Taillights Painting Chroming Etc - What colors and treatment?

[dspur]

Working on the taillights, housings, and trim bezels on my 1969 Dodge Super Bee. Several Questions:

1) What color silverish paint(s) should be used on the plastic part and then inside the housing where the bulbs go?
2) What treatment, if any etc on the bulb housing to make them look factory original?
3) Need to re-chrome or similar the bezels. I've gotten prices of $400 to $450 each to re-chrome, wow!, and $150 each to do something similar but not actual chrome. Any suggestions? These have to look nice.

Thanks in advance, please post any before and after pics you may have done.

 

[dadsbee]

My NOS ones that I installed on my Bee.

Argent, light both in shade and coverage...

My OE housing finish, never restored...

 

[dspur]

My NOS ones that I installed on my Bee.
View attachment 1236758 View attachment 1236759
Argent, light both in shade and coverage...

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My OE housing finish, never restored...
View attachment 1236767
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Sweet. Nice find. Argent, I will look for that, any particular brand or source? Thanks

 

[dadsbee]

Argent, I will look for that, any particular brand or source?

Why I dug those pictures out for you... so you can determine that and a match. Those are NOS and the way they come.

 

[dadsbee]

..there's no texture to them, just a light mist of silver/argent that is a fairly consistent colour. Definitely lighter than the argent on the front grill...

 

[F4R/T]

Almost reminds me of the old 80s ford truck argent on the non chrome rear bumpers.

 

[QOTHL]

Thanks in advance, please post any before and after pics you may have done.

I've done 69 Charger, and can post photos if you need them. Make sure you polish the lenses inside and out. I've seen high end restorations that neglected to do that and it makes them stick out like a dirty sore thumb. Be glad your lenses are relatively flat - my lenses have a ton of vertical grooves that have to be polished between each one. Are those housings plastic or metal like the Charger?

 

[dadsbee]

Housings are pot metal..

 

[6PKRTSE]

I used a dull metallic silver like argent wheel paint when I restored the tail lights and side marker lights on my Challenger.

 

[QOTHL]

These have to look nice.

For my Chargers, I painted the inside of the housings where the bulbs are the shiniest silver paint as I could find. Three original bulbs each side isn't a lot and I want as much reflective power as possible. Having polished/new lenses makes a really big difference in brightness.

Are the housings painted on the outside?

 

[F4R/T]

What are you polishing your lenses with? Just curious what works best.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

What are you polishing your lenses with? Just curious what works best.

Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish.... Honestly, this was a quick job... I was selling them & wanted them to look decent rather than scuffed up..

 

[QOTHL]

What are you polishing your lenses with? Just curious what works best.

I use Novus plastic polish. The kit comes with fine and heavy scratch removal and a cleaner. I can't/won't use a buffer on my 69 Charger lenses, in my opinion, it would ruin them.

 

[dspur]

Housings are pot metal..

Yes I am aware.

 

[dadsbee]

I'm sure you are, QOTHL was asking...

 

[QOTHL]

What are you polishing your lenses with? Just curious what works best.

If you need photos, I can post some. I've done at least six sets including '71 'Cuda. Some photos of the final result are on Taillight Tuesday.
The pot metal housing exterior on my cars were not painted but had a factory cast finish that was filthy. I cleaned them with Eagle 1 Mag Wheel Cleaner Etch. Worked great, nice original finish look.

I also polished the outside of the lenses even though they don't show when in the car.

 

[dspur]

Any suggestions on these taillight bezels? Re chroming at $400 each seems high, but I may have no option...

 

[dspur]

If you need photos, I can post some. I've done at least six sets including '71 'Cuda. Some photos of the final result are on Taillight Tuesday.
The pot metal housing exterior on my cars were not painted but had a factory cast finish that was filthy. I cleaned them with Eagle 1 Mag Wheel Cleaner Etch. Worked great, nice original finish look.

I also polished the outside of the lenses even though they don't show when in the car.

Thanks! I'm gonna try both the mag wheel finish (mine are filthy also) and the plastic polish you recommend.

 

[QOTHL]

Thanks! I'm gonna try both the mag wheel finish (mine are filthy also) and the plastic polish you recommend.

Just use an old tooth brush when applying the Mag Cleaner, leave it on for about 5 - 10 min, keep an eye on it and wash it off. If they are filthy, clean the dirt off as best you can. When I cleaned mine they still were dirty looking and that's what the Mag cleaner will take care of and leave a nice cast original look.

 

[QOTHL]

Any suggestions on these taillight bezels? Re chroming at $400 each seems high, but I may have no option...

View attachment 1237125

I'm making the decision to re chrome the top plates for the console in one of my Chargers. I'm just going to suck it up. I might do the same for the taillight bezels.