Painting Chrome?
 

Hey geys, Im getting to the point where my car is ready for paint.

I took my bumpers & headlight rings to a chrome shop to have them dechromed and they turned out nice.

But they didnt want to mess with my door handles.

So how have some of you guys that have your door handles painted body color done it?
What are the steps that need to be done to insure the paint to adhere correctly?

thanks :D

Hello vujade,
the man that sprayed my car used on these parts a special primer. He sanded them slightly (with a 3M stuff) so as not to scratch them deeply, and then sprayed them with this special primer. It was a clear-yellow stuff, nothing to do with the used primer for preparing the body (think it was from Sikkens). I'm sure that other companies has it also and I remember that on the description was stamped that it was suitable for preparing surfaces like aluminium, chrome, stainless steel, brass e.t.c.). After he coated the handles with black satin color (2K) he gave a good spraying with clear coat. Seven years now after the spraying, believe me, the only spots without problem on the car are these handles-they just appear like the first day-

Hope this helps

JIMP

thanks Jimp

hello mate
iam a paint sprayer by trade and the yellow stuff jimp mentioned was a wash/etch primer most paint shops use it, so no prob's in getting it.me, i would etch and prime then flat and piant,no worries.just make sure part is well keyed[light scratching/dull looking]then etch.hope this helps.
cheers rob

Are you painting the trim the same as the body color? or black?
If its black I would think the handles would be better off powdercoated.

Roger that. My friend powdercoated over chrome handles and no problems yet.

the body molding has been removed.

the trim around the windows is being powder coated black.

I was going to powder coat the door handles, but would rather have them body color.

im cheating.. im using NOS and used JEANS beetle parts.. they came from the factory in black.. window surrounds are anodised, and the handles were painted.. the handles are used, so stripping the paint and laying on new colour is easy... much better than trying to key up chrome.. it rarely works well.

Bren,

Do you know if it is possible to order those parts?

Thanks,
Randy

well i talked to a guy who owns a restoration shop and he told that there are really no trust worthy places that would de-chrome my stuff for me. but he said he has sand blasted chrome and then primered it and it worked really good so thats what im doing.

Theres a couple pics on SBO of our powdercoating.
http://www.superbeetlesonly.com/cgi-...3;t=48;hl=peek
You can powdercoat over shiney new chrome with translucents. or we blasted The chrome with aluminum oxide with good results on the finished products. It takes the pitting out of old chrome.

I know that you can powder coat over chrome, thats what I did with my quater windows.

I didnt want to do that with the door handles because I want them to be body color and I cant match this color with powder coating.

:D

some of the parts that ive bought used, like handles etc, can be bought new.. mexican bugs have them as stock. other parts like window surrounds i bought german NOS parts, but new mexican stuff is nearly as good...

www.btlmex.com sells black handles. I have them and they will be painted body color. They're nice parts.