Chrome sticker shock

48builder · July 27, 2007, 12:26:25 PM

I know chroming has gotten expensive, but I was in for a shock. I sent two of these bumpers I made to Advance plating, and the quote is $1100 for the pair. They are only about two feet long. I was expecting 6 or 7 hundred. They are pitted and the welds and bolts need grinding which is extra, but just the chroming is $375 each. I guess I'll have it done, because that's the look I want.

Walt

phat rat · July 27, 2007, 01:30:47 PM

Quote from: "48builder"I know chroming has gotten expensive, but I was in for a shock. I sent two of these bumpers I made to Advance plating, and the quote is $1100 for the pair. They are only about two feet long. I was expecting 6 or 7 hundred. They are pitted and the welds and bolts need grinding which is extra, but just the chroming is $375 each. I guess I'll have it done, because that's the look I want.

Walt

They will deal. Tell them you're thinking maybe they should just send them back and you might get a better price

HotRodLadyCrusr · July 27, 2007, 04:23:01 PM

Just remember, you get what you pay for. There is a HUGE difference between my rear bumper that was done locally, smoothed and filled bumper with all the plating steps, and the front bumper that Advanced did.......HUGE DIFFERENCE. Since that point, I have yet to even consider anyone else but Advanced. Actually I think your getting a deal on the prep work. The plating ain't nothing if the prep work isn't done perfectly.

Oh yeah, I sent my window trim to someone else in Canada years ago for the "great deal" price and trust me, they look like s*h*i*t, and I'm actually embarrssed about them but right now I'm stuck till I have some extra money to have Advanced do them.....so hows that, I'll be paying TWICE to have them done because I didn't send they to Advance first. Lesson learned.

kb426 · July 27, 2007, 05:59:35 PM

Street rods by Michael told me that he cries when he sends stuff to Advance but they are the best he's seen. I asked him about powder coating and he said the same thing. When he gets Advance to do it, it's as good as it can be. The other companies are just so so in comparison. Your price quote scares me to but I'd rather pay once than twice because it wasn't good enough the first time.

HotRodLadyCrusr · July 27, 2007, 09:59:12 PM

This is how awesome Steve, owner of Advanced is.......this past Feb as I was walking by the rear of Big Olds in the garage the light above hit my left tail light bezel just so and I saw a couple of specks of imperfection. Approx 10 months prior Advanced had plated them for me.

I took the bezel off and the following weekend took it to the Advanced booth at the Detroit Autorama. I showed Steve, he had to hold it to the light just so to see the specks but they were certainly there and he said no problem, it will be redone and I'll have them back to you in a couple of weeks.

True to his word and stands behind his plating FOR LIFE! I know I will never have to pay for replating the stuff that Advanced did no matter how many years I have Big Olds or anyone else does. (They mark the inside with the invoice number.) Rest assured I believe that will be a huge selling feature if/when I ever go to sell Big Olds.

Deuce · July 27, 2007, 11:14:56 PM

Another VOTE and good word for Advance. They are high but IMHO ... they are the BEST. They did all the bright work on my 32 Roadster ... and it looks as good today ( 12 to 15 years ) as it did when I took it out of the box.

Explanation ... I did the chrome on the roadster as my pocket book allowed ... over a 3 year period so some of it is 15 years old ... some is newer ( only 12 years )

They have done all the chrome on the 32 3W also.

Helpful hint ...
I take my parts to a show where they are set up ... I seem to get a better price because they know you can HAUL IT back home ...

Carps · July 27, 2007, 11:44:33 PM

A good plating job is well worth the money.

Not the same company (too far for me to send it) but when I took some slighly tarnished chromework from my Holden to the platers. Mick, the bos asked if this stuff wasn't work they'd done before. I confirmed that he had indeed plated these parts some thirty plus years prior.

He didn't charge me , claiming he'd treat it as a 'warranty clain' since they shouldn't have rusted like that.

Even after I told thim the car's story and that the guy I sold it to simply left it stored for some 25 years, his reply was that it still shouldn't look that bad.

Like the guys have said already, good work costs a little more but in the long rubn good people doing good work are worth sticking with.

HotRodLadyCrusr · July 28, 2007, 12:10:18 AM

I did exactly like Randy, a few pieces each winter over a number of years AND I also handed him the pieces in person each time....with the exception of two tiny little latch thingys that fit in a regular envelope.

I like the vendors I use to see my face and realize I'm a real person, paying with real hard earned cash, not just a voice on the phone. Even if I don't have any business to speak to him about I still stop and say hi each time I see their booth at a show.

I do believe Steve gives repeat customers a small discount.

Deuce · July 28, 2007, 01:37:16 AM

I usually deal with Tom from Advance ... @ the shows
They will be at Louisville next week ... Shades of the Past also.

By hand delivering the parts ... you also save shipping and the hassle of boxing it up. He tells me " How Much $$$ " and I pay him ... or take it home.

I took a few pieces home a time or two ... just to keep him ... HONEST ... with his prices.

48builder · July 30, 2007, 12:26:46 PM

Quote from: "HotRodLadyCrusr"Just remember, you get what you pay for. There is a HUGE difference between my rear bumper that was done locally, smoothed and filled bumper with all the plating steps, and the front bumper that Advanced did.......HUGE DIFFERENCE. .

I do know your chrome looks great, Denise. I will probably go ahead and get it done. This car is turining out too nice to have it screwed up by a bad plating job.

Thanks!

Walt