69 Charger reproduction bumper advice

The original front and rear bumpers on my 69 Charger are in need of re-chroming.  Unfortunately for me, the re-chroming estimates that I have received on them run anywhere from $650 to $900 each.

Has anyone out there had good luck with reproduction bumpers regarding fit and finish?  YearOne sells reproductions for $385 each,so I was thinking of going with them.  Any other suggestions or recommendations on who to go with or who to avoid?  

Also, besides new bumper bolts, are there any other particular bumper parts that are almost always found to be bad on a 69 Charger that I should plan on ordering to ensure troublefree installation (brackets, spacers, etc.)?

Thanks!  

just curious.... are you asking for show type of chrome finish...  are your bumpers bent???? dented????

have you googled your zip code... then clicked on google maps... and searched nearby for chrome plating shops???

one thing... you also want to take pictures of the various bumpers and parts and print a copy to take with you to the chrome or plating shop... to attach to their work order... so they know what parts should be there...

there are also a lot of EPA rules in some states... driven some of the chrome shops out of the state...

you also might want to read up on some bumper chroming articles...   perhaps over at lowrider magazine.. they have a site just like this with a tech section..

here is a link to their tech section..

http://www.lowridermagazine.com/tech/index.html

put on your sun glasses...   you don't want to be blinded by the chrome on their web site..


i have one bumper plating shop near my place... they have been there for ever... bumpers all day long...  i got a wrong phone number call one day... a woman was asking for parts to repair her chrome topped stove.. i sent her to the chrome shop...  told her that they would be able to do it and to expect a weird but good reaction when she gets to the counter there...   when they saw her coming in with something other than a bumper .. they were really glad to be doing something else..   she called me back... said they were great... along with what happened..

20 years ago... the chrome work on a 59 cad would cost $3,500 .. not including any stainless.


just in case its not covered...   after stripping and straightening ...    Copper plating,,,   Nickel plating, then Chrome plating..

i also advise the people installing new chrome...   get the best quality wax you can... and wax the back of the bumper...  it really should not rust from the back..  but this really helps...    you might also want to make sure they process the back side to remove any sharp edges... and tool marks..   sure makes a difference when they are done..  its not fun looking up under the bumper and seeing all the press marks from under the car....  

Year One has nice stuff. A little expensive, but one thing great about them is they really stand by their products. If you don't like the parts you buy from them they'll take them back and refund your money. I'm sure there are limitations to that warranty, but it has worked for me in the past. Had some center caps where after a year the paint was peeling... they exchanged them for a new set, paid the shipping both ways and everything.  

Hi Guys, thanks for the information and advice.  My car is in "driver" condition so show chrome is not necessarily a requirement.  I just want it to look nice, not necessarily perfect but still pretty nice.  My bumpers are both straight with no dents, but the chrome on them appears to have spider cracks all over the place?  I will take some digital pics of them and email the photos to a few chrome shops within 250 miles of my house to get a ballpark estimate.  I am leaning towards reproduction bumpers from YearOne if the estimates come back a lot higher than $380 each.  I will be sure to wax the backside of any new bumpers before I install them.  Rust prevention sounds like a good idea to me!  Thanks again!  

you know....  if you have a really straight set of original bumpers....    you really might take them off carefully...   wax them... store them .. put on the replacements...

i saw a pair for just under 600..  but who knows what you get off ebay...

some body will pay big.. bucks for a really straight pair of original pair...

krylon used to have a clear spray coating..  for rust protection...  slightly greasy..  i had a bbc block that the machine shop bored .065 over.. thinking i could get larger pistons..  i sprayed it with some of the krylon industrial coating that i had run across in a catalog 30 years ago...   that block sat.. bare except for the krylon for 2 years outside in los angeles.. without rusting..  i think i gave away my last can out of the 12..  a few months ago..