Fake Chrome

[stevenelle]

Nearly all newer vehicles have fake chrome trim pieces. Some have copious amounts of it. And it looks pretty good. I believe it is plastic with some sort of film or coating that mimics chrome. Do you think this stuff has any application for those of us trying to get the chrome look on our grill bars without the high cost of chrome plating?

[austinsailor]

Aren't the grill bars stainless? That can be straightened, scratches sanded out and polished.

[JoelOkie]

Some of the bars I obtained when collecting to do my grille were stainless, but some were just painted steel, and in one case, someone had painted stainless bars. I had to run through several purchases before I actually found what I was looking for. As said, the stainless in the bars is heavy, and will generally straighten and buff out great, and it is not too hard to do it. The stainless bars and nose piece on my truck were a dented, scratched up mess! Joel

Edited January 30, 2010 by JoelOkie

[55 Fargo]

Some of the bars I obtained when collecting to do my grille were stainless, but some were just painted steel, and in one case, someone had painted stainless bars. I had to run through several purchases before I actually found what I was looking for. As said, the stainless in the bars is heavy, and will generally straighten and buff out great, and it is not too hard to do it. The stainless bars and nose piece on my truck were a dented, scratched up mess! Joel

Joel, that truck looks great, is that Van Sickle paint on this one.

I need to do all my stainless, my rocker trims are beat-up, how much can these itmes be fixed again?.....Fred

[JoelOkie]

Thanks Fred, It IS the Van Sickle paint...John Deere Green:)

I found an online tutorial about straightening and buffing stainless, and practiced on some small pieces. Like many things, it takes patience, but not something that most guys can't do, if they are used to doing things for theirselves, like most of us are.

I did the rockers on the 48 sedan that I had several years ago that were typical in that they were pretty severely beaten and scratched, and they came out fairly nice.

I also have re-done some hubcaps by removing the skins, working the dents and scratches out, then sand, buff, and polish. They are a little tricker to work, as some have had the chrome pretty much polished off, thus can't take any sanding, or hard buffing without getting through the plating, but some of them do work pretty good, like the 51 Dodge caps I have on my truck. I have gotten everything I need to set up a chrome plating outfit for small parts, and plan to try it out re-chroming hub caps, and hood ornaments, ect. Hopefully I'll get it done this next summer. Joel

[greg g]

There is a reasonable facsimile of chrome available through the powder coating process.

[MBF]

There's a custom motorcycle shop in the area, that offers a two part painted on chrome for non metalic surfaces and you can't tell if from the real thing. The selling point is that its much cheaper than real chrome, and you're not limited to metal. I've seen some of their work-the bike guys are nuts about details. I'm in the Hudson Valley of NY, if you want me to get their contact information let me know. Mike

[JoelOkie]

Eastwood has what is actually a multiple step chrome paint system that will work on anything that can be painted, that uses a gloss black paint, which is then clear coated, then several mist of a liquid chrome, then a final clear coat. I bought the system to try it out, but it has to be done at about 75 degress, thus I will be waiting a while, as I don't have heat in my shop. I figured it might be an easy way to do engine components rather than having to actually chrome plate them. Joel

[Dave72dt]

Some of those chrome plated plastic parts are really chrome plated. They use a special copper paint which will conduct electricity, are sanded and buffed and then plated, same as a metal part.