Painting Over Plastic Chrome?

[20TEXAS01]

I right now have a unique chrome replacement grill on my truck. I like the shape of it...But not ALL the chrome, is there a way to paint over it, or remove the chrome it to be painted a different color?

[351ballsofford]

i have the same question i need to do my new headlight trim

[Howdy]

If it's just a little detail piece you're doing, NAPA sells a primer in rattle can for semi flexable plastic. I've used it on a PVC motorcycle fairing and some other plastics and it does well. I usually shy away from rattle can primer, but I've got over a year on some stuff that I did a two-stage over and I haven't seen any problems. You could probably rough up the fake chrome with some 400 grit.

[351ballsofford]

well i'm painting the trucks so should i just paint it like the rest of the truck?

[Howdy]

I've had pretty good luck painting plastic. Clean it well, scuff it till there's no shine, clean it again. The primer I mentioned is for flexable body parts like most new cars have today. