Over the years, I've continually been replacing chrome trim. All of these replaced parts are electoplated, and that's basically the cause of the problem. For example, look at the early C3 rear chrome bumper. Look at the bumper from the rear, where it transitions from horizontal to vertical along side of the license plate bezel. If you have this bumper chrome plated, the inside of this 90 degree bend will not get very much of a chrome plate. Soon corrosion will appear. And another thing..the license plate bezel. I've replaced those things many times because they always start corroding - particularly where the upper parts of the license plate are.

In other words, the problem with electrolytic plating of chrome is that it doesn't get into crevices and then corrosion/rusting starts.

What about vapor depositing chrome? Or chrome powerderpaint? or Chrome ceramic (jet hot).

I called a metalizing shop that vapor deposits chrome on plastic. I'm thinking about taking a rear bumper and the rear bezel to them to have chrome vapor deposited just to see how it looks. If it works I may take my 70 front grill aluminum castings to them for vapor depositing. They said they could do it! (M&M Metalizing in Westminster Ca.)

Anyone done this?

Jethot and chrome ceramic looks interesting but I don't think pot metal or aluminum will take the cure temperature of ceramic.

 

I've never heard of doing bumpers, etc this way...it is an interesting idea. I'd be very interested to see how it turns out.

 

we can still get things double nickle plated, the stuff on a 57 chevy bumper(the good stuff)

 

If you get that vapor depositing done, give us a cost breakdown so we can compare it to traditional electroplating.

Then, if we were extra geeky we could plot the cost versus product lifespan in a matrix and get a good idea of what the theoretical "best practice" for chroming is.

the blonde weasel