Fog Light Cover Restoration... How to?, plastic rechrome Options

[broomhandle]

I just picked up some fog light covers. plastic and painted black over the chrome paint. how would one re-chrome? that krylon paint looks like crap.

and were they all plastic?

[Tom_T]

I just picked up some fog light covers. plastic and painted black over the chrome paint. how would one re-chrome? that krylon paint looks like crap.

and were they all plastic?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)
Early ones were metal - chromed or painted (see classified parts on here for a recent restored metal pair sold a few days ago), & changed to plastic about the 72 or 73 MY & all new OEM ones are plastic from Porsche.

You might try a gentle remover to see if the "plasti-chrome" underneath is still good, which is actually a heat-fused finish as used in model cars & airplanes kits (not paint as OEM). I know that you can take off road grime & corrosion off the plasti-chrome with auto polish & a soft rag, without removing the chrome finish. If it's for a driver then a spray chrome paint might work ok, but frankly it may be easier to just get another pair of used ones not painted over.

If you're doing a Concours resto., then you should probably go with new ones from AA, PP or Pelican, etc. & you c an save money at PP (Performance Products/Automotion) by waiting for a 15% "weekly special" & on AA (AutoAtlanta) sometimes runs specials too (get on their email lists). They're about $130 or so now each side, and still available last time I checked (I got some at PP last Summer at $115 each with the 15% off).

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[broomhandle]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

You might try a gentle remover to see if the "plasti-chrome" underneath is still good, which is actually a heat-fused finish as used in model cars & airplanes kits (not paint as OEM). I know that you can take off road grime & corrosion off the plasti-chrome with auto polish & a soft rag, without removing the chrome finish. If it's for a driver then a spray chrome paint might work ok, but frankly it may be easier to just get another pair of used ones not painted over.

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

hum, what would take off just the black paint and not the chrome?

[Tom_T]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

You might try a gentle remover to see if the "plasti-chrome" underneath is still good, which is actually a heat-fused finish as used in model cars & airplanes kits (not paint as OEM). I know that you can take off road grime & corrosion off the plasti-chrome with auto polish & a soft rag, without removing the chrome finish. If it's for a driver then a spray chrome paint might work ok, but frankly it may be easier to just get another pair of used ones not painted over.

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

hum, what would take off just the black paint and not the chrome?

You can try the auto/chrome polish & a soft rag per usual on car shiny stuff.

You can also try in an unseen place on the back, various solvents such as acetone, paint thinner, mineral spirits, parts cleaner, etc. with something small like a Q-tip - to see what most gently & easily removes the paint & NOT the chrome finish. Because it's heat applied to the plastic part, the plati-chrome coating is a bit tougher than the spray paint will be.

... try a few different things & see which works best, but stop immediately if you see it going through the chrome top surface &/or it getting soft!

I was able to polish off road grime & heavy oxidation from an old set from a 71 914 without the chrome coming off, but the acetone/etc. did nothing on the corrosion, so I didn't get an easy way out! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Tom_T]

According to this guy on evil-bay, he just soaked his in warm soapy water & the black paint came off! ... can't hurt to try with yours!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...ASS%3AUS%3A1123

[Pat Garvey]

To all who attempt to soak these things in some "mystery goo"...let's remember how these were produced.
Other than the really rare early metal grills, the plastic ones are not "chrome plated".

Tom is correct - it is a heat fused compound, covered by a thin clear platic coating. It is VERY EASY to destroy this coating by rigorous polishing. You will usually destroy that part by doing so. If it has paint on top of it, it's usually hopless to create a pristine finish

Fortunately, you can buy new ones. But, the finish won't be the same as the originals. Why? Because the original process was very hazardous, and involved chemicals that we now shun. The current manufacturing process for these grills leaves them as a last resort. The shine is minimal. Quite frankly, they suck, though they ARE better than spotted paint grills.

I was fortunate to get an unbelievable set from a member here, who had them reproduced in Canada -- at his loss. They are gorgeous.

No, you can't have them.
Pat

[Tom_T]

Fortunately, you can buy new ones. But, the finish won't be the same as the originals. Why? Because the original process was very hazardous, and involved chemicals that we now shun. The current manufacturing process for these grills leaves them as a last resort. The shine is minimal. Quite frankly, they suck, though they ARE better than spotted paint grills.

