Painting Over Chrome - Yes/No?

i have chrome headlights on the coupe and i want to paint the headlight buckets black. what is the best procedure for painting over the chrome? thanks for the help, mike

 

it'll aventually peel if you dont get the chrome completely off.

 

Probably the best(although not necessarily the cheapest)way would be to take them to a plating shop in your area and have them electrically stripped.Then proceed as you would for any paint job.
If the chrome is good,you might waht to consider finding another pair in worse shape,selling the chrome ones,and painting the others.
I've used 1-Shot with some degree of success on chrome but that was strictly striping.My sptlights have been striped for about 5 years now with only 1 or 2 small spots chipped.The bumpers have been done for about 2 1/2 years and they seem to be hanging in pretty good.
safariknut

 

Powdercoat them!!

It will bake on just fine. In fact there are a few colors that look just plain awesome when done this way (they are translucent - kinda like a tinted clear that gives you a real wild candy affect). I don't see why any regular color wouldn't do the job just as well as the candies.

 

ive run over chrome with a D/A sander, sealer primer, and painted with good results... on a daily driver motorcycle, the headlight bucket, both fenders, some small stuff... after a few years it still looked nice.

 

Go to your local autobody supplier and get a can of Bulldog adhesion promoter, made by Klean-Strip. I used it as a base on my chrome BSA tank and it seems fine.

The can claims "sprays on clear" "makes paint stick to all automotive surfaces" "vinyl - galvanized metal - glass - aluminum - fiberglass - plastic - chrome". The 13 bucks or so it cost would be a cheaper alternative to stripping the chrome at least and it should work.

If you can't find it, I'd be glad to send you the remainder of my can or go buy you your own can (though I won't pay for your own can).

Chris

 

I had 1 Stainless Steel headlight bucket for the A, I just scuffed it with a Scotchbrite pad and hit it with rustoleum.

Worked fine, no chipping or flaking of the paint or striping on it in the last 15k miles.
TZ

 

have tried a few dozen way to get paint to stick to chrome... with the following working for me..

clean and sand it with 400 grit

clean with acetone,

spray a base coat of rustoleum clear enamel, let dry

spray with rustoleum color coat

respray rustoleum clear coat, let dry..

result: sticks tight,, and is fairly tough and chip resistant.
if you have to touch up it is easy... and the piece can be stripped and redone with acetone.

bob

 

For best results have them dechromed then resurface like any steel part would be. If you wanna cheat and leave the chrome on them I've had very good luck with sand blasting the chrome surface with an aggressive media (garnet or black beauty) then spraying a coat of DP-90 on them. Once the DP-90 is cured you can refinish it normally.

-Bigchief

 

I've had excellent results by using a scotchbrite pad on small items like outside mirrors and sandblasting bigger items chrome wheels. Then, a coat of acid-etch primer will eat it's way into any metal. I use variprime. The light green color is horrid to look at but after it dries, you can prime and paint it like any metal part. Works on plastic too...or aluminum, stainless, dogshit.........whatever. Even glass, so mask off anything you don't want acid etched. Once it adheres, that stuff is on any surface forever.