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MG MGA - Bumpers

Hi guys, hope you are all well, I haven't been on for a while, I play in a band so have been really busy with gigs etc.
But still trying to drive and keep improving my mk1 1500 MGA
I managed to pick up a type 9 gearbox at Beaulieu autojumble, so hope at sometime soon to get the conversion kit and get it in.
But my question tonight is ! I have removed my front and rear bumpers thinking of re chrome, but they are quite bad, they are the originals, but quite a few dents and some holes drilled etc.
So not too good, it will be £200 each to re chrome,
I can buy new ones from Moss etc. For about £200 for both, but I'm guessing they are made in India or China and what will the quality be like, I'm guessing the chrome won't be as good, and the metal will be thinner, has anyone had experience of new ones ?
I don't mind paying the re chrome price of £400 if the bumpers were half decent, unless I can get some second hand ones !

What is the thinking ?

Cheers Jack from the windy and wet New Forest !

Jack New Forest

I know what I'd do if I had your problem- rechrome

gary starr

Jack

I sympathise with your dilemma. Went through the issue in 1997. The quote I got for refurbishment was horrendous and I went for new. The only issue I have ever had with them is slightly rough at the ends of the front outer sections. Looks like they were never fully polished out after chroming or not smoothed off before chroming. Other than that not a spot of rust since 1998 and I think purists would have to look very close to decide if repro or original.

Steve

Steve Gyles

Jack

I inherited boxed new bumpers with the car when I bought it. You are welcome to pick over the abandoned originals if you wish.

Cheers

Dave

Bolney Coupe

Steve

Might I suggest that the manufacturers and/or the manufacturing process may well have changed in the intervening eighteen years.

I have seen several examples of recent replacement chrome items - not MGA bumpers - which have been utter garbage and have started rusting in no time at all.

Dave O'Neill 2

Thanks Dave West Sussex, where are you exactly, if your old originals are better than mine, we might have a deal and I'll go for re chrome ! If not I might just buy the reproduction ones .
Cheers Jack.

Jack New Forest

Just a comment on the "Chinese" repros. I have bought them, and literally soaked them in WD40 or one of the alternatives for a month before installing them. I also paint the insides with a silver/aluminium rust paint. These bumpers have been on a couple of the cars for over 6 years now, and they are as good as the day I bought them.

Gary Lock

Jack

I am near Bolney. Text your email address to 07504901022 and I will send you a picture.

Cheers

Dave

Bolney Coupe

Just to support what Gary said, chrome needs to be fed not polished. When I had my original bumpers re-chromed the guy said to do exactly what Gary said; paint the rear surfaces to prevent corrosion and oil the chrome surface on a regular basis. I just use clean engine oil for a wipe over once a month and it just seems to get absorbed. Chrome still perfect 8 years on.

AR Terry

That's what I did with mine 18 years ago. No rust.

Steve

Steve Gyles

Jack
I used my original bumpers because the repro's where not the same shape on the front ends and I wanted to reuse everything I could. I had them plated and painted the rears as others comment. Fitted them and 10 years under tarpaulin found them rusting again. The ends where no longer useable so I found some on ebay and have had them rechromed they look superb, probably better then new. Painted the rears and fitted. I will note other comments and 'treat' to an oil over to protect their condition.
Jack I would rechrome originals over repros, but final decision up to you.
During my rebuild I have tried to use original or Nos parts over 'new repro's'
Brian

Brian Paddon

Hi Jack (mustn't shout that out on an aeroplane)

I got mine from Angloparts they were the correct profile and the chroming they told me was done to european standards and was triple the thickness I believe they certainly looked very good and when I last saw the car they looked as good as new after 8 years

cheers Gordon

G C Pugh

Jack,

Just pulled out Bob West's invoice from 2015, Bob did a major refurbishment job on my MGA:

Front bumper new GBP.95
Rear bumper new 75
4 Over-riders plus bolts etc. 120

So far all looks good.

I usually use normal car polish on the chrome work; interested about using WD40 Gary.

Doug

Doug Wallace

Sorry tried to add photo... even a small file, does not want to upload?

Doug Wallace

Gordon Pugh, yes funny, I always say to my friends if you see me in an airport using airport transfers sevenoaks don't shout out Hi Jack haha!
I'll have a look at Anglo parts thanks.

