Looking for a chrome shop

[chevynut]

I'm going to have to start sending out some parts for chrome plating soon and I'm looking for input on plating shops. I have a lot of pieces of my Nomad I want plated, and I want to find ONE plater to do everything.

I was thinking about going with Ogden Chrome based on some estimates I got from them the past few years. Yesterday I got a rude awakening from them.

I wanted them to quote show chrome on my smoothie bumpers and told him I have received estimates of $475 each TWICE from their sales guys at Goodguys shows I went to. That was for a factory i-piece bumper. I always thought that was too cheap, so I sent an online request for quote and tried to attach some pics but it failed to go through. So I sent e-mail to their support address and told them that their RFQ page doesn't work. I got a reply from their operations manager (Jose) and he asked for a description of the parts and pictures.

Anyhow, I was very disappointed with the response. He told me that a factory 1-piece bumper was entirely different than my 1-piece smoothie that I welded together. He basically told me that I wasted my time welding the bumper up because they'd have to charge me as much as if they welded it up for me, which is $900-1500 each. He said this is because they will most likely find pinholes in the welds, and my bumpers will need a lot of blocking because they look "wavy" in the pictures. Bullshit. I TIG welded the bumpers and I have ground and blocked the welds for hours, and they're pretty damn flat. What he calls "wavy" is where I welded the holes shut after grinding away the copper, then feathered it in. That's like saying the feathered areas you get blocking primer are "wavy" when the truth is just the opposite. I realize they're going to have to do more blocking before plating, and I told him that. But these bumpers have ZERO damage to them since I fixed it all. He said they would have to copper plate and block at least 10 times. I really don't think it needs anywhere near that amount of work. He said that the MINIMUM cost would be $900 and it could be as high as $1500, but couldn't tell me why the range was so high. He also said their prices have gone up 25% in just the past year.

I can understand being "conservative" but I don't think that's what I was hearing. Ogden says they pay for shipping both ways, and I think they just bury the shipping cost into the plating quote....nothing is free. However, he told me they had a guy in Denver yesterday who could pick up my bumpers. I'm in Texas for the weekend and the bumpers are still on the car so I couldn't do that. I suspect they don't really pay for shipping, they just pick up parts for you which is fine with me. But the cost needs to be competitive.

Anyhow, I think it's ridiculous to tell me that they can build and plate a smoothie for the same price as plating my bumpers. And I think it's ridiculous to claim that my smoothies are any more or much more work than plating a factory one-piece bumper.

So I'm going to look at alternatives. I want show chrome, and I know there will be a little more smoothing to do before plating. I plan to have Sherm's and Advanced Plating give me quotes or estimates. Do you know any other platers that can do high quality work at a "fair" price? What is the going rate you guys have found for bumper plating?

[markm]

Finding a chrome shop is getting tougher all the time thanks to assholes like Gore and his friends at the EPA.

[chevynut]

It seems like these surviving chrome shops are becoming a bit arrogant too. I sent an e-mail to Advanced Plating and Sherm's today and was amazed at the reply I got from Advanced Plating. I sent them pics of my bumpers, even some closeups. And they replied:

"A ballpark price to chrome plate these bumpers filling and smoothing so no welds or repairs are visible from the outside is apx $2,500.00 each. A firm price can be given once we receive the parts for inspection. The turnaround time would be apx 18-20 weeks.Thank you"


You've gotta be shitting me. My bumpers don't need any "filling and smoothing" of the welds. All they need is some stripping, copper plating, and some minor blocking to be ready for plating. And 18-20 weeks? No wonder they quote so high. And once you ship to them, you're screwed because if you don't like the quote you have to pay to ship them back.

I sent a message back asking what they charge to plate an OEM 56 Chevy 1-piece bumper with no welds and no damage. Curious what they say. I'm going to ask Ogden the same question.

[Bihili]

Where does Chip Foose send all of his fabricated bumpers?

[rockytopper R.I.P 5-13-2017]

This one has been mentioned over at the animal rights website lol. Suppose to be a good place to work with according to many animal lovers lol.

http://www.northtexasqualitychrome.com/

[chevynut]

Where does Chip Foose send all of his fabricated bumpers?

I don't know, but I do know Kindig-it Designs uses Ogden Chrome. That's probably why they've raised their prices.

