paint/body guys, two step chrome paint

[boostedinaz]

Posting this up for a buddy of mine. We're looking to fully refurbish some 93 head lights and was wondering if anyone has experience with this stuff?

Any of you autobody guys ever worked with this stuff? click

How does it hold up to heat? Will it withstand headlight bulb heat? Id like to have this done to some 93 headlights since the chrome is peeling.

What about wrap like 3m stuff, they make that in chrome, how well does car wrap withstand heat?

 

[curtis]

click me....... looks like the temp is 150C which should do fine inside lights but not sure what this stuff costs or the gun required.

 

[PreskitVR4]

Michael, I have seen a very close approximation to chrome in a powder coat. Not quite chrome but soupa close.

 

[boostedinaz]

Enough to reflect light and make headlights work well at night?

 

[turbowop]

Can you powder coat the housings? They're not metal. They're some type of ceramic/plastic, no?

The guy that does my powdercoating also does a thermal coat that looks similar to the reflective coating on the headlights. It might do okay at reflecting light, but then, I don't even trust it on any of my exhaust parts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif And then we're back to that problem with the housings not being metal...

 

[curtis]

There a mineral filled thermoset resin so no powder coating will work. The layers of chrome are so thin in there from the factory just taping off for paint can lead to problems when trying to peel of the tape/pinstrip

 

[cheekychimp]

Quoting boostedinaz:


What about wrap like 3m stuff, they make that in chrome, how well does car wrap withstand heat?



I highly doubt any film will work although it would be behind the bulb. I tried making an IR illuminator by putting an IR filter in front of a headlight bulb and that lasted about 10 seconds. You might get away with it if you use an LED or HID bulb but I am still not sure.

 

[JNR]

I have some "aluminum chrome" in a can that works really well, if you are good at rattle can painting (and color sanding it after to bring it perfectly smooth)...Forgot the brand but want to say it's either rustoleum or VHT.

Anyhow, it wouldn't look right on a headlight housing since it's sort of a bronze-ish looking chrome (hard to describe but a cool color), but if you get the regular chrome paint, you'd be surprised at how nice it can come out and looks like the real thing.

Since it's already "chromed" though, be sure to scuff it up really well and use a high quality primer...before the primer esp., wipe it down with isopropyl good, to remove gunk, prints, oils and so on...spray your chrome paint and then color sand it smooth; it helps to paint things in the sun/heat, or at least let it sit out there to dry. Afterward, spray some clear and color sand again, polish and enjoy your results!

Plastic needs a good primer (and the base scuffed good) or else it won't come out right and will look like sh*t. I've found also by letting it sit in the sun and barely drying, you add clear and it blends together for a really tough paint. Don't kow how hot a headlight housing gets and esp. since it's "sealed", but probably wouldn't hurt to use an engine/high heat paint.

 

[curtis]

Well had a pm from someone so I'll chime back in. I've tried about 10 different chrome paints and none have the reflective characteristics that we're after. I saw eastwood sells some thats suppose to be just like chrome but never tried it. I thought maybe the chrome platting place in Nashville could do them but the one who PM'd me said Nashville said they could then shipped them back with we can't and didn't package them and they were busted so thats out. Only other thing I've thought off is take some of the mirrored lexan kickplates from lowes and cut to fit in height then bow/bend them to fit but the light output may be off since hard to make a focal point. This could also be heated and vacuum formed but I'm sure the platting will crack out when heated and vacuum formed.

eastwood chrome video


or maybe this stuff

click me

 

[gvr41190]

Powdercoating can be done on non-conductive surfaces. The pieces being coated need to be heated first to get the powder to stick. Maybe a chrome low-temp powder would work?

I would wonder if the coating would be reflective enough. Also, I wonder if the housing would withstand the temp needed to coat (375*).