Painting over Chrome Plating
09-18-2014, 10:53 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Painting over Chrome Plating
Some knucklehead previous owner chrome plated the interior window trim in my SWC. Besides being incorrect, some of the chrome is flaking off so I want to re-paint it this winter and wondering if I need to get the chrome "stripped" before painting. Anyone have experience painting over chrome plating?
09-18-2014, 11:12 AM
#2
Le Mans Master
John,
I've painted over chrome pieces on my kids car and I just scuffed the entire surface with about an 80 grit sand paper until dull then shot it with self etching primer. After the self etching primer dried I shot a couple coat of regular auto primer. I then wet sanded with 800 grit being careful not to remove all the primer and then shot 3 or 4 coats of paint. Make sure you degrease the area in the beginning! It seem to stand up fine.
Don
I've painted over chrome pieces on my kids car and I just scuffed the entire surface with about an 80 grit sand paper until dull then shot it with self etching primer. After the self etching primer dried I shot a couple coat of regular auto primer. I then wet sanded with 800 grit being careful not to remove all the primer and then shot 3 or 4 coats of paint. Make sure you degrease the area in the beginning! It seem to stand up fine.
Don
09-18-2014, 11:15 AM
#3
Team Owner
Pretty common mod - IIRC 62Jeff and others had similar things done to those parts. I would think you would have to remove, or at least roughen up, any slick chrome parts. You could certainly do a test spray out on those upper rear small corner pieces around the top rear of the doors as an experiment.
09-18-2014, 03:17 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Special 1963 Option!
Pretty common mod - IIRC 62Jeff and others had similar things done to those parts. I would think you would have to remove, or at least roughen up, any slick chrome parts. You could certainly do a test spray out on those upper rear small corner pieces around the top rear of the doors as an experiment.
I was really hoping this was special, early '63 option but that's not my luck. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to get the chrome stripped, it's the same process but in reverse. Regardless of how I do it I'll try a small piece first - I've learned my lesson just jumping to paint projects.
John
09-18-2014, 03:22 PM
#5
Team Owner
Hi Frankie,
I was really hoping this was special, early '63 option but that's not my luck. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to get the chrome stripped, it's the same process but in reverse. Regardless of how I do it I'll try a small piece first - I've learned my lesson just jumping to paint projects.
John
I was really hoping this was special, early '63 option but that's not my luck. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to get the chrome stripped, it's the same process but in reverse. Regardless of how I do it I'll try a small piece first - I've learned my lesson just jumping to paint projects.
John
And watch those screw lengths on the front A-pillar vertical trim pieces IIRC there were some that were longer than others - don't mix 'em up !
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; 09-18-2014 at 03:37 PM.
09-18-2014, 03:50 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
With some of the chrome flaking off you might be best off just stripping it. Probably not too terribly expensive as there would be no prep work.
09-18-2014, 06:50 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '12
Every 63 I have ever restored or helped to work on, the upper windshield piece and the two upper side pieces were chrome plated and painted over. Including my 63 that I am finishing now, which I am positive has never been monkeyed with. It was a one owner that had not been driven since 1966. And my red car that I was the first person to do any restoration, it looked exactly like that. Chrome plated with black paint over the top. Maybe John Z can shed some light on this.