[chevynut]

Okay, Ogden Chrome told me they charge $718.75 for a 1-piece OEM 56 Chevy bumper in show chrome. That sounds more like what I expected.

So this just doesn't make sense to me. Why would they charge more for a welded bumper which is essentially a 1-piece? I can understand it if the welds need work, but why wouldn't the "starting" price be the same and go up from there depending on work needed on the welds?

They even said straightening of the bumper is included in that price. Mine don't need any straightening.

"Now the street and show chrome price is for a bumper that don't have any welds such as bolt holes or converted in a one pc. Straightening is included in the street and show chrome price."

So why would mine be $900 minimum when it's nearly ready to plate already? I don't get it.

[Rick_L]

Maybe you already worked too hard on the bumper - should have sent it out right after you tack welded the pieces together, lol.

[chevynut]

Rick, that's what they tried to tell me, essentially. It's kind of an insult to me, if you know what I mean. They act like they're the only ones who can do it right. I did tens of hours of work on these bumpers, and they act like I screwed them up or something. I have seen a lot of "smoothie" bumpers and many of them look like shit to me. That's why I decided to build my own. I'm betting they would have a hard time finding where I welded it.

Here's the front bumper before I plugged the mounting holes....the backside is almost as nice as the front side!

20110120_0362.jpg 20110120_0364.jpg

And here it is with the mounting holes and brace holes plugged.....


20110213_0435.jpg 20110221_0465.jpg

Then here's the rear bumper front and back. I did even more metalworking and blocking after this!

20110311_0519.jpg20110320_0525.jpg

[Rick_L]

I do know what you mean. But maybe they get stuff that DOES need a lot of attention more often than they get the good stuff - so they feel they need to play the CYA game. And maybe they take advantage too.

Reading the stuff on the N. Texas Quality Chrome website, they seem to have the same attitude. And I've heard similar feedback about them. They do have a good reputation.

Curiously, one of the partner/owners listed at the N. TX Quality Chrome site is an industrial CNC machine shop owner that I've done business with off and on for about 30 years. He knew I was a possible customer and told me he'd bought into the shop a few years back. I don't know if putting in a good word for you would help or hurt (wink). I move so slow on this stuff I've never had an opportunity to take advantage of his involvement.

[LEE T]

You might be able to find a shop in your area that will just dip the parts in the different tanks when you need it, and you do all the sanding and buffing in between dips.

[chevynut]

You might be able to find a shop in your area that will just dip the parts in the different tanks when you need it, and you do all the sanding and buffing in between dips.

Thanks Lee but I don't want to get that anal about it, and what a hassle. I doubt they'd even do it (if I could even find one). I have no problem paying the $718 for a 1-piece bumper. I just don't understand why it's $900 to $1500 (you know it won't be $900) just because I've welded on it. There's NO straightening required, only some blocking of the copper and I think that's minimal.

And yes, Rick, I think they're taking advantage. If they weren't they'd start at $718 and add cost IF there are issues with the welds that need to be addressed. I think that would be more reasonable.

Another thing I was told is that they use templates to make sure the bumper is the right shape. I narrowed mine slightly to fit tighter to the body, and I told him I didn't want them re-shaped. All I want is polishing and show chrome plating.

[Rick_L]

Your point on the shape is well taken. How can they possibly use a template on a bumper that's been tucked to fit the car a bit more closely?

[chevynut]

I just got an estimate from Ogden to plate my 8 pieces of windshield trim that are already chrome plated and in very nice condition but they need re-chromed to have the shine I want. I removed the parts from the car in the mid 70's and they've been in dry storage. That's the 2 a-pillar pieces, the 4 upper and lower long pieces, and the two small caps in the center. The low end of the range runs $800 and the high end about $1000. Does that sound reasonable or at least the going rate? Warren said he got all his interior trim for his 57 done for $650.

Advanced plating hasn't even answered my question about plating an OEM one-piece bumper and Sherm's hasn't replied to me at all. I think Advanced Plating's pricing is absurd at 3 times that of Ogden's, but if they can get it good for them.

This chroming is going to be a lot more expensive than I thought it was going to be.

[MP&C]

You need to find a plater in need of a C4 conversion in his trifive... Do some horse trading..