How effective is aerosole spray on chrome these days? I can remember back in the day it used to peel off quicker than it went on, but things have come a fair way.

Basically, the chrome has pitted and flaked on a part of my bumper, whats my best bet for making it look nice again without having it rechromed (expensive i hear)?

spray chrome looks good for about a week then goes dull
not sure if a spray of clear over it would help though.

all the spray on chromes i've seen look no different to silver paint
maybe a tiny bit glossier
there was a goose round here with a 68 beetle painted his entire engine whole still in the car with it even the fan belt
most of it had peeled off after 6 months

Joel

It is OK for small stuff like headlight rims. Rub back gently with 800-1200 wet and dry -make sure it is clean and then apply undercoat. Spray chrome paint on in very light coats- about a dozen times. Rub back any imperfections.
Use a good polish to seal when you get it right.

You can touch up once a year

the aerosole stuff is total pants!!!! dont waste your time with it.

There are chrome paints out tehre now that are very very good but they dont come cheap. a company called alsa corp do a whole range of effect paints including a few full chrome. I have used a fair bit of there products and they do just as they say and are easy enuf to use. have a look at there web site and see what ui thinkhttp://alsacorp.com/chrome.htm

mite not be what you are looking in ease of use or price but its the only "chrome" paint that actualy works...


steff...................................

have you used any Alsa paint Steff? and where did you get it from, I can't see where to find any Aust distributors and I want to try some of it out.

All Cars Paint Supplies in Croydon Vic, sell shadow chrome stoving enamel. Looks great if used right.
Step 1 Paint object in 2 pak black, and bake out. let dry for a day.
Step2 De-nib ant shit in the paint and polish with farecla or similair. then prepsol and clean,tack rag etc.
Step3 Spray shadow chrome in light even coats letting each coat dry out 10 minutes. The morecoats the lighter it gets. Bake for 1 hour, or air dry overnight.
Step4 Apply 2 pak clear

This stuff is really easy once you know the basics, its cheap as chips and you use it straight from the can, just stir it, strain it, spray it.
All Cars Phone is 03 9723 6662. hope it helps

Any pics of it Hertz? not the process but the finished article? (and I won't have ant shit to pick off my painted parts.... just green frog shit!)

nah haven't got any actualy, but if you look at the paint finish on the mclaren F1 cars, thats the result. Can be quite effective

heya pengiun, i have used a fair bit of the Alsa products and found them all to very good value for money, i was gettign them from my local paint companys rep who was importing them himself. He has left but i think he is still importing the products. I am up in Gladstone so it shouldnt be a worry to get it sent down to you..


Ill chase him up in the next few days and see if hes still getting the stuff in and a price list if hes still go one...

steff..........

the Mclaren chrome paint is a brand called "mira" a german company. Quite cheap considering but hard to get hold of as they are a small company and are in high demand.


steff....................

Cheers
Any pics of what you have done with it?

I recently had a piece of new galvanized steel formed for me. I needed to paint it. New galvanised steel will not hold paint because it is slightly oily and paint won't stick to uncorroded zinc. The surface needs to be etched by either an acid or the weather, which is why a new galvanised/zincalume roof should not be painted for at least a year after it is put up, if it is not washed with a weak acid like vinegar.

I etched the surface of the steel with muriatic acid, or by its other names, HCl, hydrogen chloride, brick washing acid. I used an expendable nylon paint brush and water to wash it off. The surface went nicely corroded in seconds and the paint took to it well.

I suggest that you etch the chrome surface with a strong acid like HCl or battery acid (H2SO4). It may give you a surface that the paint will grip to. I have never done this before so I don't know if it will work. If you do it and it works, please let us know.

do you remember in chemistry what happened whenever you put a piece of metal in a test tube of hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid? Now I dont know how concentrated brick washers acid is, but I would assume it would have to be pretty concentrated to be potent enough to wash crap off bricks. I dont think he wants his bumpers dissolved.

Just resurrecting this post as I cant see where people get Alsa or Mira from still and wondering if anyone in Sydney area knows now? I want to paint the inside of one front headlight that is very rusty, though guess silver would work ok as well for this purpose.
Just got given this. Its called WH Chrome? cost is $2.95. As its inside glass, I may as well try it and will provide feedback

you will find the heat from the bulb will probably peel that off faster than you can blink

new reflectors can be bought fairly cheap
but ive got a stash of them somewhere if i have a good one ill stick it in your care package

Lee , did you lightly sand the reflectors before you applied the chrome paint??

Oh well will give it a try anyway. After all I have my Northern Rivers Santa claus to come to my rescue if it dont hold :-) Will do today once I have finished bogging bits and pieces.

Well decided to do to Beetle and kombi. I have actually only put a small amount of paint on one area of both lenses and I cannot see the difference between where the painted chrome is and the original. I did lightly sand BTW. Will be taken Kombi for a long night ride in 2 days, so will let you know if it peels.

NO NO NO!!!!

Not export quality GAH!!!

Sorry for the adverse reaction, but i repaired a sunroof with that stuff at one stage. i wax and grease removed (prepsol) the black colour coat to put another coat on after it was left in the sun to dry. the presol dissolved it! its rubbish paint!

You will notice too, on the back of the can (for the coloured ones), it says "Not for automotive use". Only after we already did the sunroof. the irony is car accessory shops like supercheap sell the rubbish, when its only good for 'craft' stuff really. I will neva touch anything with 'export quality' written on it.

Export quality paint , four and twenty export quality pies ,

(Excludes export quality degreaser, that stuff is awesome).

Good luck with the chrome though, the inital coating might look alright. I'm not trying to pull ya down, just don't get disappointed if it goes ick. no harm trying for the price. but ive only experienced a lack of longevity, strength to weathering and chemical stability with them that made me so frustrated with export quality aerosol paints. I have touched septone, k & h and duco and neva had the same issues i faced with export quality.

Good luck,it is still only silver frost,if this worked don't you think the car manufacturers would do it instead of expensive chrome.Do yourself and other road users a favour and send the reflectors to be rechromed,or fit a pair of aftermarket semi sealed beams with H4 Plus 60 globes..

Just got back from dinner and the headlight was far brighter than before I sprayed the reflector. But time will tell and the test will be the trip to airport and back tomorrow night. Anyway as far as kind to other drivers. I have to say at this stage it is a vast improvement. But I am also a sceptic re longevity when the actual retail price is $2.95 !!

Well I have been using headlights every night for some fairly long trips and the chrome paint is holding fine, and the lights are far brighter than before I touched up reflector. I am actually gonna remove back bumper and prepare the inside and spray that as well. As i have to say I am happy with the results so far, and its gotta look better than the rust I can see on the inside of bumper.

give it time.... :P

I had to replace a headlight the other day (glass came unglued from a semi-sealed H4 unit); here's a picture of the reflector in only reasonable condition. Notice that the reflector, *ahem* reflects. That's what they're supposed to do.

hth

Hi mate,
I wouldn't waist your hard earn t $, do it the proper way or leave it, cheers G