Hey guys I'm getting my 1952 chevy sedan painted next week. The grill is in great condition but it is not painted or chromed. Right now I can not afford to pay $1,000 to get it chromed which I will do next year sometime. So, for the time being should I leave it this color or paint it as I will have paint left over from the paint job. I'm thinking leave it this color and just put a clear over it. Painting the car a Hot Rod Flatz copper pearl.
If you're gonna paint it.... don't make it the same color as the car! That screams 90s!!! Paint it silver!
If you're going to have it chromed later I wouldn't paint it or clear it. I'd polish it up as good as you can, then leave it alone until you can chrome it. If you coat it with anything it will just make more work stripping it later.
I recently saw a piece of trim that had the new chrome paint that amazed me,,had they not held a piece of actual chrome beside it I would have sworn it was the real deal.HRP
It would look better scuffed up to a satin shine with some sandpaper, then clearcoated. Clearcoated clean metal will look better than any paint. You will probably have to hit the bumper with a tiger paw for quite a while, then scuff it straight across with some 80, then 220 on a longboard first.
Thanks for the advise. I think I will polish it a little more then try what wicked said about the bumper. It's just hard to believe chrome is so expensive. If I did both bumpers and the grill the cost would be almost as much as what I paid for the car!! ha
If it's flat paint, the silver rather than chrome might look pretty cool if the texture is similar. 97 cent rattle can treatment, comes off pretty easy if you don't like it, clear coat it if you do. I'd photoshop some ideas & consider a custom grill given the price of re-chrome. -jt
Just for inspiration here's my old Shoebox, painted in Hot Rod Flatz satin copper pearl. The grille was a Dennis Carpenter piece and Ogden Chrome did the front bumper. If it was mine and I didn't have the dough for chrome I'd paint it silver with BIG flake and gloss clear over it for some POP.
nice project - what color are you going to paint it? - you likely would not have gotten the same deal on car if it had real good chrome on it - search here, and other sites, even good use chrome replacements for now - no matter what you do until you have good chrome it will never look right. best to remove grill, bumpers, etc before painting car.
Gator man I can't wait for that color to be on the car!! That's just what I needed. Really want the bumper and grill to be chromed. I have the money but just don't want to put to much into the car where it is not worth it. Chrome just looks sooooooo good in that color!
do not body color the grill. paint it silver or sand it down to baremetal to give it a brushed look and clear it or take a DA to it and leave sander marks in it and then clear it..
Don't paint it. Shop around for some better quality parts-- they're out there and cheaper than rechrome!
leave it the way it is 'til you have the money for chrome... As Ricktard said, it's a work in progress.
The monochromatic look (painted grille and bumpers) has always sucked the big wang, even when it was a popular fad. If you don't want it rusty, maybe rattle can some gray (Ford Argent looks ok) until you can rechrome or replace it.
The new chrome paint looks like nickel plating which would be a pretty cool look. There's a high dollar '55 Chevy in the area, all the chrome was nickel plated. Very unique look.
I would polish up the metal as best as possible. Krylon makes an aerosol rust inhibitor ... It's intended use is for garden tools, shovels rakes,etc. suposed to keep the metal looking new . I would try that. I saw it at home depot the other day.
Theres nickel platers in Knoxville, eastern plating. Id leave the bumpers as is with polish until you can plate them. Some of the rust inhibitors leave a blue / black transparent coating, Its a really nice car, please consider shiny paint.
Oh yea, I didn't catch that. Shiny paint will be so much less of a pain in the ass to maintain. For the money, go with gloss.
If it were me I'd leave it off, paint will look better without the rusty grille. Plus you will be more motivated to get it done. Good luck that's a cool color.
The Jalopy Journal
