Painting over chrome

[BAMCHEROKEE88]

What is the best way to blackout chrome without it peeling or scratching easily? I want all the chrome gone.

[mackamitsu]

scuff it up with some fine steel wool, primer it with self etching primer, paint it with a sealing paint for best results. If you want the chrome gone off the grill your best bet is to go to a junk yard and get the black plastic grill.

[Sarge]

Well, if the chrome is in good shape then it takes some doing to paint over it and have it stay. My favorite way is to use weak battery acid. Think my last mix was 75% H2O to 25% acid.

First clean the chrome real well using dish soap. This will strip any wax and such. Rinse with cold water. Dry. Brush the acid all over the chrome, let it soak for approximately 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Repeat. Dry the chrome, wipe it down with your favorite pre-paint treatment and a tack free cloth. Primer. Paint. Light multiple coats until it looks good.

Alternative method is to use 3M green scrubbies to scuff the chrome and paint. Lots more work intensive tho. And I've had this method fail on me. The paint began flaking off within about 4 months. No rust on the chrome underneath tho.

Sarge

[gixer]

sand or bead blast it off then paint.

[8Mud]

sand or bead blast it off then paint.

A really good primer, over the sand blasted chrome helps, my favorite is out of production. But Hammerite makes a primer for chrome and galvenized metal, rustolium rusty metal primer actually doesn´t work to bad, if the metal is prepped well.
Haven´t tried it, but Hammerite chrome primer, with a coat of Epoxy paint, might hold up. But I honestly don´t know, if the epoxy and the Hammerite are compatable, might be a real mess, I´d sure try a test patch before painting any large areas. I´ve had trouble before, with epoxy paint and enamels.