flyinrazrback

The egg crates on my 72 are solid chrome, and I am trying to paint them to where just the horizontal and vertical lines are chrome, correct for the year. I have tried every local auto paint shop and no one will touch them saying paint will not stick to chrome. I am pretty sure they came all chrome from the factory and painted over top. I am looking for some guidance on how to paint these things. Mine have some pitting in them that will have to come out. Any advice on removing the pitting and getting the surface down to where they need to be ready to paint, prepping, etc, would be appreciated. I guess I will have to get the paint matched and try to do it myself.

7T1vette

I think the best way to repaint those side vents is to use chemical stripper to remove ALL paint from the vents (sounds like you already did that). Next, wash those vents really, really well; then rinse them really, really well. Allow to dry completely.

Get a spray can of Dupli-Color self-etching primer (olive green color). This is the stuff to put on bare metal, as it etches the surface very slightly...but enough to get a 'bite' into it and allow adhesion.

Wait only a couple of minutes after painting, then use a sharp X-acto knife to shave the primer paint off of the [raised] surfaces that you want to stay chrome. DO NOT try to wipe off the shavings from the fresh paint; wait until dry, then brush off the shavings.

After doing that, spray on the final color. Wait about 5 minutes, then shave the paint off the raised edges again. If you need another coat, repeat the process.

This method sounds difficult, but it is really simple and works well...as long as you don't touch the fresh paint in the process. Masking the edges sounds like the way to go. But, if you try it, you will find that when you remove the masking tape, some of the primer coat will be visible along the line of the tape. Not good.

Good luck.

Mooser

Can only speak for myself
Wet sanded (don't remember if it was 400 or 600, probably 400) all the areas to be painted.
Masked off the chrome edge with pinstriping tape and shot an epoxy primer (guess you could use urethane now) then top coat. I removed the masking and cleared over everything (was trying to prevent edges in the paint that might let it start to lift)

Mine have held up for quite a few years with no issues.

If I did it today I might be tempted to mask the daylights out of it and lightly blast them rather than sanding, as I recall it was rather time consuming....

M

oldgto

1974ta

Make sure all the paint is removed and make sure they are absolutely clean.

Lightly sand all areas that are to be painted using care to avoid sanding the edges to be exposed. I like steel wool. Clean again. Wipe down with lacquer thinner and clean again with dish washing detergent and rinse thoroughly.

Carefully tape all chrome edges to be exposed. Shoot a high quality self etching primer. Take off the tape and clean up any edges carefully with a razor. Re tape for base and clear if going two stage. Shoot base, shoot clear, remove tape quickly and carefully. Clean up edges with razor and shoot a little clear blending material to take care of any rough edges.

I also know the guy that painted mine baked the crates after going through all the above. Mine is a 70 so different than a 71-72 and they came out beautiful and have held up.

It is very very tedious but very doable.


Bill

flyinrazrback

How about removing the pitting in the chrome?

Mooser

If it's pitted where the chrome edges are there's nothing you can really do except carefully fill the hole and touch it up with some chrome-in-a-can and hopefully it won't be noticeable when everything is said and done.

If it's in the areas to be painted, roughen it up more and fill, small spots that are deeper can be done with something like JB weld, sticks like mad to a clean surface...
M

flyinrazrback

Thanks, the pitting is in areas to be sanded not on the edge.

bj1k

It's a shame that they chose to chrome them from the factory because it creates a problem . My 72 only has 52k. miles and the chrome edges were badly pitted and since I think they look better all painted , I just sandblasted the whole thing and epoxy primed them to be painted solid color. If you are trying to keep your car all original that can be a problem. For the people that need the chrome look put back on I was wondering if the places that sell paint for model cars and airplanes would sell a chrome look paint that might be close.

7T1vette

Michael's (craft store) and Hobby Lobby sell a silver paint pen that looks 'decent'. Or, you could even glue silver leaf to the raised surfaces, then polish them up and coat with acrylic clear paint.

Those are the only approximations to chrome edging that won't look totally tacky.

flyinrazrback

I started working on the crates, it's a PITA sanding all these bumps out of the chrome. Now I see why the body shops did not want to fool with them. I'll get me done though.

Mooser

3M (and others I'm sure) make a chrome-mylar film tape that for all it's worth looks like actual chrome. It's semi-stretchy and pretty thin and would probably follow a curve / curved surface pretty smoothly. Covered in a shot of clear coat it would probably last forever.

I've just never been in a position to need to try it.

I think it would be worth a try for some small - thin edges like these if it was a "nothing to loose" situation.

M

MakoShark72

Have them completely blasted, rechromed, and then primer/paint as described above...that's the right way to do it...

bj1k

I'm surprised there is not a company having them reproduced in China out of plastic with the chrome edging. They seem to be able to make any other kind of plastic part over there. The chromed plastic would hold up fine if it's not an every day driver and would be reasonable to reproduce.

7T1vette

You guys are making this WAY too hard! These things were never perfect from the factory. Every C3 (with those side grills) had pits in the chrome, etc. It's just another 'trim' piece that is bolted to the car.

But, make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, if you want....

flyinrazrback

Mine are coming along. I tried the masking tape on the first one and did ok. Had to clean it up with a blade. Next one will just paint and use a blade.

68/70Vette

From what I know, they are difficult to rechrome. The louvers are a cast aluminum alloy, not pot metal. Any re-chromer can strip them down; remove the chrome plate, the nickel plate..and polish the basic aluminum. For re-plating, the polished aluminum has to be anodyzed with a electro conductive anodyzing. After this specialized anodyzing plating, the part can then be nickel and the chrome plated. There are not that many shops that can do the electrically conductive anodyzing.

flyinrazrback

My local plating shop said no way to doing mine, glad the exposed lines were perfect.

Mick71

If I ever do it again, this is how I'd do it. Took me forever to tape it off, and they're still not perfect. Taking off the tape was a nail-biter, too. Major time-saver, especially when a million other things need to be done.

MakoShark72

Had mine done, along with all the other chrome, by a local plating shop. As I mentioned above, they were blasted down, re-nickled, rechromed, then I primered and painted the entire part, then removed the paint from the edges. No mention of anything out of the ordinary, with respect to the crates.. Its been around 4 years now and the edges still are perfect...