I was fortunate to get an unbelievable set from a member here, who had them reproduced in Canada -- at his loss. They are gorgeous.

No, you can't have them.
Pat

Pat & "Broomhandle" -

The new set which I got last summer from Porsche via PP look really good, so I'm not sure what you mean by "suck" - so maybe you saw a defective product or perhaps they've improved them. If anything, the longevity may be less than the earlier plasti-chrome ones with the current manufacturing process that you noted.

[underthetire]

Pat, sorry usually I stay out of your forum (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) however, The original finish is most surely not a plastic coating. When I first got my car, mine looked bad. No way to clean them up. So i bead blasted them, just to rough them up a bit. I got sparks coming off and metal flakes. The bead blaster couldn't even get the finish off all the way without melting the plastic underneath . I ended up having to file them smooth again to re-finish! Don't know what the finish was, but it was VERY hard.

[broomhandle]

thanks guy. im broke! somebody gave these to me. 3 of them all spray painted black. i tried simple green and soaking, and little parts of black came off. but i may try it again. if anybody else has ideas, im open. and thanks. new everything is always the way to go.

[Tom_T]

thanks guy. im broke! somebody gave these to me. 3 of them all spray painted black. i tried simple green and soaking, and little parts of black came off. but i may try it again. if anybody else has ideas, im open. and thanks. new everything is always the way to go.

Hey, been there too - I ate lotsa PBJ & Mac-n-cheese back when I got my 914 in my 20's & did as much as possible myself! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

It sounds like you're looking for a driver quality pair - so take the worst condition one to try out things on - starting on the backside, as I suggested above: acetone, paint thinner, mineral spirits, ammonia, etc. with Q-tips on small areas, also try a soft-med tooth brush with the simple green pre-soak, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

... then use whatever works best to get most of it off on the good pair.

Then follow-up with the chrome polish & a soft cloth. I was able to get a pretty nasty pair to look decent again with the latter & a lot of elbow grease on each one, which takes a few hours each because of all the odd surfaces with the grills, edges, etc.

It may take you a full day on them, but you'll get them done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

Post before & after pix here & what you used & what worked best, to help others on here later.

Good Luck & Have Fun with them this weekend! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Katmanken]

Uh Oh......

Simple green...... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Somebody used it to clean some silicone goo off of some medical products we were building and it took awhile to find out that the crap ate the polycarbonate plastic in the instruments.

Great fun, manufacturing ignored the suggested alcohol clean and decided to use the ever so green simple green.

Never seen anything make a plastic disintegrate like that crap.

Stay away from orange crap too.

[whatabout1]

Here is the real dog in plastic chroming.

http://www.paulschrome.com/

1st - cleam part and rub in silver $! Makes the plastic conduct.

Next, layer on the copper, nickel and chrome.

Your grill will weight about a pnd.

Oh yea, $$$$

[70Sixter]

My very first early -6 definitely had plastic grills. Earliest 6s did not come with fogs, so I cut plastic and installed rectangular Lucas driving lites.

[underthetire]

Ya, simple green plastic be gone. Try goof off. And the chrome in a can actually works very well on these. I wouldn't try it on rims or bumpers with a large flat surface, but for driver quality grills they look good.

[Pat Garvey]

Pat, sorry usually I stay out of your forum (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) however, The original finish is most surely not a plastic coating. When I first got my car, mine looked bad. No way to clean them up. So i bead blasted them, just to rough them up a bit. I got sparks coming off and metal flakes. The bead blaster couldn't even get the finish off all the way without melting the plastic underneath . I ended up having to file them smooth again to re-finish! Don't know what the finish was, but it was VERY hard.

Sorry, but the original coating was a base coat, followed by a clear plastic coat. Yours may have been a metal grill, but most are not. That's why tou can't scrub the bezeesus out of them without ruining the original finish!

Yes, tou can use simple green as a helper, but anything stronger will usually take them to the base material - which is plastic. And then you willl need to have them recovered, else buy new( and they aren't up to the original patina).

Ask & will show you a refurbished set, using the original technique.
Pat