Opinion - Chrome Bumpers
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 296
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From: Vilonia Arkansas
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
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From: Peekskill NY
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 296
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From: Vilonia Arkansas
I grabbed the pics from this ad listing.
http://www.jameslist.com/advert/1882...rolet-corvette
http://www.jameslist.com/advert/1882...rolet-corvette
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 140
From: Western New York
I still like the velour seats with the painted bumpers. I had a '64 Econoline van in college that had the same interior, along with a double bed in the back. The walls were covered with red **** carpet, too. Now, if you do this to your Vette, make sure to use the fuzzy flocking on the dash pad and door panels. Also go with the **** carpet, if you can still find it. Velour and flocking just aren't complete without ****.
Merry Christmas to All!
Duane
P.S. Curb feelers and spinner hub caps would really set you apart from everyone else, too.
Merry Christmas to All!
Duane
P.S. Curb feelers and spinner hub caps would really set you apart from everyone else, too.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 140
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From: Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia
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Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 187
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From: Central IA
Here's a pic of mine. I hope it helps. I don't think it's bubba; on my car it works because there are a few other details that aren't standard as well. I've had a lot of complements on the car, and believe me people aren't shy about telling you what they don't like. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard a version of "I don't like custom vettes but yours just flows right", I'd have enough money to finish the items on my wish list.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 167
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From: Penfield NY
A decade or so ago it was trendy to paint chrome bumpers, especially on the uselessly overdone pro street cars. What a waste of good chrome! Cars with painted-over bumpers look tacky and cheap, like painting your car with house paint and a brush. But I've never seen a Vette with painted-over chrome bumpers either except for the pic in this thread. I guess you could paint now and rechrome later if you don't like it, but I think you should polish the bumpers as best you can for now and rechrome when you've saved up. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Northeast Ohio
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 296
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From: Vilonia Arkansas
MAN! I'm having serious second thoughts about painting the bumpers. Well, not so much the bumpers as much as I am the grilles. In fact, I've pretty much made up my mind to paint the bumpers just to see what they'll look like since I can easily rechrome them if I don't like it. As mentioned before, one of my grilles is damaged. It can be repaired, but will require rechroming. The other grille is in pristine condition. If I paint one, I'll have to paint the other and I don't know that I want to mess up the factory grille.
So, I've 'bout decided to repair the damaged grille and try some spray chrome to hide the repair. If it goes well the damaged area should harley be noticable. Dang, I wish I had a photo of the damage so y'all could see.
If all else fails, I have 2 options:
1) paint the grilles
2) buy a reman.
Regarding the reman piece, they are expensive and I worry about fit and finish. Corvette America advertises OEM grilles at over $820. Corvette Central's is a little over $600 but it isn't listed as OEM. Eckler's has em for $700 and is supposed to be a GM resto part. Bottom line, it's gonna cost between $600 over $800 to purchase a new one...something I'd rather not do at this point in the restoration if I can get away with it.
Whadda y'all think?
So, I've 'bout decided to repair the damaged grille and try some spray chrome to hide the repair. If it goes well the damaged area should harley be noticable. Dang, I wish I had a photo of the damage so y'all could see.
If all else fails, I have 2 options:
1) paint the grilles
2) buy a reman.
Regarding the reman piece, they are expensive and I worry about fit and finish. Corvette America advertises OEM grilles at over $820. Corvette Central's is a little over $600 but it isn't listed as OEM. Eckler's has em for $700 and is supposed to be a GM resto part. Bottom line, it's gonna cost between $600 over $800 to purchase a new one...something I'd rather not do at this point in the restoration if I can get away with it.
Whadda y'all think?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,373
Likes: 6
From: Baltimore MD
Here's a pic of mine. I hope it helps. I don't think it's bubba; on my car it works because there are a few other details that aren't standard as well. I've had a lot of complements on the car, and believe me people aren't shy about telling you what they don't like. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard a version of "I don't like custom vettes but yours just flows right", I'd have enough money to finish the items on my wish list.
I let it go because i thought it might have been a flood car,i see it wasnt.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 140
From: Western New York
So why not keep your eyes open for a used grill on ebay? They're on there all the time. I'm not talking about the buy it now items for $599, but the actual auction items. I'm sure you'd be able to pick one up for a very reasonable price if you start looking. Good luck and Happy New Year!
Duane
Duane
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Paint 'em! If you change yer mind, they have to strip 'em anyway before they re-chrome, so whats the diff?
Just don't get carried away, and paint the bumpers and chrome the car. I don't think that would look very good at all.......a chrome car needs chrome bumpers.
An earlier poster said that you should keep 'em chrome because they are called "chrome bumper" Corvettes. Well, maybe we could all get together and start calling them "steel bumper" Corvettes, then people could paint 'em and not feel guilty.
Scott
Just don't get carried away, and paint the bumpers and chrome the car. I don't think that would look very good at all.......a chrome car needs chrome bumpers.
An earlier poster said that you should keep 'em chrome because they are called "chrome bumper" Corvettes. Well, maybe we could all get together and start calling them "steel bumper" Corvettes, then people could paint 'em and not feel guilty.
Scott
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 296
Likes: 0
From: Vilonia Arkansas
Paint 'em! If you change yer mind, they have to strip 'em anyway before they re-chrome, so whats the diff?
Just don't get carried away, and paint the bumpers and chrome the car. I don't think that would look very good at all.......a chrome car needs chrome bumpers.
An earlier poster said that you should keep 'em chrome because they are called "chrome bumper" Corvettes. Well, maybe we could all get together and start calling them "steel bumper" Corvettes, then people could paint 'em and not feel guilty.
Scott
Just don't get carried away, and paint the bumpers and chrome the car. I don't think that would look very good at all.......a chrome car needs chrome bumpers.
An earlier poster said that you should keep 'em chrome because they are called "chrome bumper" Corvettes. Well, maybe we could all get together and start calling them "steel bumper" Corvettes, then people could paint 'em and not feel guilty.
Scott
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 409
From: California
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,412
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From: Redondo Beach, California
As years go by, and late model cars have painted rubber bumpers to match the body paint, people can more and more accept a "chrome bumper" car having the bumpers painted.
Having a chrome bumper car in today's world is a financial liability. They bumpers can develop rust/corrosion and to have them re-plated is a financial big hit since the EPA rules have made it expensive for plating shops to operate. Also, re-plating shops will tell you that their re-plating is better than factory original, but I don't agree. Here in Los Angeles, I can see sometimes late 60's and early 70's cars with what I perceive is original factory plating. They look pretty good. My replated chrome on my 68 and 70 starts looking bad after not too many years.
Anyhow, for now, I'll stick with replated chrome for my 68 and 70. I will say that the painted bumper cars shown looked really good...really good.
Having a chrome bumper car in today's world is a financial liability. They bumpers can develop rust/corrosion and to have them re-plated is a financial big hit since the EPA rules have made it expensive for plating shops to operate. Also, re-plating shops will tell you that their re-plating is better than factory original, but I don't agree. Here in Los Angeles, I can see sometimes late 60's and early 70's cars with what I perceive is original factory plating. They look pretty good. My replated chrome on my 68 and 70 starts looking bad after not too many years.
Anyhow, for now, I'll stick with replated chrome for my 68 and 70. I will say that the painted bumper cars shown looked really good...really good.
