fiberglass bumper paint for silver/similar to chrome look?

i am doing a fiberglass front bumper on my 72 barracuda and am wondering what you guys use for paint that resembles chrome/silver? i dont want to do body color and i know it will be more silver than chrome but what is everyone using? i will do a rear soon but not now, thanks and any pics, paint codes etc would be much appreciated.

I had a guy do mine, It looks like chrome, but it is pricey!
Will take pic and post soon.
his # is 715-587-2038 Dan
Don

i have read about the chroming where they spray it with a brass/bronze metallic paint so the chrome will stick but thats way too much money, i thought about trying to wrap it but i dont think it would work either.

Did my front bumper with alsa, ghost chrome. Looks great and has held up good. But...... It's not chrome.

I saw a GTX at Carlisle last year that had glass bumpers painted with House of Color silver. Looked pretty good.

There is a new paint process that looks just like chrome but I don't know who does it or what it's called. Arnt I helpful?

I am gonna try vinyl wrap on mine.

thanks for all of the ideas, i will check into them, thanks!

Alternative Chrome Creations in Haysville, Kansas can do this and it will look EXACTLY like chrome.

It is kinda spendy, though...

I think a there's a flyer at work about chrome paint. I'll check for you Monday.

Mine is painted silver with clear coat. Does not look at all like chrome but looks nice.

http://alsacorp.com/killer-chrome/

If you're willing to do some exacto knife work, this would be a cheap way. I've used this on some small bicycle parts and it looks real.
Two rolls would do it. Cheap enough to try, and if it looks bad peel it off.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/slc-t...CFYw2gQodBBAC4A

Check the Eastwood company. I know they have a product out there. Let us know what you find.

Wrap it

Where do you get the chrome wrap Monte?

Amazon has chrome wrap, I picked some up last week

Anyone that does vinyl wrap, or places that supply it will have chrome. And it looks like chrome, is light, cheap and easy to apply with patience and a heat gun

im leaning towards the wrapping, i will check some local companies that wrap vehicles and see what i cam come up with, thanks guys

I have some 3m chrome that is stretchable but it tears as soon as you touch it with a heat gun. I may try the heat gun once it's wrapped to eliminate any wrinkles.

Mine are painted with $12 worth of Rustoleum "Bright Silver". Took 4 cans to put 4 coats on front and back.

It's a bracket car. The front bumper was broken by a kid on a 4-wheeler clipped it. Had to do some fiberglass repair so I painted them both.

Seems to me there's a recent Audi color that's kinda like a smoky chrome. I've seen helmets that looked chrome plated but never asked how it was done. There's also a dipping process that some places use to quite accurately simulate carbon fiber, but I don't know if there's a chrome finish for that process, and it would require a large dipping tank.

i know there is a hydro dipping process they use on guns but i dont think they can do chrome

thanks cgall for the pics, that is what i had in mind. im afraid any chrome "paint" will look like sh*t. id rather it look like silver paint than fake chrome. im still gonna check into the wraps first.

Funny how this subject keeps coming over the years, yet no one has actually had it done yet.

What is used on the plastic model car kits? Why can't that be done on a larger scale for fiberglass bumpers?
SNS Chrome is the only place I ever heard of chroming non metallic components, but the last price I got some years ago was close to $400 per bumper.

I think it has too do with the actual type of plastic. Models are made of styrene and fiberglass is a matting reinforced resin.

Just my .02 FWIW.

I paid $400 to have my front bumper "Chrome Painted". It looked like a real chrome bumper for about two years and then it turned yellow inside of a few months. And this is on a car that sees the sun 10 days a year. I will never do that again due to the expense/performance.

I tried doing the vinyl wrap most recently. What went down flat without wrinkles looked pretty nice, but I couldn't get around the radiused edges without it looking like crap. I tried calling a wrap expert and nobody seems interested. I had one company quote me $800 for one bumper so I consider that not interested in doing it since the materials cost is only about $85 per bumper. I would have paid the $400 again if it would just hold up.

I'm with 'cgall' if You're dealing with a fiberglass foundation. Rattle can on the silver and be happy. Stick to the Bracket Racer vision to paint, etc: Look's great from 3rd row Grandstand. You're in the racing pages not the car show pages, paint won't make It run harder.

Who says race cars or bracket cars can't look good? Rattle can silver glass bumpers, LOOK like rattle can silver glass bumpers. If that's good for you, fine, but apparently the OP doesn't care for that and many others don't either.

