96powerstroke

Got a bumper I need re-plated. The well know plating houses seems to be Paul's, Bumper Boys, Tri-City and a few others but they all require you to ship the bumper there or have really long lead times. I know perfection takes time...

I was hoping I might be able to find someone more local. Does anyone know of a plater in the NYC/Philadelphia area? Google search lead me to a few that either had bad reviews or are out of business. Extensive searches lead back to the few I mentioned above. I was hoping someone might be able to share a source if they have one.

Thanks Much,

CRUZN 66

Check with Ken Sabin (Sabin's Chrome and Metal Restoration) in Hillsdale, NY... Not sure he does bumpers, but he did do a fantastic job on the items I had him do for me years ago... He has a Facebook page and receives good reviews... If he doesn't do bumpers, he may have a reliable local source that he recommends...

zeeke

To the best of my knowledge the process for chroming in the NYC area was environmentally outlawed roughly 10 years ago. There are a few nickle plating shops here and there, but that's about it. Not positive about statewide but there might still be a nickle plating shop in Astoria on 45th Street between Astoria Blvd and 25th Ave. There used to be a chrome shop on 25th & 45th but it moved out of state 10 years ago. Do a search for chrome shops on this site, there is a guy in PA that everyone raves about. He's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. I've read the horror stories time & again. Save a few bucks somewhere else and the finish is less than desirable.

I've adopted this quote over the years... "If you think it cost to much for a professional wait till you see what it cost for an amature."

You can always buy aftermarket but I've never seen them hold up as well.

chopolds

There was a guy up in north Jersey, near Meadowlands. H & H I believe. Mara in Newark, Super Chrome in Asbury Park. I've had good luck, and a little bad, with these, it's almost always a crap shoot concerning quality/time/cost with any plater. So far, Robert, in Asbury has been pretty good with me. He WILL be more expensive than Tri-City. I actually prefer to ship my bumpers to them, rather than stay local. Still cheaper, even including shipping.

Junkman

Every year, there are less people to do bumpers, because they require larger tanks, and more chemicals, which are expensive to dispose of when they are used up. I have used TriCity on a few occasions, and every time, they have done good work for me. I used Paul's once, and the part came back with more waves than the Atlantic Ocean! I always use QualKrom in Eire PA for those parts that I must have perfect, and are difficult, if not impossible to replace, because he does excellent work every time, and it is reflected in the costs. I know that QualKrom does do bumpers, however, you might not need or want that level of perfection. This is the busiest time of the season for all plating shops, so longer wait times are to be expected. I wouldn't recommend Bumper Boyz, because in my opinion, and that of others, the work doesn't hold up over time. Sandy's Bumper in Syracuse does good daily driver quality work. Unless you are under pressure to complete the car, I suggest that you send the bumper for chrome next fall, and it will be ready for you in the spring. That is what I do, drop the bumper to TriCity at Fall Carlisle, and pick it up at Spring Carlisle.

allyolds68

Sandy's Bumper Mart in Syracuse is about 4 hours away


http://www.sandysbumpermart.com/


They did an "OK" job on mine. I wouldn't recommend them for a show car

droldsmorland

Keystone out of Minneapolis/St Paul area (Brainerd). Formally NorthStar Chrome. Outstanding work. They sometimes have a bumper in stock they can start on as soon as you pay. They will want your bumper as a core for the next customer. Their triple show chrome is outstanding. Talk to Steve if he is still there.

http://www.lkqcorp.com/en-us/locatio...ainerd-mn.aspx

allyolds68

if things haven't changed Keystone also picks up and delivers at a local parts place at no additional charge. Keystone LKQ is a huge parts supplier

Koda

Bumper Boyz is absolute *****.

droldsmorland

Mike, that's what they did for me. When I lived in west Wisconsin.

Olds64

I disagree. Don't use the platers in Brainerd, MN. I had the bumpers on my 71 98 re chromed by Goodmark through these guys and they were rude and had poor quality work. It cost me $1400 for both bumpers shipped there and back. The chrome on the rear bumper is already thin and showing the nickel / copper beneath. It's only been just over 2 years.

Junkman

The last time that I inquired about having a bumper picked up and returned, I was told that there would be a charge. Six or seven years ago, I had the bumpers on my 1963 Chrysler New Yorker done by them, and they wanted to charge me a higher price for the front, saying that it was larger and different than the rear. Problem with that statement is that both the front and rear bumpers are identical, with the exception of clear lenses for the back up lights, and amber lenses for the front directional. I told them that both bumpers were rear bumpers, and paid the same price for both. I was impressed with the quality of the work, and the detail in the packing to prevent damage. Overall, I was very happy with both the price and quality of work.



When I had my bumpers done 5 or 7 years ago, they gave me a lifetime warranty on the plating as long as I still owned the car. I don't know if they still offer this lifetime warranty, so it might be worth a call to them to find out. I wonder if what you are seeing is the newer type of chrome that to my eyes, looks like it has a "pinkish" tint to it. The chrome is actually a very thin coating that is transparent, allowing you to see the polished nickel plating underneath. The copper is the first coating that is applied, and bonds with the steel, and then the nickel bonds to that. The newer plating process, eliminates the copper to steel bonding layer, and the nickel is applied directly to the steel, and then the chrome layer goes on next. This is a less expensive alternative to the copper, nickel, chrome process that was the standard for plating for decades.
If you want to learn more about the chroming process, here is a PDF 14 page paper worth reading.

allyolds68

Sandy's does not use copper. I backed into a another car a couple years ago so lightly that it caused no damage to either car but the stress of pushing on the bumper popped the chrome off around one of the mounting bolts. There's also a spot the chrome is so light that it looks white underneath at a corner.


Those are reasons I wouldn't recommend Sandy's.


I'd note that they were cheap. I paid $325 each for the front and back

Olds64

I may investigate whether or not the chrome on my bumpers has a lifetime guarantee. Also, one should note that the rude customer service I received was from my contact at Goodmark. There could be numerous providers that ship their chroming work to MN.

FWIW, I'm pretty certain the chrome is thin on my rear bumper. It hasn't pitted or started to peel but you can definitely see the layers beneath the chrome.