Re: Chrome paint for dash gauge bezels

["amc74hornet" <amc74hornet@xxxx>]

--- In BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxx> wrote:
> Thanks for the advise Doc, I have always thought I was doing something
> wrong, but thought it was just the paint fumes! I may add that several 69
> AMX & Javelin hooded overlays Mr. G's have done for me, had the tunnels
> chromed (few early 69's had this option, and it was quickly outlawed by the
> federal govermnet as it made it extremely hard to read the gauges, the
> tunnels would bend and reflect the gauge and looked, well, looked like you
> were on lsd) but they did a excellent job, about $125 for each unit, that
> was years ago however. I thought about having them do the overlay on my 69
> SC/Rambler 'wagon' and then decided it would probably look great gloss
> black, and turned out really good. Pulled out the unit and sprayed it with 5
> coats, all the gauges were taken out and here is a photo of the result, and
> it is striking to look at up close, had some local AMCers stop by yesterday
> and thought it look 'modern' was one's word! All that for a $1 store black
> can of gloss black! Again, thanks Doc for the advice, your paint and model
> building skills and tips is very much appreciated!!!!
> Eddie Stakes'
> Planet Houston AMX
> www.planethoustonamx.com
> "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxx> wrote:
> I may add that Mr. G's of Fort Worth listed on my vendors list
> professionally rechromes interior plastic pieces for any vehicle. I
> personally have never had any success rechroming interior pieces myself with
> spray cans, and have tried a variety of methods. Maybe it is just me but it
> always ends up worse than began with!
> Eddie Stakes'
> Planet Houston AMX
> www.planethoustonamx.com
> 
> Doc replied:
> You still have a problem even if you have one of these places rechrome your
> plastic parts like the bezels on you inst. panel and that is you have to
> mask up the chrome and paint the panel to match the interior. Maybe because
> I am a model builder and paint my own stripes this is easy for me. I repair
> and paint the panel then mask it up to paint the silver last then top cote
> it with clear. If you don't top cote the silver with clear it will smudge
> and rub off. The disadvantage to this is that when the clear is applied the
> silver loses it's brilliance and takes on a pearl like appearance but will
> not rub off. Since this is not a resto job and I like the way the silver
> looks since I did my other Hornet the same way I will use the silver with
> clear over it. I use 3M Fine Lne Blue tape to mask everything up. This dash
> will be basically the same as my other Hornet except with a column shifter
> and a factory under package tray gauge pod a friend gave me a few years ago.
> > "Doc"

Your dash turned out real nice Eddie, and being all black does make it look modern. Most new cars have no chrome or aluminum on any interior parts. But 125$ a piece for chromeing the bezels on my inst. panel and outer edge along wth my my glove box surround outer edge is way out to my budget especially as I still have to paint the black after it is chromed. It only cost me 370$ for 4 BFG Radial T/A tires that the car needed imediately when I bought it as the tires on the car were shot and unsafe. The pain is in masking these parts up to paint the silver/clear cote. I have been looking at the inst. panel for 3-4 days now after completeing the final polishing of the black paint and thinking about doing it as it is ready. It will be an all day job once I start it, you can't start it and stop. I just spent 2 hours polishing out the glove box surround and might do the silver/clear cote edge mid week when we are supposed to get some snow for a warm up to do the inst. panel. Only my model building skills and a lot of patience can make this job turn out nice, but it is still a real pain in the butt. Later all. I have a little more polishing to do on e glove box surround and get reeady to watch the Daytoma 500. It will be a peacefull afternoon as the wife and her sisters are takeing their mother out to lunch. I think i'll call for a Domino's pizza here for dinner afer the race. "Doc"