There's no way around it. Quality chrome plating is very expensive.
I just had the front bumper of the Pumpkin replated by Advanced Plating in Nashville.
To straighten and replate was a total of $1,025.00. $175 to straighten and $850 for the plating but it was worth it. It was way more than a night and day difference.

 

Wow. I love how much info is here on FTE. You guys are great. Thanks. I'd bet the ranch that copper would be the difference in prices. Living in Vancouver, the wettest place in Canada, I have to give that consideration.

 

That is really nice Mike,did that cost include your other peices,and what other parts did you send out,,,did you send them out or drop them off? Hey Mike I just read your other post about advance plating....I wonder how well they could polish up anodized moldings and front grill,besides chrome or stainless,,,they did a fine job

 

They could probably do a really good job on the polishing. The windshield molding is stainless steel so I had it polished rather than plated, the pieces came out looking like a mirror.
I happened to be going through Nashville so I dropped the pieces off. I took the front bumper, bumper guards, gear shift lever, turn signal stalk, headliner retainer and the windshield molding. The total time out was about four months to get it back.
I had the pieces shipped back via UPS, their shipping department really knows how to pack, it took me over two hours to unpack everything.
The total for everything, not including return shipping was $2,702.00.
A lot of money but I feel its worth it.
Just a note on Advanced, these guys know what they're doing! The parts I took them looked like cr*p. Now saying the parts looked like new would be an understatement. The front bumper had a few problems from when it was stamped, there were some waves and the edge was rough and sharp all the way around. Advanced cleaned up the wavy section and the edge now has a nice smooth radius all the way around.
Also, after you drop off the parts, you'll get a detailed quote from them showing what's going to be done to each piece and what it'll cost. Very professional.
If you're in a hurry or want it cheap take it someplace else.
Hijack over.....kinda, here's some more eye candy/truck **** .

 

I don't consider this thread hijacked. It is interesting to know how much it is to get a bumper (among other pieces) re-plated. Thanks for all the info. Everything looks great.

 

Thanks. Yeah, that was a lot of money but I feel it was worth it. A lot of the expense comes from the fact that plating is very labor intensive, the metals and chemicals used are expensive and, last but not least, compliance with EPA regulations. In fact Advanced has a waste treatment plant that treats all their waste onsite.
I was going to replace the front bumper with a NOS piece that I located for $350.00 but had second thoughts because, even when these trucks were brand new, the plating was "okay" typical mass production quality not the quality I wanted.
The bumper guards were actually brand new. I had a '77 F250 that I bought new. I pushed a guy to get his car started and managed to bend the guards that were on the truck so I bought two new ones and never put them on. After sitting in the boxes for 35 years the chrome was a little rough. It was showing a little pitting but the biggest thing was the scuff marks that were from sitting in the boxes all those years.

 

this fellow i work with told me of a place in Tenn, called tri-state,I guess similar to advanced have you heard of them Mike,any comparrisons?I beleive all this is good to know in making parts choices,beter than being ignorant to it all thanks Mike

 

Can't comment on Tri-State, this is the first time I've heard of them.

 

Tri-City Plating Company - Tricityplating.com - Show quality ... I had it wrong,my friend used them for his old chevelle funny both are in Tenn,tri city doesnt mention polishing and pictures speak a thousand words

 

when buying a rear bumper, does it matter what dimensions your frame is? I've seen two different sizes when looking for a used bumper, but when i look to buy a bumper (amazon, BGY, ext) there isn't an option.

 

F250 4WD (AKA "highboys") have the narrow frame, I believe the F350 DRW are also narrow.

 

Thanks Mike,
but im still kind of confused... I'm looking at bumpers online and they don't give an option. If i buy a bumper from BGY, will it fit regardless of my frame width?

 

If they don't give a width then my guess would be they are for the wide frame, that is the most common by far.
If I wanted to buy one of these I would give them a call and ask what frame width they fit. Phone calls are cheap, return freight expensive.

 

you make a good point. i guess common sense goes a long way in this hobby.

thanks again!!!

 

always a good idea to paint or coat the inner side of the chrome bumper/grille etc. to stop rust on the back side where it usually starts first.