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Chrome from China

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C

Coastalman

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My new bumper overriders arrived yesterday for my '66 3000. The box they came in was marked "made in China". They were purchased from Moss. Maybe it is just me, but I am tired of seeing made in China on just about everything we buy. Does anyone know of good chrome overriders for my BJ8 that are made anywhere else and who sells them? These new overriders are not even the shiny chrome that is on the new bumpers that came from Moss.
Thanks,
Charlie
 
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif You don't like Chinese parts in Oriental, NC? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Have you considered re-chroming the old ones?
 
China = Santa's workshop

sorry I can't help you. maybe find some old ones on ebay and have them rechromed?
 
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif What did you expect with an address of "Oriental".
Seriously, original parts look and fit better than repro's. Plenty of sources available for original bumpers and over riders. I had my rather rough looking bumpers re-chromed and although not cheap, came out looking spectacular.
 
Good point on my town. Actually the town is named after a coastal steamer that wrecked many years ago and the ship's nameboard washed ashore here. Hence the name.
I did take the old overriders to a good chrome shop and was told they were too damaged to rechrome. Maybe I need to find another chrome shop. I did get some good recommendations in an earlier post. I'll keep looking. Have the ones bought on ebay been of good quality?

Charlie
 
Yep Charlie, find another chrome shop.If they have just minor dents and surface rust they will come out ok. OTOH, those China made ones can be rechromed too its a thought.---Keoke
 
Charlie,
I have a pair of very old repros that I purchased from Moss 25 years ago. I had two of my originals re-chromed and was going to use the two repros along with them. At some point I needed tmore chrome work done and decided to have the other two originals done.

The two I have are of very good quality.
If you are interested please let me know.
Mark Shaw in Rhode Island
 
Keoke said:
Yep Charlie, find another chrome shop.If they have just minor dents and surface rust they will come out ok. OTOH, those China made ones can be rechromed too its a thought.---Keoke
Click to expand...

Here's an interesting little bit of useless info /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
Think of reproductions as a "copy" of the original made from the actual part. The reproduction will always be slightly larger than the original. In other words, if you stick an original part in a box of clay or sand you'll have a mold of the original part, but only of the "outside". So whatever medium you use to "reproduce" the part will also be larger. Most will tell you that during this process some detail will be lost, such as the case with over riders. Check that the repro's will not have the familiar indentation at the top, nor will they have the same "crispness" overall as an original.
That is my opinion /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whistle.gif
 
Hi Johnny,

The original and aftermarket over riders (and bumpers) are stamped steel parts. They start with a flat sheet and form the shape between steel dies on large presses. If there are part size, shape and detail variations from the originals it is because there are differences in the die shape/quality, stamping force, material type, material thickness or post-operations (such as trimming, finishing, chroming). You are describing a 'casting' type process (sand, investment, die-casting) that is more common with aluminum and other molten metal parts.

casting info

Cheers,
John
 
If you are casting a part, lets say the aluminum bracket that holds the steering column and steering idler, a direct sand cast will make a smaller reproduction. Liquid metal will fill the void of a casting and will shrink as it cools. I was talking to Smitty (of Toyota trannies) about his bell housings a few years back. When he carved the master housing mold (out of wood), he had to account for shrinkage twice. Not wanting the original destroyed, he made intermediate parts (aluminum castings) that would be used to create the final product.
 
That's true John, However, Johnny is also correct. For the most part, the aftermarket over riders are larger and fail to capture the original shape. There being one exceptional part-"Knock" says his are exactly as the originals. I have a set of NOS ones in the Circus/Circus boxes and their plating is not as good as my re plated off the car ones, otherwise they have all the required detail---Fwiw---Keoke
 
JamesWilson said:
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif You don't like Chinese parts in Oriental, NC? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Very observant. lol
Click to expand...
 
oopppsss got so carried away with Oriental..., forgot I was responding.

All of Agatha's parts were rechromed and they turned out great. Just a thought.
 
John, in some cases, I think the tooling may be created using an existing part as the tooling "pattern" (by laser digitizing or other methods), making the repro part a next generation article, resulting in some loss of resolution. And you are right about all the other factors influencing final quality. I mostly think it's a case of shoddy materials and workmanship.
 
nevets said:
John, in some cases, I think the tooling may be created using an existing part as the tooling "pattern" (by laser digitizing or other methods), making the repro part a next generation article, resulting in some loss of resolution.
Click to expand...

Hi Nev,

If they laser scanned and/or digitized the parts I would bet the result would much more accurate (based on my experience with having this done). I think they (of bad repo fame) hold the parts at arms length and take an 'artistic' approach to approximating the original. Good'nuf/cheap'nuf being the quality control stamp. Oh well ...
 
John Loftus said:
Keoke said:
"Knock" says his are exactly as the originals. I have a set of NOS ones in the Circus/Circus boxes
Click to expand...

Hey Keoke,

Deja Vu .. When living in Switzerland went to something called the "Circus Nock". Is that strange or what?? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

https://www.nock.ch/
Click to expand...


I knew from the last time I heard from you -you shoulda stayed at home!-----Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
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