Chrome Bumper Restoration - from old rusted Aston Martin DB5 bumper to SHOW CHROME

[@old-style8642]

What the hell did I just watch all the way through?? I don't know why I couldn't stop watching this video. Those guy's deserve a beer a cheers to their amazing work.

[@villyou4809]

Same here.

[@markrainford1219]

I would never have imagined that was even possible with the bumper that far gone. Been waiting years for a video this detailed. Thanks for taking the time and effort. A true artisan.

[@chrishay8385]

And that's how real chrome work is done old schoolcraftsmanship and done in Britain Great to see chaps

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

We are trying to keep the skills alive

[@quietman2672]

Just retired after 48 years doing the same thing. Production manager at several companies. Started in 1973, just retired in 2020. Processed parts for the aerospace, Automotive, and MOD customers. I noticed your based in Coventry. One of my last companies major customer was Eumatic. One of our sites was the major supplier of Zinc plated parts to them. Many years ago I also worked in Coventry for the Chalcon Group of companies based in Walsall. Enjoyed the video. Took me back to my operator days doing classic car repairs at William Bates in Walsall. Many years ago. 👍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@vintagelugs1708]

Exceptional video! What you do is top quality art! The amount of work necessary to have a quality finish will never be understood by some. I recently had a vintage Italian bicycle frame chromed and had raving reviews by many people. When they asked how much to get it done, they said it’s too expensive. Not to those who appreciate a massive skill set. Congratulations!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Nice to hear from someone who knows the difference.

[@Preso58]

Thanks for not skipping the details. I've been doing some nickel and nickel cobalt plating at home and it's nice to compare my workflow with the real deal. So far, I've not used the copper step but now I can see why it's so important.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad to help

[@ronv6637]

Was given a old electroplating machine yesterday and need to understand how to use it,these steps were very helpful.

[@anthonywilson4873]

Metal insert brought the strength back lead fill meant all holes sealed and brought surface up to where it could be filed and polished back. All the rust has gone gone gone. Then all the polishing and plating processes awesome. It’s fixed permanently. Great Job

[@0shiny1]

Wow amazing work ! I'm an ex London chroming company polisher and tbh they never would have been able to do that, you're repair man is especially skilled, great job.👍👍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks for the kind comments

[@rottnlove]

My dad has had the hobby of restoring old cars. When I was 13 I chose a 1964 Malibu Chevelle sedan bare metal body to rebuild as my very first car to learn how to drive in and as my very first vehicle. Nothing made of chrome he has ever sent out to have it re-chromed. If it's rust isn't severe enough that it has caused pitting, it can look almost as good as new just with some wd-40 and a wadded ball of aluminum foil. This was also the method used to keep an industrial guillotine paper cutter table surface smooth and rust free for the very heavy paper to move and rotate around without excessive friction. It will restore chrome to a mirror finish as long as it hasn't rusted to the point that has caused pitting into the surface. Spray a little wd-40 on the surface and then rub the area with the wadded up ball of aluminum foil until the rust has been taken off and has mixed into a black residue that can be easily cleaned off with a clean towel or rag. This has always just been done by hand and it doesn't require any special power tools or special chemicals.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Sounds Good. What a great first car. I have a 72 Malibu Chevelle.

[@ladyjrider666]

What an amazing transformation. True craftsmanship and skill to achieve it. Thanks for sharing the process.

[@mikedtw]

I am absolutey gobsmacked, so to speak! Not only your shop with all of the necessary equipment, but the skill and knowledge of all seen here. The DB5 has a special place in my heart... when I was maybe 10 years old, long story short, I got to sit in a fully-equipped James Bond version during its transport process. Still a dream to own one someday!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you liked the video. Aston Martin are making some Goldfinger DB5s for sale. I believe they are over $4 million each. We did some of the chrome on them.

[@lukewegner8043]

Fantastic video and exceptional work. When the guy that needs his ORIGINAL bumper restored asks why it cost $8 grand you can show him why with this video!

[@davidrn2473]

I didn't hear him make mention of costs, did it actually cost $8,000 USD? I can understand if that was the ballpark cost with the hours of work required.

[@jorgemontefusco650]

What about lead fumes? Dangerous to inhale.

[@Gokizzmass]

Good job there Baldrick, i bet you were glad to see the back of that job !

