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Pat,

Given you're in Chicagoland, there are some recommendation for platers in posts 81 & 82 of Tom Malas' project blog below:

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=314&viewmode=flat&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=80&

"I'm more interested in a very good job that's reasonable"

Hi again Pat,
Truthfully, I don't think "a vary good job" and "reasonable" can exist in the same sentence when referring to chroming. It's very sad.

Used to be that you wanted speed, quality and low cost the reply was:

Which two do you prefer?

Dear Pat:

I never saw a plating shop that didn't claim they were the best. And I have dealt with shops that are considered the best and been disappointed as well. I could run a list right here, but this is a public forum that would be really bad.

Thus, you could always call one of your local places and get a reference. If you can find some level of cooperative spirit then your needs may be met.

I'm running into the same dilemma- cost versus quality. Two shops that advertise in my area are BumperBoyz and Aerospace. They both show up at Daytona, and Boyz brings plated parts with them from CA that you can exchange on the spot and avoid shipping charges. Aerospace is supposedly expensive. I hear BB subs out the plating to Mexico.

I emailed BB and they gave me a quote of around $4000 for the exterior pieces on my '48.

Then I heard about Advanced Plating in Nashville, who does a lot of Ridler Award cars, so I contacted them. They quoted me $25,000 to $35,000 for everything. Gee... I can't make up my mind.

So I wrote Advanced back, and asked if they had any normal, non-Ridler, poor guy pricing. I haven't heard back from them yet.

Seems to me like a pretty extreme difference. Maybe they thought I meant plating the whole car.

I'm still going to try some local shops.

I had toyed with preparing a guide myself, but it seemed like such a can of worms I moved on. Good luck!

Too bad there is no reliable way to rate these people and judge their consistency and cost.....

No matter who you choose, your plater's going to screw up one of your parts eventually. I had the gold circle on the trunk of the 400 plated. It washed off the first time I washed the car. The plater did it over and did it right the second time.

I think it's beyond useless to try to even consider a price guide for plating. Any dodo can strip chrome/nickel/copper and dip parts in a tank. What you pay for is correct maintenance and use of the chemistries, legal disposal of same, judgement as to plating current densities, skill in repairs and grinding/polishing to as to preserve original contours and details. In addition to these, price is extremely dependent on the condition of the starting piece and good quality repair work, especially with die-cast parts, doesn't come cheap.

For an example, a rear bumper from a 56 Packard. A simple dip, strip and plate job with mediocre attention to detail might be had for $400. Repair of dents on the bumper guards and the exhaust ports and a high quality show chrome job can easily be $2400. Though there will be some variation in price between vendors for the same quality job, you tend to get what you pay for.

I had some of the chrome plating on my 34 Packard done nearly 40 years ago and most of it still looks good though a few pieces are showing a bit thin and a few were recently redone. I've also seen chrome jobs from 5 years ago that are already thin, peeling, etc.

Plating for the Duchess totaled $5,800.

This was all "show chrome," the highest grade offered by Oregon Plating. The waits seemed long, but you need time to save up between deliveries.

The interior convertible chrome pieces were so bad int he Duchess, flaking off and rusting that, in the 70s, sanded them and painted them flat black. I recorded my steps in disassembling the top one side at a time to have the pieces chromed, and rails painted. Convertible owners also have all those bars, tubes, and latches to chrome. But I am so pleased with the result. Some of which is here:

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=5878&viewmode=flat&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=60

Attached are my chrome bills for most everything on a 1940 Convertible Sedan. I don't think the charges are out of line because, as mentioned, it's all in the prep. How bad is the piece you bring in?

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A good friend is completing a top-notch restoration of a 1936 Twelve convertible victoria, aiming for national recognition at the AACA level. As I recall, he mentioned that the chrome work plus the underhood nickel plating was going to be in the range of $35,000, the work being done by one of the very best in the business.