Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rootes75 · Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 6:55 pm Post subject: Paint removal over chrome

My Hillman Minx was sprayed many years ago before I purchased her, we've had her 10 years now.
For some reason they masked everything apart from the chrome grill. As some of this paint has now chipped/weathered etc I'd like to remove the paint and polish up the chrome as best as possible.
This morning I used a bit of very fine wet & dry and it was ok but even fine does still score the chrome underneath.
Anyone any recommendations as per paint strippers or would that also effect the chrome?

Bitumen Boy · Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:46 pm Post subject:

I've used both Nitromors and Rustins paint stripper to remove odd bits of paint from chrome, and it doesn't appear to have any ill effect on the plating. Remove the grille from the car, get yourself some decent rubber or PVC gauntlets and have at it, preferably outdoors as the fumes from the stripper can be most unpleasant. A nylon scourer of the washing up variety is also useful and won't scratch the chrome. When done hose well to remove all the stripper then dry and polish as usual.

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4115 Location: South Cheshire

Well the good news is that chrome is notoriously difficult to get paint to stick too Smile

I'd try some thinners to see if the paint will disolve. If not then try the previouse suggestions. Using abrasives may damage the chrome, hopefully whoever painted in the first place wasn't have key'd it.

Dave

bob2 · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 1727 Location: Malta

As suggested by Dave, I have used thinners when I did the wheels on one of my bicycles. Time consuming but the chrome came up good enough and it did not receive any scratches. Problem is it did have a lot of pitting but I still prefer that to painted chrome!
Good luck with yours!

Rootes75 · Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:56 am Post subject:

I'll try thinners first I think. The paint is a typical 70's/80's bodge spray job that looks ok but is everywhere. I have not been too bothered about it really but just now seeing some chrome coming through on the grill I thought of removing the paint.

Thanks for the tips Gents.

Bitumen Boy · Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 12:04 pm Post subject:

Also worth mentioning my successes with paintstripper on chrome have been on both plated steel and plated mazak parts - the base metal doesn't seem to make any practical difference when it comes to getting the paint off.