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Yes. It was not easy

[@mrasmo]

Amazing results aside, I'm thoroughly impressed by the attention to detail, as well as the explanation as to why there needs to be such attention. Brilliant work and workmanship.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks. Happy you enjoyed it

[@stevemartin9200]

It’s really good to see true craftsmen at work.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@larsfrandsen2501]

Old school craftsmanship. Amazing quality. Well done.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@spidersinspace1099]

Thanks for sharing the incredible skill and unmatched level of quality exhibited by these workers.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks

[@davidrix804]

British craftsmanship at its best,a dieing trade👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@alexb6018]

Thank you so much my friend. I have all my life wondered what was involved in the magic of chrome. I have worked in the Car Industry forever and knew the basics of Chrome but always had questions. And you Matey have shown us in systematic detail why is costs what it does to get a great Bumper Repair/Restore and Chrome. Now all I need to do is find someone that can do what you do in Australia. And that could be a challenge because Australian Industry has all but closed forever which is so sad and makes it hard for me to keep my doors open. But I will persevere a little longer. Thanks again for your superb in depth video, it was very appreciated. Max

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks for the kind comments. My father who founded the company worked in Australia for a few years in the 1960's. He worked at the Moonee Ponds Plating Co.

[@alexb6018]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration Hey my friend, Mooney ponds is a well known suburb and lots of performance cars, rods and vintage testis have come from there. I'm in Sydney's western suburbs. Love that you speak of your Father with Honour. Send me the name of your company and I will look you up and give you a call. Always good to have a friend in the same game that is passionate in their work. Max

[@SEN0BRM]

I’ve been watching people spray paint for too long, nice workmanship

[@rose-ey6ct]

Having worked in the plating industry in the past, I can only say: What a fabulous video!

[@hallstrr]

True craftsmanship which is hard to find these days.I have a small parts chrome line set up as a hobby and really enjoy seeing how you restore something I would never attempt!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks

[@thecatofnineswords]

Awww man, tinning and leading are almost lost arts. It's good to see them in action.

[@enigmasvids9615]

Excellent attention to detail with the DB5 Aston Martin rear bumper repair. Hopefully cars of lesser pedigree receive similar attention. It's obvious why properly chromed pieces are costly to restore. Well done guys. 👍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

All jobs get the attention they need. Value of the vehicle doesn't alter the amount of work needed.

[@williamjames9515]

I always wondered how this was done. Now I know and I also realize why it is an expensive operation. Beautiful work.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@r4z0r84]

A few imperfections but my god it's insane how well this turned out from what it started with, hugely impressive

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

We try our best

[@32mudbug]

Wow. Now I kind of want copper plated bumpers for my truck.

[@mollyfilms]

So good to see real craftsman at work. Sadly these guys are nearing retirement and there’s a huge shortage of people like this.

[@twcmaker]

Huge problem nowadays. Kids just aren't coming through.

[@mollyfilms]

@@twcmaker I agree entirely. Seems kids today either don’t want to work or are not interested in anything but their phone. I have a friend who has a very successful engineering company but he’s now actively selling it as his workforce are all at retirement age. He’s tried many years to get local kids from collages etc to put on as apprentices to no avail. Most don’t last the week.

[@ronv6637]

Can't even get them to show up regularly much less put real effort into anything,forget about pride in quality or attention to detail. Then they bitch about things being messed up and low quality. I am bracing for very bad times ahead with a lot of these idiots not making it and taking more down with them. Who is John Galt?

[@willtopower2158]

Wow, how proud you must be to be doing this kind of work. Just amazing, what an education!. Thank you!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Wow, thank you!

[@TradeWorks_Construction]

For anyone thinking of DIY plating, watch what it really takes a professional shop to achieve a flawless finish. I consider myself a stickler for cleanliness before I do my painting, but these guys must all be saints at heart to have the discipline to continuously do these cleaning steps. I guess if you want show stopping results, the devil is in these preparation details … regardless of the industry your in good solid preparation makes the finished product easier to achieve; in some cases it’s the only way.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

You are dead right

[@mjallenuk]

It's a hell of a lot of work but really it was worth all the effort! I have a special place for the DB5 as I went in one as a kids before I watched the Bond Movie which was just the icing on the cake. A motor I'll never drive let alone own so well done to the lucky owner of what I assume is an epic restoration job!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Lovely cars but unfortunately, way beyond the means of most mortals pockets since the values have gone up.

[@davidjones8680]

Really nice work. I frequently recommend you and your company to people who ring us asking for old parts to be re-chromed, it's a finish we don't do.

[@thomasmulhall4873]

Wonderful! Great to see Englismen doing the highly skilled work of our ancestors. Very high quality work and attention to detail. The owner ought to watch this video, and, better still, be present for some of the work. Hope he tipped you for an excellent job!

