Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics Re-Chroming Bumper Strips

Well, my rear strip is faded and spotted, and the front one is torn up. My car is pretty beat up, so it doesn't need to look amazing or last forever. My paint is really scratched, and full of dings, but from a distance it's okay. The bumper, on the other hand, looks like crap. There's a dark spot about 6 inches long where it's peeling off. I'm going to tear off the plastic and re-paint them, I think. I kinda like the chrome, since I like having a '95. I was going to go body color, but then I decided I might try chrome spray paint. Do you think that will work? It will certainly be easier to find chrome than Electric Red.

I just took a look, and I think it will work pretty well. I'll probably clear-coat the daylights out of it so it lasts for more than one summer.

I doubt that the chrome will come uot even close to what it was from the factory. The factory doesn't use paint. They most likely used vacuum forming to applt the chrome. AFter your explaination of your car, I honestly don't see the reason to pull everything off, and do all that work. If it were me, I would mask of that piece, and spray it with bumper-black Duplicolor. This will give it a uniform look, and I think that is what you're after. I've tried a couple different chrome spray paints, and they all seem to look more of an extra shiney, high gloss silver.

~Eric

Have you seen the chome strips? They're plastic!

Exactly my point. They aren't metal, so they weren't dipped.

If you are talking about the work... I still think it'd be easiest to mask, and spray.

Do one of 3 things. Either shave your strips..switch out your rear to 98+ and shave the front like I did, or buy new chrome strips for less than $40 each.

I thought about fixing that on my 95 but was too lazy. I was thinking of using some sorta thin aluminium sheets and then clear coating over it. From the factory it is not dipped or painted, I think its sheet metal of some sort. I would remove all of it, prep it, then apply the meterial and then clearcoat it. Paint will not look the same at all.

Hmmm. I think I'm going to give the paint a shot, at least. If it looks bad, I'm not out much money, and I can sand it off and try body-color. $80 for new strips is not worth it for me right now. If I decide to keep the car to auto-x for a while, maybe. But for now, it's a beater.

The paint is gonna look ok but without it being actual metal or aluminium it will not look the same. I have painted plastic and metal with the "bumper chrome" paint and it does come close. Post some pics when you get er' done.