Chrome Plating

[ParkerRS]

Any suggestions for here in the southeast? I carried my 72 RS grill shell to advanced plating in Nashville, Tenn. and they qouted me $800 which I thought was a little outrageous. It has some light pitting but I figured around $600 was tops. They also wanted $1300 to plate my tucked and smoothed rear bumper. I know good plating work is high but Jesus Christ! Any suggestions are appreciated.

Tommy

 

[BlownBigBlock]

Send it out to Josh (79CamaroMan), he did mine...

Here's my post with the end results.
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118223&highlight=chrome

I "think" Advanced Plating comes to one or two of the Carlisle shows, I stopped and talked to them... Like you, got quoted a very high price to plate my grill surround.

 

[fast12]

There is a chrome shop in Dallas,Ga.that I have used.Call Bobby Johnson at Dallas collision he will tell you the number and location.

 

[Keizer]

Send it out to Josh (79CamaroMan), he did mine...

I 2nd that recommendation. He did some pieces for my 73 that turned out nice.

 

[ParkerRS]

There is a chrome shop in Dallas,Ga.that I have used.Call Bobby Johnson at Dallas collision he will tell you the number and location.

I've used them and the work is hit and miss. Not quite up to par for what I'm working on, but thanks for the suggestion.

Kiezer and BB thanks for the suggestion I'll give Josh a call.

Tommy

 

[hot72rod]

I got a quote from a place called peach plating up around ATL. When I get home I will see if I still have there number.

 

[April81Z28]

Send it out to Josh (79CamaroMan), he did mine...

I'll third that. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

He did my front and rear window trim and the headlight buckets. They came out GREAT and still look like new a year later.

 

[71 Camaro]

Great thread. Very timely, was just thinking about getting some stuff chromed myself. Anybody else wonder how you can buy a junkass mirror or something with decent chrome for $10, but custom work is in the hundreds? Sure wish could set me up a little chroming setup somewhere and do my own stuff. Not dissing guys who do it for a living either, must be a reason it costs so much more than mass produced junk.

 

[Kamikaze]

Chrome work is similar and sometimes much more involved than body and paint work! It's the Prep! Old finish removal, cleaning, surface prep, cleaning, etc...

The mass produced reproduction stuff is usually done overseas where the regulations and EPA doesn't affect their costs as much as it does our brothers and sisters who do business here in the states!

You also may not get good nickle-copper prep like the good shops do here!

 

[79CamaroMan]

Yes, I do chrome plating. I am glad so many are pleased.

The rear bumper is extra becuase of the modification requiring a lot of extra work to make right for final nickel/chrome.

I imagine $475 would be a good guess for a modified 70-73 rear. The RS grill surrounds are $495 in decent condition (light pitting.) Both prices include stripping.

All of our business contact info is in my personal profile on this site.

Kamikaze, you are right on, especially relating it to body work; they are very similar.

71 Camaro,

I understand your thoughts, I really do, and I have heard it so many times, It doesn't bother me at all. Here is a quick collection of my thoughts:

$10 chrome mirror was made in China/Taiwan with no EPA to pay off.

$10 mirror is made of brand new metal that plates much easier than 30+ year old rotted out zinc die-casting.

$10 mirror requires very little prep work, which was done by a machine doing thousands at a time- compared to chemically stripping old plating, and then polishing out and filling rotten spots from the base metal being so old. All this done by skilled hands one part at a time.

$10 mirror is plated on a rack at least 50 at a time of identical pieces, then run through an automated plating process. Custom rechrome person is wiring up every single different part of different metals to go through the same plating tanks. All done by skilled hands, one part at a time.

$10 mirror quality control is not nearly as good as custom rechrome. When doing 1 custom piece, it has to be very nice. We can't throw out a hundred bad ones and make a few hundred more and see how they look. We get one, and it has to be right.

There is more, but I think I got my point across. I don't mean to be rude, just telling my side of the story.