Ep 7. Bumper Balls

In the second season of the popular reality show American Restoration, episode 7, titled "Bumper Balls," features the restoration of a unique and historic car bumper. Host and owner of the restoration shop, Rick Dale, takes on the challenge of working on a 1926 Buick that has a rare and valuable bumper that was retrieved from a junkyard.

The bumper, which is made of nickel and inlaid with 24 karat gold, is in urgent need of restoration as it is severely rusty and damaged. Rick sees a diamond in the rough, so he decides to take on the project.

Rick and his team of expert restorers start by dismantling the bumper. They carefully remove the valuable gold inlays to prevent damage. They then use a soda blaster to remove the rust and grime. After soda blasting, the bumper is in a much better condition, but still requires a lot of work.

The team straightens the bumper to ensure that it retains its original shape. They expertly weld new metal to reinforce the bumper. They then spend hours buffing and polishing the bumper to achieve the original shiny nickel look. The gold inlays are reinstalled with great care to avoid any damage.

The team also works on the car's back frame, which is severely damaged. Rick and his team use their expertise to restore the frame, so that it is strong enough to support the bumper.

In this episode, we get to see the challenges that the team faces when restoring a unique and rare bumper. The episode also highlights the attention to detail that the restorers have while working on such valuable projects.

Additionally, the episode delves deeper into the history of the car bumper. Rick recommends that the bumper be plated with chrome instead of nickel, which was the original plating for the car bumper. Rick explains that the reason why nickel was used in the past is that it was cheaper than chrome. However, with time, car manufacturers started using chrome, which became the standard for car bumpers.

The episode also shows how Rick interacts with other members of his team, hints that Rick is a true leader who motivates his team to do their best. The interaction between the team members makes the episode entertaining and engaging.

Overall, "Bumper Balls" is an exciting episode that showcases the restoration team's expert skills and attention to detail. The episode focuses on a unique item, a 1926 Buick bumper, and it's restoration, making for compelling viewing. Fans of the show will enjoy this episode, and newcomers to the show will be impressed by the team's craftsmanship and passion for restoration.