[@dadsvespa]

Incredible workmanship! You don't see this kind of dedication anymore! I've got a 53 Cadillac Convertible covered in chrome. Most of it needs re-plating and I don't have the cash, so I decided to just sink a couple hundred into two "restored "and "re-chromed" Cadillac emblems, one on each front fender. Well, at first I thought they look great! ....BUT! soon, within a month after I installed them on the car, I noticed my cotton t shirt rag was getting "snagged' when I applied polish. The Chrome was peeling off both of my "restored" emblems !!! It was like peeling off my skin after I had gotten a bad sunburn! (convertible) I learned my lesson. Wait to I save up enough to have it done correctly by a reputable shop!! How much would it cost me to mail a 53 Cadillac front bumper from Massachusetts, to Coventry??? 🤪

[@dentman62]

This is impressive, well done as a 20 yr paintless dent repair technician fixing hail damaged vehicles...the art of finishing is highly coveted in my opinion, you have an incredible talent

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Our metalwork guy is very good.

[@donaldwilliams2270]

The next time I get a quote to have some parts chromed , I'll be less likely to be that guy who thanks he's getting robbed , a great full tour of the complete process , thanks

[@Desertduleler_88]

I thought the bumper was too far gone, amazing restoration.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

We try our best with what we are given

[@iantaylor4771]

Brilliant work the bumper looks fabulous well done you are true craftsmen.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks 👍

[@qivarebil2149]

It just shows that anything can be repaired! Great save! Thanks for sharing this video! 😎👍

[@ronfrancois]

Superb, quality workmanship there lads.

[@freakyflow]

One of my first jobs while still in high school was working at a plater But they only did Military parts for the 8-wheeled "LAV" I ended up doing 2 jobs One of Sandblasting And Zinc priming And Plating steel rods that i think were for suspension Or A type of lifter Next door to use was a Englishman that reproduced A/C cobras And use to race Astons And other track cars in the 60's Loved talking with him And learning about cars

[@andrewhudson3723]

Great video. It's great to see expert craftsmen working their trade.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks for watching!

[@pattiboychannel311]

Takes me back, my first job was in a company in folkestone Kent, county electro plating, I as 16 years old, never did anything to scale tho, very nice work guys

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Happy you enjoyed it

[@jasonsummit1885]

You're not just restoring a car bumper, you're restoring a piece of history. I love the look of these cars, and Sean Connery will always be the only real James Bond.😁

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Can't agree with you more

[@Metalsuitman]

Amazing craftsmanship. Your knowledge of chemistry is obvious as well. It was a pleasure watching the entire process. I’m guessing it is better than factory.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks. I am no chemist, I only know it in relation to my work. On most vehicles our finish is better than OEM.

[@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958]

The original damage looked irreparable. Amazing to watch the process. Thanks!

[@Steff320i]

What a great video. The world needs more oldschool craftsmen like youse.

[@FredPilcher]

I'd thought that lead wiping was a dead art. Boy, was I wrong! :D

[@vaslav030547]

Fantastic job. Your details are now in my contacts which I will gladly pass on to my Classic car mechanic and fellow members of the Rolls Royce Club.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks for that. Very Kind.

[@ashleyflint3501]

Boy, Its great to fantastic tradesmen at work, what a masterpiece, Fantastic video, learnt alot here ! Great job, Fella's

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@walkertongdee]

he must mean disrepair lol exceptional work

[@JesusTorres-qr1gz]

Wow, outstanding and impressive work of art, this is the first time in my life that I see the process, a very methodic, complicated and time consuming process, my most expressive thanks to each and everyone that one way or another collaborated to make it possible and bring it to us, from the endless summer paradise Puerto Rico, Jesús Torres.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@JesusTorres-qr1gz]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration most kind of you guys, please keep up the good work, blessings to all of you guys.

[@kevinramsey1080]

Who's the company? UK based ?

[@felipeabejero8490]

Exceptional work, and fantastic results.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks!

[@MrRotaryrockets]

well done I like the trick with the lead filler for the holes..

[@poisoncustoms3950]

Now that's great workmanship! Busy looking at where I can have my mustangs trim chrome plated. But that's for much later in the project.

[@pomnichowski]

Astonishing... Good results... Nice presentation...

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@bm.3595]

Thank you for making this video. Your skill is impressive both for your chrome and repair work as well as the video! My appreciation for restoration work was high. Now it’s out of this world!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks for your comments. We do the best we can with the parts customers give us to repair.