Doug Wallace you must be Scottish like me with a name like that ?
Yes Doug the new ones are much cheaper than re chrome ! £400 to re chrome.

Dave in Bolney I've text you my email address !

Cheers all as usual you guys are the business when it comes to good information keep it up great forum,

Cheers Jack.

Jack New Forest

As with Doug, mine were from Bob West but back in 1998. £175 +vat including overriders back then. As I said above still no rust.

Dent removal and rechroming on my old stuff was, I recall, close to £500.

Steve

Steve Gyles

If you do decide to get the old ones re-plated I would recommend Derby Plating. Superb finish with a lot of copper added for the base layer over the steel. They end up a bit heavier. They repaired my front grill beautifully. Nothing worse than poor quality re-chroming though. However, for me it was no expense spared as the car is the first car I owned.

You do need to be sure that the old ones are actually original and not just older repro ones. The profile is usually a good indication of originality. I bought several old ones on ebay before I was convinced I had an original set. Incidentally my only mistake on re-chroming were the bonnet vents. The extra copper on the mazak reduced the detail of the stipple effect around the "MGA" label.

John Francis

HiJack!

Yes indeed, Scottish, a Dundee boy but born in Malaya and now resident in Indonesia.

Very special deal at our Bali hotels for MGA owners!

Yours aye,

Doug

PS. Can anyone help - trying to post a photo, get to 'choose file' ok but to click 'submit' nothing happens; file size already small...

Doug Wallace

...ah, surprise, it worked!

Doug Wallace

Most of the reproduction front bumpers that I looked at had a profile and the end units that was not even close to matching the originals. If the cost of quality repair and chrome are not in the budget, I was able to get a front unit from Sports and Classics that was reasonably close to the correct profile. http://www.sportsandclassics.com/ We will see how well the chrome holds up over time. I did paint the insides of the bumper with etching primer and silver paint and the originals.

Keith Lowman

Doug, that looks like the Loire ;o)

Dave O'Neill 2

I followed Gordon Pugh's advice and went with Angloparts at twice the price of the others. I just ordered the front and when it arrived it was exactly the same as all the rest! (Classic Gold, if I remember correctly) So I guess they either swapped supplier to reduce cost or just told "porky pies".

I also talked to Bob West who said he gets all his bumpers from Scarboro Faire as they are closest to original. I would however be surprised if there are really two companies manufacturing these at the moment.

I have some original bumpers and they are definitely heavier than the repros, but when fitted it is very difficult to tell them apart. Like all new parts the quality of the chrome is good and acceptable to most people. For the concours guys and those who are particularly discerning there is a huge difference compared with top (Pebble Beach) quality chrome.

New factory chrome was somewhere between the two

Exactly the same comments for the grille.

Neil MG

Neil, Apparently Cecelia at SF has bought new tooling for the front bumpers which has the correct profile to enable over riders to fit properly. If she owns the tooling then no one else would be able to use it. At the time, about ten years ago, her front bumper price was very reasonable. She claims the chrome plating is high quality.
Strangely there doesn't seem to be a problem with the profile on rear bumpers ..................Mike

Mike Moore

That makes sense Mike. Usually if Bob West recommends something it is pretty good. So it seems that SF is the best place to get reproduction bumpers!

Neil MG

Following on from Neil's comments on Angloparts, they must be the biggest "rip-off" merchants in the classic car parts World. I see that Moss have now opened a Paris Branch, so hope they do well.

Gary Lock

Dave,

Yes correct, the photo was taken in the lower Loire valley, at Norman Verona's 'farmhouse'.

Norman is a Brit living at this beautiful remote corner of the Loire close to a tiny village called Noellet. He has 2 'Gites' or Bed & Breakfast holiday cottages which he rents out to MG Car Club members for peanuts and he is an extremely hospitable and generous host.

Norman has rebuilt an MG TC, documented in great detail on John James' Totally T-type 2 online mag. He also has a Caterham which will blow the pants off you!

Definitely worth a visit if you plan a France holiday; pic. at Norman's 'Gites'

Doug

Doug Wallace

We stayed there in September.

I recognised the Land Rover.

Dave O'Neill 2

Hi Neil, sorry about that,as you say they must have changed when I got mine they were good profile ,same price as Moss and chrome was much better and still looking good on the car when I saw it recently,here are a couple of photos I took at the time it was 2007 and the over riders fitted perfectly,I shall keep quiet in future