If existing chrome it must be stripped first, but that's not too much. The polishing is where I have had trouble and had to spend money to get it right. Areas like bottom bracket lugs, as you would imagine, can not be done with a buffer made for a 1957 Chevy bumper. Call around for a shop that knows bicycles (don't want your crown race plated), have them check out your frame and give you a price for the quality you are looking for.