RogerH Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hi Folks, I have been given a TR4 front bumper to get re-chromed. When I striped off the over-riders and irons the bumper resembled a curly-wurly. Me thinks it's had a prang. My question is - apart from the fancy curl at either end of the bumper how straight should the overall shape should be. If it is meant to be a reasonably straightish shape what is the best way of getting it back to straight. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Hi Roger, The bumper is not straight between the two curved ends. It seems to pretty much follow the curve of the front valance although it doesn't curve quite so much as the valance where the edges of the valance meet the lower front edge of the front wings. I appreciate this isn't that much help but I think you need some measurements from a removed bumper. A trip to one of your local group meetings may provide a source. Straightening a bumper to be chromed so it won't show any surface ripples is certainly beyond my mediocre skills. I believe some of the re chroming company's will undertake such work depending on how bad it is. The repro front bumpers which are lighter than the originals often tend to have very slight ripples in them anyway. Depending how keen you are for originality or to do all the restoration work personally will depend upon if you think the straightening and chroming is worth the additional cost. A new repro front bumper can be obtained for around £100 and I suspect a professional straightening and re chroming will cost more than that. Good luck with whatever you decide. Trevor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Roger it is very difficult to straighten a bumper succesfully as they are very "springy". London Chroming 02076396434 are very good at repairs like that but it will be more expensive than buying a repro. However the repros dont last very long. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bob-menhennett Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Hi Roger Can I echo the comments..trying to straighten it yourself is like the long bendy floorboard....you nail one end down and the other end . pops up. Re-chromers prefer to do the "fixing" themselves with the right equipment and expertise.The original being rechromed is the more expensive route but if you compare it against the thickness of the metal on a "repro" bumper you don't have to be terribly clever to work out which is going to last longer. If you don't plan to keep the car long or strictly as original the repro will be a quick/ cheaper fix. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ade-TR4 Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 just keep looking for a decent original. use a repro in the meantime! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Hi guys, thanks for your comments. I was subconciously getting ready to give it to an expert via the chromers and bugger the money but I needed that extra impetus from your good selves. The bumper is not mine and a repro was out of the question. If anybody is interested I've found a small metal finisher in the Hounslow Middx area, B and M metal finishers ,who have access to a man who can. Should be interesting how much it will cost. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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