[@pablocespedes5880]

God bless these artisans!!!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thankyou

[@damonm7695]

Incredible video and great explanation - I felt like this video should be an episode on some car network

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks for the positive comment.

[@j3rocketeer]

Amazing!! I never knew this could be done

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

It is not easy

[@andysaunders3708]

Nice job, guys. No wonder it's not cheap to have chrome redone!

[@robertporter6507]

Excellent work to restore that DB5 bumper. Hope you guys recoup all that labor and material cost. Hopefully, restorers will know now what cost are associated with re-chroming parts. Excellent video!

[@marioch9272]

Watched your KZbin videos on Chrome Restorations. Excellent work. Will be in touch soon

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Awesome, thank you!

[@philflip1963]

Fascinating, thanks for showing me what's involved.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@montyzumazoom1337]

That was a lot of work. Well done guys, the end result was superb, I bet the customer was really chuffed with that👍👏

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks 👍

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

You guys are Artists

[@grahamshedd9225]

Awesome work!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@hydorah]

Wow that's a beautiful result. Well done guys! Got me thinking about some of my old drum hardware...

[@marcus6904]

amazing job you have done, I had my DB4 bumpers rechromed 25 years ago and stored them ,while they weren't as bad as yours the front had been crashed so had to be repaired, the chrome shop put extra coats on as yours however the attention to detail wasn't 100% and there are some marks which is frustrating .However I'm now finishing the restoration and while not 100% concours its not too bad .I know so much more now in 2024 but in 1986 I was a greenhorn . I'm interested to know the cost please as Bumpers can be bought new now made in Stainless steel for around 2,500 UKP for both front & rear ,made in Vietnam. However I'm a big believer in repairing rather than replacing . The skills your team has go to make the UK the top country in the world for classic car restoration. Well done and thank you for sharing some of the secrets of your complex work, regards Marcus (NZ)

[@mughalkhelkhan9372]

Wonderful!!! Very highly professional!!!

[@mikeroberts5646]

This is all great,though no one can do this at home for obvious reasons,and you doing this I,m sure isn’t cheap,awesome work though

[@A3Kr0n]

So many important tips.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you think so!

[@carlmarsteller8649]

Beautiful job Gents

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you kindly

[@larrysorenson4789]

Thank you. Very informative.

[@robertjones7695]

Splendid result!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you!

[@Kieran46100]

simply amazing, expertise work of art, thanks so much for sharing with us

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

My pleasure 😊

[@grammyhall53]

we do basically the same thing here in the states,except we uce brass brazing rods instead of lead.they have outlawed lead here .so they have an imitation lead here that isnt all that great. ty santee

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

We prefer to use brass for filling. In this case the matal was too thin to be brazed, as it would burn through and warp with the heat. Shame you are not allowed to use lead in the states.

[@charlesbrown6049]

Thanks Charlie!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@grammyhall53]

labor intensive for sure,but a beautiful job.great work.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks

[@MrGhalemin]

Very nice job and takes more time to complete the great results

[@turboflush]

Crazy fix. I would have rebuilt a new center section. Not sure about edges. Maybe brass backer and spot weld.

[@ramonrivera5467]

Thanks for showing me the process the correct way use do very good work

[@criticalmass181]

Very interesting. Great work.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mrlondon963]

Superb job.

[@AokLocksmiths]

Great job guys !!!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks!!

[@horstnele]

Amazing Job and perfect narration!

[@KellySharkey66]

Amazing job.. Brilliant

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@2bigbufords]

serious skill

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks

[@jdrs4214]

Nice video Señor!!! I love the mirror copper colored finish. It’s a shame that copper doesn’t stay like that!!! ….at least here on Mother Earth.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

The copper does look great.

[@kiyoshi8657]

Absolutely insane and incredible work!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@leeneal6969]

Lovely vid. I got my over riders done recently and now I see where the cost of them went

[@chrisbennett851]

Very good to watch and informative.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dinohopa9445]

Such A class finish.Great work guys.

[@wald3mar]

That's wild. Top notch work fellas.

[@philparrott4424]

I really enjoyed this video, very good work.

[@cliveharmsworth2894]

Thank you.

[@MatorTow]

Should have put a before after picture at the end. Impressive work. Lot of patience and care.

[@simonsuv8376]

Amazing skills

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@vitalmakhdum]

That was a fun watch!

[@659009stan]

Wow, this was fascinating!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you enjoyed it