Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[MikeBoxwell]

My MG Magnette is getting a nice new coat of paint, but right now I can't afford to get all the chromework done as well.

The chrome itself is tatty and much of it has been resprayed in silver by a previous owner.

Ultimately I would like to get the chromework redone and I suspect the answer will be to do it a little bit at a time as and when budgets allow. In the meantime, I was wondering if there was something I could do to make the chromework more presentable.

Does anyone have any ideas? One product I am curious about is VHT Plate Finish. Has anyone got any experience of this product, or is there another product or method that I could use instead that would get an acceptable finish?

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

I would be interested to hear views on this too, as Wilkinsons etc sell Plasticote (I think the name is) products a good bit cheaper than the Frost product, but which appear similar. I keep walking past it in the shop pondering..... I wonder.
PAUL

[MikeBoxwell]

Well, I've gone into a local auto-factors and bought some Plasti-Kote.

I'll do some experimentation and report back on my results. Obviously, I'm not expecting a mirror finish result like I would get with chrome, but it wouldn't be difficult to get an improvement on what I have now and so long as the result is reasonable, it will do until I can afford to chrome everything properly some time next year.

[ukdave2002]

What does chroming typically cost? I have a stack that needs doing on Morris, is this a how long is a bit of string question?

[Uncle Joe]

If you want to have a really top class job done cheaply, then ridiculous as it sounds, a good place to get it done is Poland. The prices are so low there, even with the shipping costs added, they undercut anywhere else.

[Greeney in France]

Do you know any polish chromers UJ
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[Rick]

hmm it'd be a brave person who sent rare parts so far away though wouldn't it?? I'd have visions of them disappearing in the post somewhere en route!

R
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[MikeBoxwell]

Well, I took a badly pitted overrider and rubbed it down this evening, put three coats of primer on it followed by three coats of PlastiKote Super Metallic 'chrome' spray.

The results are good... but it isn't chrome.

Instead, think of a really good quality shine on an alloy wheel - and that is what you'll get with this stuff. What you don't get is the mirror finish they show on the cap - that's balderdash.

To be fair, I'd be happy with that result on my car inasmuch as it's better than what I've got at the moment, but now I've started work I want more.

more, More, MORE!!!

So, I'm going to be seeing how well I can polish up the rest off the bumper and see if I can get anywhere near a half-decent finish with lots of elbow greese and ingenuity.

I'll post up more details and pictures as I progress. Watch this space.

[Rick]

I look forward to seeing the end results!! maybe a few before n after shots do you have to do extra prep work to anything being painted with the spray on stuff, or is it just like aerosol paint to use??

Rick
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[Uncle Joe]

Greeney, when i lived in the UK, I used to use a company called Willochrome. I still would if I didnt live here! Heres a link to their gallery:

http://www.willochrome.co.uk/gallery.html

Rick, distance is only in the mind. Rare parts can get just as lost in transit between two places in the UK just as easily as they can between the UK and Poland.

The parts to my Isar parts are going to be chromed in neither of the two places I mentioned, but in Denmark.

[MikeBoxwell]

I'll post up some photographs in the next few days, but actually my respraying work has started to look quite good.

After a few days for the paint to harden, the metal became shinier and amazingly gave a much closer chrome finish than I expected. Of course, it isn't as good as real chrome, but from ten paces you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the painted bumpers and chrome with 100 miles of road dust on them. And it is definately an improvement on the rusty and pitted chromed bumpers I've had before.

[Rick]

How are things progressing Mike? I'm intrigued to see how the shiny bits came out

Rick
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[crownpoint]

No, sorry, I have invented any thing. A silver paint finish is never going to replicate chromium plating but the the idea must be to temporarily tidy up until funds are available. I used Hammerite smooth silver thinned and sprayed with an air brush. It reproduces the finish that Ford applied to its entry level range. You get lots of paint for your money.... but you will need a spray gun.

[Comrade-Paul]

There is a new technique in Powder coating which is 90% as good as chrome.
Apparently its good enough for the inside of headlamps. Its that reflective.
A company here in Norfolk near Gt Yarmouth do it.
Im gonna get the small chrome items on my Mercury done in this as its soo much cheaper and looks good.
I saw the results first hand on a 1978 Dodge Truck grille. I thought it was chrome.
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Picture taken in 1960??

[Greeney in France]

That would be interesting to find out costings etc
I googled it and found this site
http://www.the-polisher.com/id13.html looks impressive
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