The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk How much to chrome?

I'm trying to get a rough idea of how much it would cost me to get the grill and some other small items chromed for my 41 GMC, can anybody give me a clue as to cost? If the cost is to great I was considering painting, has anyone painted with a bright paint( like silver) and how did it turn out?

Homer,I dont know about your area,but around here(NE Ohio) Chromeplating is quite expensive.About two years ago I checked into having the front bumper chromed on my 65. The price was $475.which I thought was pretty high. I wound up painting it and it turned out just fine. However I painted it the same color as the truck.

I had my '45 GMC grille rechromed about 5 years ago. You'd better sit down now.
Eighteen hundred bucks.
I just called about rechroming 60-66 bumpers and it's about $450 each. Just like what Dale says. $150 for repro's.
I suppose if I lived near Juarez, Mexico, I could have cheap and good chrome. But your roadtrip would be even longer than mine!

you also need to be sure who you are dealing with... some folks can really screw one up...
might check in your area where folks have had it done and see how it came out.. a lot do it but few do it right

Chroming is expensive but a lot of the repop stuff is poor quality. If money is an issue paint is probably the best option but I'd stay away from the rattle can silver. It looks cheesy & rubs off.

I may go the paint route, but I will try and do a real quality job with a silver paint, or would some other color work better to simulate chorme? Does anyone make repop for the art decos chrome. Dave

Homer,
Quite a few guys here in Maine drive to Canada. A lot cheaper as they don't have all the environmental laws that we have. What every you DO NOT use NU CHROME in MASS as you'll never get your parts back. Good luck.
Steve

Here in Calif. in my area to rechrome the grille is $225.00 for my 1962 Chevy pickup which I thought was reasonable. This is true triple plate chrome job. Which is Nickel,Copper and the Chrome. On a good job they can fill the slight scartches you have on your grilles or bumpers with nickel or copper to make them look great. If you want I can find out how much it cost down here. This fellow takes out the dents to make it look like new then Chrome's the part. I have had several pieces done and everyone has come back looking like new.
62Blue
Don

Hey Homer,
I'd say that using a paint to look like chrome would be a mistake.
I've tried it, & it just doesn't look right, like a paint that's trying to be chrome, but is neither.

Like Tiny said, paint will be the least expensive, & you can choose a contrasting color to compliment or match other parts of the truck.
For my grille, I matched the rims, with an industrial silver called "Just Silver" & I think it looks great.
Of course, mine is a 6400 dump, you may be looking for something prettier.

You can see mine in the gallery;
Rick Schultz' '53 6400 dump

Rick.

Homer,
I'm in that same position. My original is pretty beat up and dented. Most of the repos are a lot lighter and don't seem to have the same "feel". Jim Carter has a GM restoration Stamp (What does that really mean?)grille for $750. Or do I use several grilles to make one? Or do I powdercoat? Paint? I love the chrome grille on the Art Decos and that was a huge factor on deciding era. Mine will be chromed.........someday. Have fun and good luck
Dan

i painted my on all my 1941-46 truck match the truck i the look great .thanks

I've checked and can't find a repo for an art deco GMC does anyone know where to get one. Dave

Just a quick note, one trick some show guys use is to clear coat chromed peices.
Maybe if you buy a lower quality chrome grille, you can put 3 - 5 coats of clear on it to protect it.
That could stop rust from happening.
Rick.