Wrap is the easiest and if put on right, you won't see a seam. Always the option of having a good painter do it with airbrush highlights and it will look a lot like chrome, but that's expensive. Nothing is going to look 100% like chrome, except chrome. There are places that chrome glass bumpers, but it's really high and adds weight. Kinda defeats the purpose

No idea on pricing or turn around time, but I remembered seeing this a while ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkdDB8JzblU
www.goldtouchinc.com

I sell autobody supplies for a living. I sell the products that mimic chrome, both house of kolor and ALsa . Thenprocess is labor intensive , but you can get good results. I did my sons bumpers on his duster and the bumpers on clintons dart. Basically you paint the bumpers black first, then they need to be sanded and polished. The flatter and shinier they look,mthenbetter the chrome look you will get. You apply one, maybe two coats of the chrome. Now you have to let it flash at least 10 to 12 hours. the clear part is important and where most people screw up the chrome finish.since you put the chrome over a smooth polished black, when you clear it it wants to "float" off the black and now it gets fuzzy and not a distinct chrome look. ALsa has a specific clear r now that dries very fast, put one coat of that, then two coats of any urethane clear over that. The clear part is where you have to know what your doing. If you want to talk about the process, call me at work 914 937 7400 , Tony

Tony, Have any pics you could post?

I ordered up some chrome wrap for my fiberglass Road Runner bumpers. For $40 worth of material, I'll take the chance for the experience, good or bad.

Monte, why would anyone want a overly detailed race car? LOL.

Pics

Hey Bob I will take a pic in the next couple days, it looks like chrome .
Dan Gokey in WI did mine
Don

n20mstr: Nice work on those bumpers. But it does sound a bit tricky to do.

n2omstr, those do look great, somehow i doubt id have as good of a result but we will see, thanks for posting the pics

I used argent silver wheel paint coded for a mid 90's jeep wheel. I know its silver not chrome, but looks decent against black. beep

I tried the Alsa product had a buddy that owned a body shop help with it. The end result was better then silver paint it is tricky but we never got it to look like chrome.

I finally gave up and painted mine body color.

White looks good, I don't think my green would look that good. If mine ever gets painted it'll be the brightest silver I can find.

Damn resizing, thought I had it done yesterday from my phone but NO!

Looks great Don! Just what I'm looking for. I'll give him a call. Thanks.

you're welcome Bob, I tell people don't grab on to push or get up from floor. It looks like steel chrome!
Don

I haven't used these guys, but they may be worth a look??
http://classiccomponents.com/blog/plastic-and-fiberglass-chrome-plating

My son is a Line-x dealer in Sioux Falls SD,I had him do my bumper in silver Line-x. I think it looks fine. Plus added some strength to it.

How long ago was it done? Do you have any signs of it turning yellow yet? Mine started to yellow in less than two years and was no longer acceptable looking within two months of it starting to turn.

It was done in April of this year. No yellowing. He said be careful with the holes where the bolts go, don't scratch the paint in the hole cause that can cause yellowing to start there.
Don

There is a new process of "spray chroming" We looked at the process at SEMA last year. Have a company here locally that does the process and it comes out nice. Here is a FB link to their deal..

https://www.facebook.com/Chrome-Factory-138519112877442/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

Here's mine done with Spectra-Chrome.

[image]https://photos.shutterfly.com/full/122104617961[image]

I have mine done with I think Spectra I do not recall. I dont have a pic handy but you will like it, it looks like chrome unless you walk up on top of it and really examine it. Obviously you can tell if you look up close and examine pretty hard.

I have lot of fun when people look at the car and I go "check this out" and grab and slightly flex the bumper - every single person that has seen my car assumed they were regular ole chrome metal bumpers and has their mind blown....

I Have done a lot of fiberglass bumpers with the Cosmichrome system. The process is a great for race bumpers and holds up excellent if applied correctly and the correct topcoats are used to protect the silver under the urethane top coat.

Dan Gokey
Insane Paint
https://www.facebook.com/chromepainter/

Your local Hobby store might carry it also under the brand name of "Monokote".

Has anyone tried a Chrome wrap? I see 3M and others have Chrome vinyl wraps...

One of the local high end wrap places here wants $400+ per bumper for a chrome vinyl wrap. I thought that was a bit steep.

Chrome wrap ...its a glass bumper

Its hard to stretch and do corners. I had two places quote me $800 for wrapping

A friend of mine got material for me and did it.... Its the good stuff $150 for a 20ft roll

I'll prob attempt the corners again

I tried the chrome wrap. No luck...

