Possible GB for bumpers like OEM Steel and chrome, Looknig at having some made offshore Options

[Mikey914]

SO.....
Long story short Mike Warhurst (Warpig) had helped to broker a deal for stainless bumpers that looks like it's well....dead.

I'm looking into making front and rear bumpers off shore with a company that a student of mine's uncle owns. They have experience in stamping and have pressed big enough to do these. QC is an issue that will need to be addressed, and at 1st it will be late bumpers. They are very labor intensive to do, but if there is an interest I will visit the factory and see what we can do. I plan to actually ship over front and rear clips to check fits. That and final payment will be made in person as they are packed to insure no surprises.

I'm shooting for about $800-900 a set but would need to do about 50 sets to make it work. I will also be offering discounted rubber bumper tops for those that want it to help make this work.

So, lets start again.
Who would be interested at that level?

[mb911]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I still wish I knew of a quality rechroming place and we could organize an exchange program with them for 914 bumpers.

[DRPHIL914]

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I still wish I knew of a quality rechroming place and we could organize an exchange program with them for 914 bumpers.

regarding the rechrome, since you are in WI, Keystone in Brainard MN has a good rep. I got their name from other members here , Bob B(bigkat) and a couple others. But searched for a while, and I just bought a rear bumper from sixaddict here in SC that was redone by a place in TN, called Tri-city Plating.(rear bumper) and looks amazing, so I sent my early front one there last week. $475. So once that comes back I will also send off my late front one that is on the car and the other rear one I have and I will be reselling one set to pay for the other.
Just FYI-

[horizontally-opposed]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I still wish I knew of a quality rechroming place and we could organize an exchange program with them for 914 bumpers.

regarding the rechrome, since you are in WI, Keystone in Brainard MN has a good rep. I got their name from other members here , Bob B(bigkat) and a couple others. But searched for a while, and I just bought a rear bumper from sixaddict here in SC that was redone by a place in TN, called Tri-city Plating.(rear bumper) and looks amazing, so I sent my early front one there last week. $475. So once that comes back I will also send off my late front one that is on the car and the other rear one I have and I will be reselling one set to pay for the other.
Just FYI-

I would do this in a heartbeat if—and this is a big if, I think?—Tri-City had a jig or form to make sure my bumper is straight. It was actually a new piece in 1991 when I got it, with a small ding. It's picked up a ding and/or "push" since, but the real problem is it is tight at the center of the hood...suggesting the upper curvature around the hood/headlights needs to be re-formed. Then you start getting down the road of 2-3 visits to the chrome shop with the car (without a bumper on it...), etc.

Maybe finding a very good sample and sending both bumpers is a viable method, but the reality is my situation is rare: Most of the core bumpers left are pretty tired—rusty, reworked, and rechromed many times over 40 years.

It really would be wonderful to buy a truly good repro. I'd buy two if the quality and price are right. Kind of seems like this would be a project right up Restoration Design's alley—and it would be nice to do business with someone on the continent.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

The stainless bumpers fit nicely and are readily available along with the top seals, bumper guards, chrome driving light and horn grilles along with the bumper mounting dog bones, the fog lights and all hardware. Why try to duplicate what is already being made?
The only thing that is can see is maybe making mild steel, but our people making the stainless said that it would be just as much to make the mild steel, which seems incorrect, but that is what they told me.
Since most would rather chrome, and usually the painted steel is repairable, I cannot see investing in producing the mild steel

We have of course many many many used rear bumpers perfectly rechromeable as well as mild steel refinish able. However we have very very few front bumpers of any kind, so finding good straight candidates to rechrome would be a real problem, hence the stainless

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I still wish I knew of a quality rechroming place and we could organize an exchange program with them for 914 bumpers.

regarding the rechrome, since you are in WI, Keystone in Brainard MN has a good rep. I got their name from other members here , Bob B(bigkat) and a couple others. But searched for a while, and I just bought a rear bumper from sixaddict here in SC that was redone by a place in TN, called Tri-city Plating.(rear bumper) and looks amazing, so I sent my early front one there last week. $475. So once that comes back I will also send off my late front one that is on the car and the other rear one I have and I will be reselling one set to pay for the other.
Just FYI-

I would do this in a heartbeat if—and this is a big if, I think?—Tri-City had a jig or form to make sure my bumper is straight. It was actually a new piece in 1991 when I got it, with a small ding. It's picked up a ding and/or "push" since, but the real problem is it is tight at the center of the hood...suggesting the upper curvature around the hood/headlights needs to be re-formed. Then you start getting down the road of 2-3 visits to the chrome shop with the car (without a bumper on it...), etc.

Maybe finding a very good sample and sending both bumpers is a viable method, but the reality is my situation is rare: Most of the core bumpers left are pretty tired—rusty, reworked, and rechromed many times over 40 years.

It really would be wonderful to buy a truly good repro. I'd buy two if the quality and price are right. Kind of seems like this would be a project right up Restoration Design's alley—and it would be nice to do business with someone on the continent.