Repainting chrome bumpers-which route?

[jmferg]

I want to paint my chrome bumpers on my SR5. They have zero rot so I want to attempt to paint them to match the factory millennium silver.
Option 1: plastidip and paint over. I tried and the duplicolor and plastidip have an adverse reaction with each other.
Option 2: remove bumper and rough the surface with a twisted wire wheel angle grinder. Apply sandable automotive primer, duplicolor Toyota millennium silver spray, gloss automotive spray clear.
Option 3: remove bumper and rough the surface with a twisted wire wheel angle grinder. Spray with duplicolor bedarmor, duplicolor Toyota millennium silver spray, satin automotive spray clear.

I want something the will adhere well to the chrome plating and will last.

I have done some attempts at "professional" painting with the duplicolor spray paint cans with lots of wet sanding and have gotten good results

Not the best picture but I got the super duty painted with just the touch up cans from flat black to a nice glossy cleared Ford Dark Shadow Gray.


So...bedliner base for durability or attempt to paint it properly with automotive primer and wet sanding?


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[scrapper]

If I ever decide to do this myself I'd likely go this route.

https://itstillruns.com/paint-chrome-bumpers-4895495.html

 

[jmferg]

If I ever decide to do this myself I'd likely go this route.



https://itstillruns.com/paint-chrome-bumpers-4895495.html

Thanks for the link. I was unsure if self-etching primer would be required or not


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[octanejunkie]

Painting over chrome is not recommended, one hit and the paint is gone regardless of which primer you use

You either have to strip the chrome off or get a bare bumper, in my experience

 

[etc.]

Wash bumper, scuff until it loses its shine, wash and decrease, spray light coats.

The key is in the scuff and light even coats.

 

[jmferg]

12 cans of millennium silver
6 cans of self etching primer
6 cans of sandable filler primer
6 cans of gloss clear

This has me rethinking it and waiting for oem silver bumpers to shop up at a pick and pull. However, I have not seen a front bumper WITHOUT a bunch of rock chips


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[yella]

I have seen a lot of people using plasti dip. Seems to be an ok route


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[IBallEngineer]

I have seen a lot of people using plasti dip. Seems to be an ok route


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Once again lots of misinformation here. Any bare metal requires some form of etching primer. Chrome is no exception. Yes the best thing to do here would be to have the chrome stripped, but it is possible to paint over chrome, just not the best choice. A high quality etching primer, not something you bought at Autozone, is absolutely required. Chrome is very hard, and does not "scuff" easily, you may consider using 80 grit on a DA sander then ruffing up the edges by hand. A light coat of self etching primer, followed by a light scuff and a few good coats of a high fill primer to fill in those scratches. I've painted lots of chrome, always preferred to strip it though. The longevity is much higher when stripped.

:tea:

 

[Majindan]

Once again lots of misinformation here. Any bare metal requires some form of etching primer. Chrome is no exception. Yes the best thing to do here would be to have the chrome stripped, but it is possible to paint over chrome, just not the best choice. A high quality etching primer, not something you bought at Autozone, is absolutely required. Chrome is very hard, and does not "scuff" easily, you may consider using 80 grit on a DA sander then ruffing up the edges by hand. A light coat of self etching primer, followed by a light scuff and a few good coats of a high fill primer to fill in those scratches. I've painted lots of chrome, always preferred to strip it though. The longevity is much higher when stripped.

:tea:

Good advice, I would add to use a braided brush cup on an angle grinder to scratch the hell out of the chrome and clean with acetone before applying the etching primer. Using multiple light coats of bedliner and allowing proper cure time between coats followed by one final heavier coat worked for me. It will still eventually chip off here and there but with bedliner it's super easy to touch up and you can't even tell.

 

[octanejunkie]

You can't paint over chrome and expect it to last - one hit and it chips.

Strip the chrome or get another bumper.

 

[jmferg]

Dang people, read from beginning.
Plan-if I am going paint it.

Essentially "strip" the chrome with a twisted wire cup angle grinder.
Duplicolor professional self-etching primer.
Then
Duplicolor professional automotive primer
Then
Duplicolor Millennium silver
Then
Duplicolor Professional gloss clear.

This includes the proper amount of coats, dry time, and degree of wet-sanding

And no I won't do bedliner or plastidip.
The whole point is have millennium silver paint matched bumpers, no black bumpers that look like a high school kid trying to cover up rust on his 90s Chevy


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[octanejunkie]

Dang [MENTION=147200]jmferg[/MENTION] you can't strip chrome effectively with a wire wheel unless it's already peeling or undermined with rust, but you can media blast it, reverse electroplate it or chemically unbond it.

See here > https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Chrome-Plating

 

[scrapper]

octanejunkie’s link had some good info and a reminder to avoid
breathing any dust from sanding off chrome. Very bad stuff.

And the “Ultrasonic cleaner” method was interesting.
Not to be confused with a microwave!!

 

[kolelt]

I prepped my old chrome bumper properly. Sanded it and cleaned it and whole 9 yards. I sprayed bed liner. It didn't last that long. Once it chipped. IT CHIPPED. Chrome is chemically applied. And very very hard to remove, almost impossible to remove it and paint over it. If you really care about your bumper. Find a local painter who can chemically dip and remove the chrome/paint.

 

[Jayjayb96]

I painted my chrome bumpers. As others have said, you need to scuff the chrome so that the paint or primer can adhere well. Use self etching primer, then i would apply a couple light base coats of white before silver..then clearcoat and wetsand. Light and even coats, good prep work, optimal temp and patience are key

 

[gamefreakgc]

What's wrong with chrome? I like it.