Pic of bumper and a chroming question

[48builder]

After many years of looking at the back end of my '48, I decided it was time to make a decision. I took the missus out to the garage and told her we weren't leaving until we figured out what to do. She decided she wanted a split bumper, witht he license plate mounted recessed in the rear pan so it will show between the bumpers, I moved the bumpers in by 2.5 inches by removing the rivet on the brackets and drilling a new hole so I could use the old rivet hole as a mounting hole. Then I am going to bend the outside bracket out an inch or so in order to make it follow the body line more closely. Finally I'll weld the mounting bolts to the bumper and get it re-chromed. Which brings me to my questions.

The bumper I cut has some minor pitting in it. I have another bumper that is in much better shape. Since I am going to be welding the mounting bolts in and doing a few other little mods to it, I'm wondering whether I should stick with the one I started with or start cutting up the better one. When I get ready to take it to the chrome shop, what can I fill the pits with, or do I let them do all of that? I'd like to do as much of the prep work as I can, since I hear chroming gets rather expensive. Anybody have any tips for me?

Thanks

Walt

[58 Yeoman]

My 41 bumpers had some chrome flaking off, rust, and a slight dent in the middle of the rear.  They did it all, and they both turned out great.  I'd use the one already cut, and save/sell the other.  Just my opinion.

[enjenjo]

Two ways to fill the pits, Get the chrome sripped off first in either case.

First, you can fill the pits with brass, and sand it smooth.  The second way is the have the bumper copper plated, and then fill the pits with solder. A third alternative is to have the plater fill them with copper, but that can get expensive fast.

[GPster]

And now for the dumb idea. If you got another bumper why not use them both. Use the ends of the other bumper to give an inward radius to the center cut-out places to your plate recess. Figure out where you would need to put the left end on the right recess cut and visa-versa. you probably only need part of the end bends to get enough of the radiuses so you won't use them clear to the ends and your recess cuts will need to be shortened so that one radius flows smoothly into the other. Make your tail end look like the front end of a DeSoto (there's probably a picture somewhere) GPster

[bucketmouth]

Yeah what enjeno said. It all depends on how deep the pits are. Some can be polished out and then plated in copper to fill minor pits.
In the past I have used lead wipe to fill in badly pitted grills with some success. In the old days lead was what they used to repair dented bumpers for chroming.
I would try and save the good bumper for when it is really needed.
Good luck

[48builder]

And now for the dumb idea. If you got another bumper why not use them both. Use the ends of the other bumper to give an inward radius to the center cut-out places to your plate recess.

Actually, that's a great idea. I'll consider it. I was just going to roll in the cut ends of the already cut one so that it doesn't look like a cut-off bumper. I'll take a look tonight and see what I think.


Thanks to you other guys for some great info. I'll take the pieces I have to the chrome shop and see what they want me to do to prep them.

[48builder]

And now for the dumb idea.

OK, not so dumb. I tried it and it looks great. I had a spare front bumper that's not in great shape, so I cut one end off. I have to get a shpae copy thing to get the cut exact, but just laying it on top it looks great. A huge improvement over just cutting it. Thanks for the idea.