Hot Rods Painting chrome??

I have a 56 F100 I am painting. Old grille looked Ok when truck looked old- dare I say patina??? Anyway now it will really look like shit with new paint. These truck came with either a painted (sort of a ivory color) or chrome grill. Mine was chrome but now it mostly rusty looking. Anyone had good luck painting over chrome? How did you do it? Thanks Greg.

 

Your best bet is having whats left of the chrome stripped otherwise you will have trouble getting paint to stick. I have tried sand blasting chrome plated parts and still had paint flake off easily.

 

There is a product called XIM primer, it comes in clear & white and it is a bonding primer made for ferrous and non-ferrous materials, this stuff does a excellent job and your finish will not peel. HRP

 

A good friend, who is a production car painter by trade, has a side business doing "paint chrome"..... Before you laugh and snort, let me say this.... The product he puts out looks better than chrome. It is lighter in shade, without the "blue look".... It is much, much, less costly that chrome...

 

Sand the hell out of it. Then put some epoxy primer on it, just a coat will do. Next day scuff it, and if it has imperfections you want to fill, do that, and put some urethane primer over it, water sand it with anything from 320-500 depending on what paint you're gonna use, and shoot that thing! I've sanded quite a few of them with 180-220, put 2 coats of bulldog adhesion promoter on them, and then primed them. After a couple of years the bugs will beat the paint off, but that's just part of it. Still cheaper that getting it rechromed

 

Self etching primer will stick (and etch into the chrome and rust). You can put 2K urethane over the etch if you need some fill (wet on wet-usually after 30 minutes up to 72 hours--check the tech sheet for the product.).

I do want to try the simulated chrome paint.

 

I had chrome Traction Master under-ride traction bars powder-coat 20% gloss black. The bars turned out very well, but the brackets aren't as nice. However, paint is intact. If you have a chrome shop within a reasonable driving distance, I would get a quote for having the chrome removed. I would then have the grill powder-coated.

Considering you just had your truck painted (assuming Earl Scheib, Maaco, or Miracle didn't paint it), do it right. If the condition of the grill is questionable, find a better one (you'll be glad you did).

 

Thank guys, I'm gonna try it I guess. I want to fill the old V-8 emblem holes. (Not a V-8 anymore) Can I mig weld them closed? I mean on the chrome?

 

Yes you can

 

The truck would look so much better if you just spent the bucks and time and got the grill rechromed....

 

We've been playing with vinyl wrap material on some of the MG's in the shop. The chrome wrap might be a good alternative. The trick is to make sure the surface is smooth and clean.

Powder coating is another option.

 

MAACO seems to have perfected a paint process that adheres to chrome, and tires, and glass, and exhaust pipes...

 

Someone would be glad to have that beautiful old chrome grill
Mabee you could trade with someone who has a painted one

 

That's why it's called, "OH.OH. Better Call MAACO"

 

Earl Schieb perfected it WAY before Maaco did! He even figured out how to paint insects.

 

This grille is much worse than it looks in these digital pics, no one would want to use it as is, unless someone wanted the dreaded rat or patina look.. Anyway this is a budget build $500-600 for repop grille is out of the question. These trucks came with either off white painted or chrome grilles. I failed to mention in the opening post that I am thinking of painting it off white. I am going to try it. If it doesn't work I'll just keep looking for a better used grille. It's going back together this year and next year I plan to get it completely painted. I have been taking it apart every winter for the last 3-4 years, then driving during the summer.

 

It can't cost that much to just have it sandblasted before painting it. The only thing I know for sure is that everytime I try a short cut it takes me longer and I pay for it later on. Do it right....do it once. Maybe just find another grille thats painted and resell yours.

 

DA / hand sand, and epoxy.

If you want powder coat, make sure you talk to coater first, any body filler needs to compatible for heat, or you need to metal finish any repairs.

If you want silver or "shiny-ish" rest of chrome on the truck - all could be painted or powderd for consistent look.

Or, do the grill white / black / body color

 

Check out my avatar, Etch primer and paint after sanding with 220. Zero problems, and it looked exactly like yours when I started.

 

I’d try reverse electrolysis first to get all the rust off first and then go from there.

 

I've done many motorcycle parts for customers and not heard a bad word yet. DA the hell out of it with 220, get all the visible rust gone. etch prime, epoxy prime, sand and paint.

But really, It'd look best with fresh chrome

 

Thanks guys, I DA'ed it and welded up the V8 emblem holes. Primed it and going to sand the primer and see how good it adhered. If good I and going to get a can of spray bomb off white and paint it. I haven't been to a swap meet in SO long, but I may find a better grille in the future. For now I'm gonna put it on.

 

Well I da'd it and roughed it up. Just used regular old Rust oleum primer and the white paint. It's a cobble job but looks OK we'll see how long it will last, as I said I'll keep looking for a better one at swap meets,etc.