The finish looks dull in the pic. I have a pair of Glasstek bumpers and have been keeping my eye on what's out there. Might have to just go with paint.

Paul's Chrome plating in Evans City, PA can plate fiberglass. They have a way to get it copper plated first, then they can nickel and chrome the part just the way steel is done. I know it will be pricey, but you get real chrome, none of that spray on stuff works for exterior parts very well. So yes, REAL chrome on fiberglass parts!

Seeing is believing.

I had a bunch of my Honda plastic parts chrome
plated that way when Chrysler had their plating
lab years ago... they copper plated it first..
then the rest of the stuff... it was done like
electro plating.. turned out were nice and is
still lasting today

~22-23 yrs ago I had bought F/G doors, fenders, hood, trunk lid and bumpers for my 68 Cuda and wanted to chrome the bumpers. I got the idea from the chromed plastic dash. I called Windsor Plastics in E'ville Indiana and talked to one of their Engineers of how it could be done. Anyone can correct me here but iirc he said to spray it with ABS plastic and that will hold the charge for the electroplating. Then take it to any chrome shop with a big enough tank.

I got terribly ill not long after that and didn't follow through with that project.

Occasionally wondered if that was another business opportunity missed.

I think if it were only that easy a lot of people would be doing it.

[/b]

Originally Posted By Monte_Smith

Who says race cars or bracket cars can't look good? Rattle can silver glass bumpers, LOOK like rattle can silver glass bumpers. If that's good for you, fine, but apparently the OP doesn't care for that and many others don't either.

Wrap is the easiest and if put on right, you won't see a seam. Always the option of having a good painter do it with airbrush highlights and it will look a lot like chrome, but that's expensive. [b]Nothing is going to look 100% like chrome, except chrome. There are places that chrome glass bumpers, but it's really high and adds weight. Kinda defeats the purpose

Chrome or paint????

Don

Thanks Dan! You did mine, I love it. Looks GREAT!

Don

Superfreak, Dan Gokey will do them and you will LIKE them!

Cuda Don what does he charge a bumper? $400 a bumper? More?

Had mine done and not happy with them.

Who did them?

A guy in pa, they have a lot of dirt in them. You can see sanding scratches in them also. Like the look of the product, just not the quality of the job.

I have been talking to dan about doing mine. he was very up front on the finish being a paint process not a chrome process and will show any bad spots just like a bad paint job. so it seems it all depends on the quality of the bumper. the more body work equals more money. mine are body worked and pit free. quote was six hundred with shipping. I would like too see more pictures of cuda dons done by him.

No problem... Paul's Chrome Plating is a sponsor of the show My Classic Car, 2016 episode 18, click on chroming fiberglass:

http://www.myclassiccar.com/episode/20/18/

I've dealt with some of the 'better' type spray on chromes out there and haven't got the best results. Works good for dash bezels, but larger exterior items show blemishes and especially dust and dirt. Plus weather takes its toll on it.

I have yet to see a 10 out of 10 chrome over fiberglass job yet.

Still waiting for the perfect storm.

LOL oh well... all I can do is tell you that it is electroplating on fiberglass, and that they are probably the best in the business. (And most expensive)

I've seen lots of really nice looking plated 'glass bumpers.

Too bad they don't last.

My Honda parts still look great 35 years now

If he's seen lots of them, he's probably seen the spray on chrome... that's what yellows and gets dull over a short time. No one has posted actual electroplated fiberglass parts yet!

Because they were actually electroplated!

There is a process out there that works well. My son and I looked into buying the system a couple years ago.

https://www.facebook.com/Chrome-Factory-138519112877442/?hc_ref=SEARCH

I would love to see one or two.

I dont have any pics on this computer of my Honda..
hell I dont have any of my Harley either

wrap it

I will get more pics, but please be patient. I am working a lot of hours right now.
Don

My BIL does this in OH for a company that does fire trucks, police cars etc. They do all kinds of stuff. I asked him about this and he said they have done it before and depending on the shape, its a PITA. The cost would likely be more than chroming.

This is only my opinion but I think all this money and time for custom bumpers is only worth it for cars with huge heavy bumpers. Several body styles don't have huge bumpers and chrome steel just looks so nice.
One thing that bothers me is when a car is idling or maybe pulling to the starting line and the front glass bumper is vibrating real bad. I'm betting the chrome steel bumpers don't slow the car down, but I only deal with 9 or 10 second cars, nothing serious.
Again, only my opinion.