Restoring original Bumpers w/ slight dents question

The rear bumper on my Challenger had a couple of dings/dents on it. The rechrome shop says they can "Straighten" and rechorome it for me. Can a good shop do a good job with this or should I find an unbent or ding free core? I have had bumpers rechromed before but all were straight. I'm pretty picky and not sure what to expect. I considered buying repop but heard the shape is a little off.

Joe

Joe, send your bumpers to Tri-City Plating. They will do a PERFECT job on them.

You generally get what you pay for. Some shops will work the dings out and others will fill an inch deep dent with weld (no joke !!). There was a good article about Tri-city a few years back in some mag. I think it mentioned they only do bumpers so being a specialty shop they're likely to have the tools and know-how to do it right.

When I worked at a Mopar resto shop, we'd send out bumpers to a local shop that I thought looked like crap. We'd get them back, and they looked perfect. I have no idea how they get them that way. They must have a template, or something, because a twisted pretzel is what they were given, and what we got back fit perfectly. You could see where they beat it on the back side, but there wasn't anything that looked like there was a bunch of filler on the other side. So, a good shop can work miracles. The price was around $400, if I remember, but that was 20 years ago. Rechromed bumpers will look perfect. Repros will look like new bumpers. What I mean is, there will be scrape marks where the bumper was forced through the press, and these will be removed on a rechromed bumper.

Since I am a metal specialist I leave nothing to chance. I hammer out out all of my own bumpers and get them up to my standards and this way I get what I want instead of someone elses idea of close enough. After I am satisfied I then send them out to my favorite bumper platers, Keystone in Minnesota. They have a classic parts division and they do an incredible job for the money. I just give them strict instructions, no hammering or any tools on my piece. Just strip, prep and plate. Very, very nice! Beautiful color and not a blemish either. For $409 how can you beat that? Of course starting out with a nice core helps!

Has anyone had any bumpers done by The Bumper Boyz in California?

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I generally heard great things about Tri-City and they are fairly close to me. That is where I had planned on taking them. I just wasn't too sure about how "straight" a good shop could get them since I can't afford to have them done and then not be happy with them.

The other issue I have is that the front bumper on the car is nice and straight but was replaced at some point w/ a 71 bumper. It has the jack slots in it. I had either heard or read that the good shops don't generally fill them in and rechrome so I'm hoping that tri-city will let me use it as a core and get a 70 front bumper.

Sent mine to tricity. Came out better then new. Worth every penny.

Part of Tri-City's service is cutting out and replacing rot, repairing bolt holes, etc.. If you ask them to fill the jack holes they'll likely do it and you'll never know the difference. I wouldn't count on giving them one year of core in exchange for another - that would almost be like saying "here's a 72 Nova bumper but I'd like a '69 Road Runner bumper back". Doesn't hurt to ask but I'm pretty sure that in most cases the bumper you send is the exact one you get back.

STAY FAR AWAY from the Bumper Boys.
I have one of their rear bumpers on my RR and it is pitting, rusting, and chrome flaking off already.
It has only been 1 year since I bought them, car is inside always.
I will NEVER buy anything from them again. I will run used bumpers before I buy any from them again.

I am thinking of putting my fiberglass rear bumper back on the race car as it looks better then bumper boyz bumper. Look at my car next year at the track. I may leave it on there for some advertising for them.

Now Tri-City platings bumpers are doing Great, No Issues, Still Look Like New ones.
I am Very Happy with them.

Just my 2 cents.
David

Tri City is the way to go for your $. Stay as far away from the Bumper Boyz as you can. There work looks OK but doesn't last. They must be cutting corners in the process. Bought one bumper from them. Never again!!!!

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Part of Tri-City's service is cutting out and replacing rot, repairing bolt holes, etc.. If you ask them to fill the jack holes they'll likely do it and you'll never know the difference. I wouldn't count on giving them one year of core in exchange for another - that would almost be like saying "here's a 72 Nova bumper but I'd like a '69 Road Runner bumper back". Doesn't hurt to ask but I'm pretty sure that in most cases the bumper you send is the exact one you get back.

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Great, thanks. Having seen some bumpers made for custom cars and rods I couldn't understand why it wouldn't be possible to fill them in. Maybe I just talked to someone who didn't know what they were talking about. Like you said, I figured I ask about the "swap" but suspected they probably wouldn't. I'll just have'em fill in the holes and refinish.

Thanks again guys! Joe