Re-chrome Bumpers VS Stainless Steel Bumpers

[reflections]

For any one who is mind wrestling with the options for replacing or re-plating their Stag bumpers, I offer my thoughts and experience and a couple of photo’s.

My opinion is “buy some Stainless Steel bumpers from GroupHarrington”.
I have just bought and fitted a full set to my Stag that I am restoring. I ordered the set via their website on Monday November 11’th. Confirmation was received the next day and I was asked to confirm that I wanted a mkII set. The parcel arrived at my door via DHL on Monday November 18’th, having left Vietnam on the 15’th.
The parcel contained all the bumper parts plus 4 over riders all in mirror polished stainless, plus a set of bolts and rubber seals. I inspected them all and could not find any faults.
Assembly of the parts took around 2 hours per bumper set including fitting my original badges and number plate. Everything fitted together well and easily.
I had to drill holes for mounting the front badge and the front number plate.
Fitting to the car took around 30 minutes each end and everything lined up perfectly.
The only alteration that I had to make was to change two of the M8 bolts from the 40mm supplied length to 70mm. These were for the rear corners where the bolt goes through the inner panel in the boot. My original bumpers were already removed and stripped down so that I could use the bumper irons and badge plinths.

I spent some time before buying these stainless steel bumpers, looking into having my original bumpers rechromed. I have been restoring classic cars for a long time, but I have not needed to consider re-plating original bumpers before, because for many cars you can buy “new” bumper sets for £00’s from stock. This is not true for the Stag, where prices run to £000’s. I asked some of my contacts in the professional world of Classic car restoration “who would you recommend” for chrome plating?
The answer was “I wouldn’t” or “I don’t like to recommend when it’s for chroming, because it is so unreliable”
Deciding that I would want to keep a close eye on my parts and plating, I looked for a quality plating company that was near to me (North Yorkshire) and I found one.
Alas, their “waiting list” for similar work extended to 26 weeks.
We never even discussed cost.

Like most Classic car and motorcycle addicts, I love chrome, but polished stainless looks just as good and certainly offers the advantages of corrosion resistance and the ability to re-polish if it scratches. I decided to try out the bumpers from group Harrington, which cost me a total of £709 including delivery.
I am extremely happy with the quality, the speed of service and the price.
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[KOY 23]

Thanks for that, car looks great.

[Phil]

Having just done exactly the same I fully agree

phil

[mjheathcote]

I didn't have a choice with mine, it was rechrome or buy poor reproduction.
Fortunately the company that rechromed my original bumpers did a wonderful job, still as new 15 years later (alas no longer in business).
However today, if in the same situation, it would be stainless steel all the way.

[ChasR]

One specialist (although one could argue they are biased here) was saying that they had seen Stainless discolour after a few years.

Chrome does look lovely when it is in its prime, but keep it like that can be tricky.

[mjheathcote]

One specialist (although one could argue they are biased here) was saying that they had seen Stainless discolour after a few years.

Chrome does look lovely when it is in its prime, but keep it like that can be tricky.

Stainless discolour, it would have to be in a pretty harsh atmosphere to do that, and it if did, can be polished back up again.

[marshman]

Stainless discolour, it would have to be in a pretty harsh atmosphere to do that, and it if did, can be polished back up again.

Have to agree, I've had my stainless bumpers fitted for a couple for years now and no sign of discolouring or rust spots and I live right by the sea. The only down side with stainless that I have found is that they are very easy to scratch when you clean them - chrome is very hard, the polished stainless surface is not - however any scratches you do get can be polished out.

Roger

[stc]

I had my rear bumper and overriders rechromed by Silvabronz in Alton four years ago. Horribly, horribly expensive and now I would almost certainly go stainless if I had two knackered bumpers.

Having said that, the chromework is still fabulous, (maybe it should be after four years in any event) and I Hammerited the inside before refixing, but this company do formidable work and I have seen them at the Revival in the past. I would use them again, and as I have the one decent bumper issue coming up with another car, may have to. It would be a choice of saving a couple of hundred by rechroming a single bumper as opposed to replacing both with stainless.
Tricky..............

Cheers

Simon

[edd]

This thread has come up so often I might now go stainless and I have a full set of rechromed bumpers. Trouble is my set are not concours ie I few marks and imperfections. I was going to live with them but seeing as so many well known skilled people on here seem to trust this product I might make a purchase however I think I sell mine on here or e bay before to help fund or my mrs is literally going to kill me
Going on e bay later most probably unless I get a firm offer on here.
Edd

[malc4d]

Just ordered mine.....Although really wanted to fit chrome, but at the price people wanted......

[malc4d]

Didn't someone on here have problems with the drilled holes being in the wrong place ??

[edd]

Harrington have so far been fantastic. My tracking says they are about to leave Hong Kong. Hopefully they will be with me soon. It would be silly to bolt them on too early during a rebuild but part of me want to put them on first
Edd

[Phil]

Didn't someone on here have problems with the drilled holes being in the wrong place ??

The set we have just fitted went straight on with no problems so maybe at first but not now (hopefully not famous last words)

[Stagsongas]

Harrington have so far been fantastic. My tracking says they are about to leave Hong Kong. Hopefully they will be with me soon. It would be silly to bolt them on too early during a rebuild but part of me want to put them on first
Edd

Hi Edd,

I see you took the plunge, and yes, it is interesting in a curious way to get reports of where they are, a bit like getting a postcard from your bumpers!

For All,

The only issue I had with holes was that they'd forgotten to drill the two holes for the rear numberplate housing. Stainless is a devil of a job to drill or even centre punch, and you don't want a twist drill skating across that lusty surface. I used masking tape to mark out very carefully after finding the centre of the bumper to work from, and then used a Dremel grinder to put a centre pop in mine, then followed that up with a new drill. It is tough to drill, so take your time and cool it with a squirt of water now and then.

The only other issue I had was that the front numberplate plinth needed a little fettling to fit at 90 degrees to the ground.
As supplied, it angled upwards which annoyed me. Trimming the profile of the ends that fit onto the bumper sorted that out just fine.

Regards

Steve

[new to this]

Didn't someone on here have problems with the drilled holes being in the wrong place ??

i had problems with my rear bumper, spoke to harringtons they gave me some money back, had new rear bumper irons made job done,well pleased with the fit,i think the newer ones fit better

dave