Chrome Powder coat... how good is it?

[dodgeboy440]

Hey all,

I am to the final stages of rebuilding my 66 Dodge Charger. The rear taillight bezel chrome is not great.

View attachment 1228591
I am thinking about trying to rechrome DIY style but I am also looking at Chrome powder coating. Being the in the rear, the chrome trim does not see road wear, just weather wear so maybe powder coat would be OK.

Eastwood sells a Chrome powder coat material so I am looking for any opinions on Chrome Powder coating.

Thanks in advance.

Hey Ya-All.................................................Looks Like Your Still Wanting Some One To Help You Make A Decision........

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[MoparRobTX]

Had a buddy do chrome powder on some wheels with clear over it. It turned brown within 2 years. He wasn't sure if it was from brake dust or UV. But he kept the wheels clean often with just soap and water, no harsh chemicals.

 

[peabodyracin]

Had a buddy do chrome powder on some wheels with clear over it. It turned brown within 2 years. He wasn't sure if it was from brake dust or UV. But he kept the wheels clean often with just soap and water, no harsh chemicals.

I would suspect the clear coat used on the wheels was a chemistry that was not sufficiently resistant to UV effects.

We've painted light poles a color with a clear top coat added for coastal installations. The process was spec'd by the local DOT and was intended to provide additional finish protection. The clear coat was intended to prolong the original appearance and provide an extra layer of protection against corrosion. (many of us have seen the original California car with beautiful floors and quarter panels while the roof/dutchman panel/drip rails are full of holes, courtesy of the salt air/coastal environment)

Typically any color top coat will experience two issues over time from UV exposure: color shift and loss of gloss. A gloss red for example will start to turn pinkish and gradually lose the original shine. The clear coat would be a high gloss product intended to prolong the appearance of the base color coat, and would be formulated for UV resistance. UV will cause an epoxy black powder coat to turn chalky quite quickly, even though epoxies tend to provide the best chemical resistance protection.

It's possible the coater used an epoxy clear, shooting for chemical resistance. Epoxies tend to lay out very nicely too.

For a car that was going to be street driven, I'd have no problem painting control arms or other suspension stuff with a black epoxy because I knew the parts wouldn't see direct sunlight. That chemistry allowed the powder coat to better resist grease/oil/brake fluid, etc which made it a better fit for the underside of a driven car.

The chrome look powders tend to deteriorate faster than other colors, hence the clear coat recommendation. But if you don't use the right clear coat, you're doomed from the get go.

 

[MoparRobTX]

I would suspect the clear coat used on the wheels was a chemistry that was not sufficiently resistant to UV effects.

We've painted light poles a color with a clear top coat added for coastal installations. The process was spec'd by the local DOT and was intended to provide additional finish protection. The clear coat was intended to prolong the original appearance and provide an extra layer of protection against corrosion. (many of us have seen the original California car with beautiful floors and quarter panels while the roof/dutchman panel/drip rails are full of holes, courtesy of the salt air/coastal environment)

Typically any color top coat will experience two issues over time from UV exposure: color shift and loss of gloss. A gloss red for example will start to turn pinkish and gradually lose the original shine. The clear coat would be a high gloss product intended to prolong the appearance of the base color coat, and would be formulated for UV resistance. UV will cause an epoxy black powder coat to turn chalky quite quickly, even though epoxies tend to provide the best chemical resistance protection.

It's possible the coater used an epoxy clear, shooting for chemical resistance. Epoxies tend to lay out very nicely too.

For a car that was going to be street driven, I'd have no problem painting control arms or other suspension stuff with a black epoxy because I knew the parts wouldn't see direct sunlight. That chemistry allowed the powder coat to better resist grease/oil/brake fluid, etc which made it a better fit for the underside of a driven car.

The chrome look powders tend to deteriorate faster than other colors, hence the clear coat recommendation. But if you don't use the right clear coat, you're doomed from the get go.

they were both prismatic powder coat. chrome base then clear vision clear. i think they are polyester over urethane powder. https://www.prismaticpowders.com/shop/powder-coating-colors/PPS-2974/clear-vision

 

[CudaChick1968]

I second all the advice from @peabodyracin.

The first question i have is: Are they pot metal? If so, heating them is risky to start with (lots of air bubbles and impurities) and will take repeated heat cycles for each powder which will just invite more bubbling.

If they're stamped steel or aluminum though, I use a single stage chrome replica now that's UV stable and holding up after several years. It looks best on smaller areas IMO, and shouldn't be used on bigger parts when real chrome is visually near it (i.e., powdered bumperettes on a real chrome bumper) because you can tell at a glance it's not the same.

It's on the fins and is the base for the candy red on these Edelbrocks in this Powder **** video for a FABO member in Canada.



Hit me up if you want to talk! Sorry for being late to the party -- the Really Busy Season is on me.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

The trouble with chrome powder coating is that to get the "chrome look", the aluminum in the powder has to float to the top...where it's not protected. Adding a clear coat (powder anyway) dulls it A LOT. It's not an issue of chipping the chrome powder.... you literally can't touch it. OK for a light fixture on the ceiling you never, ever touch, but not much else.