. |
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11-15-2013, 10:26 PM | #15 |
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Re: Cruddy bumpers!
Ready for plating! Most of the labor in plating is to get the part looking like your friend had it.
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What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II |
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