Update: that $22 "chrome polish" kit from the parts store in Dayton did nothing but scratch
Figured I'd try a cheap kit on some pitted bumpers instead of a full rechrome, and it cost me $22 plus about 90 minutes of rubbing, and the pits are still there and now there's a swirl mark I can't buff out. The tube of "metal polish" inside was thinner than toothpaste and the little pad fell apart after one panel. Should've just hit it with 400 grit and shot some primer like I do on everything else. Has anyone found a cheap method that actually fills pits, or am I stuck telling this guy he needs new bumpers?