Bumper and Grille Restoration

[TrevDaddy]

Hello all. I recently made a few purchases for the ol' 620. I gotta 32/36 that I'm going to totally overhaul tomorrow. I was trying to find a correct front bumper for the truck for a while, and one popped up on CL. The pics made it look decent, so today I got around to driving 40 miles to pick it up. The chrome is a little tired and the backside of the piece is fairly rusty. I want to know how to get the best possible finish. I know that re-chroming is my best option here, but it could be too expensive. Here are some pics.

 

 

 

Is it possible to get new rubber end brackets? These are totaled:

 

 

I took off the main brackets to bring them to the bead blaster at school.

 

 

I got one side off with no fuss, but the others were not so lucky:

 

 

Sheared off two bolts, they were rusted onto the nuts. Are they replaceable? They aren't typical by any means, chrome heads with a square base and small thread. Also, while rummaging through the seller's parts I found a year-correct grille as well. It has a chip in it that I'd like to hopefully repair. This grille I bought is in a little better condition than mine, and I'd like to use it for a painted version.

 

 

Also, what would be the best way to remove the emblem? It doesn't look like these boys will like me either:

 

 

I got both pieces for $60, pretty good deal to me. If anyone knows about chroming costs please gimme some feedback, I'd like to do as much as I can before handing the bumper to a professional. Thanks guys! :D

[72240z]

The bumpers aren't bad far as rust from what I can see, just surface bs. Wire wheel or sand the scale off and paint the back to stop that rust and polish the fronts since you can't afford to re-chrome.

 

The broke bolts are more common then you think. There are in the catalog at home depot, maybe even in stock. I've had to buy them before. I'd say you could try a regular good hardware store too but everyone in every area is different do IDK.

 

The emblem you can either cut the nuts with a grinder (ouch lol), or cut the bracket. It depends how you would like to reattach it later. I would just cut the nuts and weld or epoxy on pieces of threaded rod or something along those lines.

 

You could patch that broken area on the grill too with other plastic, epoxy and sand paper. Since your going to paint it.

[DanielC]

Good chrome is expensive. Here is why. To chrome a piece of steel, you have to clean it perfectly, and then work out the dents, and then polish it. Then it is copper plated, and then polished again, and then nickel plated, and then polished a third time, and finally chromed. All that polishing is done usually by a worker, using buffing wheels, and other hand polishing tools.

Never mind the costs of disposing of toxic chemicals used in the processes.

 

For the rusted nuts on the grill, I would get a small 2 inch round wire brush from home depot, look in the tool section. Remove as much rust as you can, and then put penetrating oil on it, and let it sit overnight or longer. If you have patience, put a little penetrating oil on it every day for a week. Then try to remove the nuts.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

For the bumper. Use some super fine steel wool & some mothers alluminum polish & get busy. will remove surface rust & give it a good shine. On the back the guys covered it well, wire wheel,primer then repaint it.

[72240z]

Idc how long you soak the emblem nuts in penetrating oil your not getting those nuts off. They are so far rusted your not going to be able to tq them enough with out breaking something even if then can be broken free prior to shearing.

[TrevDaddy]

I will go pick up some aluminum polish today, I figured that would help the front tremendously. Any other products to consider for polishing chrome? I got the brackets completely cleaned today and I'm going to primer them tonight, pics later. I'm off to the hardware stores to see what they have in terms of hardware. I'm still wondering about the rubber, are there replacements from nissan?

 

As for the grille, I'll try the wire brush and penetration route. If that doesn't work, I'll cut em off and not worry too much about it. I only bought it to paint it and see how it looks compared to my stock one.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Chrome polish works good too, apply to steel wool [super fine 0000] & go for it.

the rubber end pieces may be available @ the dealer but more than likely it's a yard item.

If the emblem doesnt have to come off i'd leave it. Like 72240z said those little studs will break off.

[budsaipan]

You could also use foil to remove surface rust off the chrome. As odd as it sounds, it works without messing up the chrome. But I think that fine steel wool will work even better.