Looking for a reputable place to have my 1969 vette bumpers re-chromed....or should i go repo?

 

Frankfort Plating in Philadelphia is one of the best platers around for collector car chrome. Librandi's in Middletown PA are also top notch. There are still a few chromers left in NJ, but Mara in Newark is the only one I'm familiar with. I've never had them do anything for me, but I know a few people who have used them and they seemed to be pleased with their work.

As far as repro bumpers verse rechroming yours, it depends on a few things. If your car is already painted I would suggest having your bumpers rechromed. Even if your car is not painted yet, if you're happy with the fit of your current bumpers it makes sense to get them rechromed. You never know how repro's are going to fit to your car's body, making rechroming a better choice.

If the car is being painted then it probably doesn't make much difference, since your painter should be fitting whatever bumpers you use to the body before painting. In this case the choice comes down to cost and delivery. Weigh the cost and delivery time for plating verse the cost and availability of the repro's.

If you chose to go with the repro's, the ONLY bumpers to buy are the US made ones previously made by Paragon, and now coming from Corvette Central. This is particularly true of the 68-72 front bumpers. While the foreign made rear bumpers aren't too bad, the foreign made fronts are notorious for their poor fit.

 

I saw some bumpers and trim that were done by Ogden (Utah) Chrome Plating and they were outstanding. And, I think they still have free shipping as well.

 

The only place I go...

https://omahaplating.com/

 

I’m not familiar with Frankfort Plating, but I’ve used Librandi Plating for over thirty years with excellent results. Regardless of who does the work, expect to be shocked by what it costs to chrome plate items these days.

Excellent advice.

Keep the originals if you can (assuming that they are undamaged), use only USA made reproductions if you have to go that route.

Regards,

Stan Falenski

 

Agree with everything above. Either find NOS or replate the originals at a reputable spot. Reproductions are a gamble.

Frankfort is awesome. They plated all the chrome on my 68 about 20 years ago. Flawless. They are also pricey if I recall.

Librandi does top notch work as well and may be a bit (somewhat) softer on the wallet.

Good luck with your 1969!

 

I've used these guys for about 20-years with great results. They did the original front and rear bumpers on my '69. I had some pretty deep scratches in my LH rear bumper of the underside and they got them all out. Top-notch quality workmanship.

Precision Auto Parts and Chroming
c/o Wayne Dudley
102 Fleet Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22406
office phone (540) 220-6884

 

FWIW, as i have moved several times during the last 40 or so years and was reasonably unfamiliar with my new area's services, I have always had great luck seeking out local motorcycle clubs (which can usually be found at many area cruise ins , and asking who they use for their chroming needs. motorcycle guys are extremely particular about the appearance of their rides, and i haven't been disappointed yet. when i was living in NJ years ago, there were several very excellent chrome facilities in Newark, some may still be around.

 

so heres a dumb question...how do you know if what you have is original or repo? did GM stamp part numbers into the bumper?

 

Hello,

I've not had any experience with repro bumpers.
I don't think that there was a part # on the factory installed bumpers.

I do remember reading in the past that some repro bumpers (rear???) were actually made from 2 pieces that were welded together and then ground and polished to begin plating .
I remember a photo showing it pretty well.
It might even of been on mid-year cars bumpers and not 68-72 cars bumpers???

Perhaps some one may recall that.

Regards...

 

Not a dumb question, but there's no good answer either.

Occasionally GM bumpers had a paper GM part number tag on the inside, but there were no numbers, logos or other identifying marks on them I've ever seen. The good US made bumpers when they were coming from Paragon had a "PR" (for Paragon Reproductions) in a diamond shape stamped on one mounting bracket of each of their bumpers, but I don't know if Central is still doing that. One thing you can look for is whether the rear bumpers are stamped as one or two pieces. GM and Paragon repro 68-73 rear bumpers were all stamped in one piece, while some repro's are stamped in two pieces. Two piece repro's will have a seam on the back of the bumper near where the horizontal part of the bumper meets the vertical part, but there are some one piece repro's so this isn't foolproof.

 

Copy that about the Paragon bumpers made in the US. I have one of their bumpers and they fit.

I've seen Youtube videos where the ends of non-Paragon repro bumpers stick out an inch or so from the body.

Don't forget Dynamic Corvettes sells C3 repro bumpers....they're made of carbon fiber and then chrome plated. I think one rear bumper goes for $2500.

 

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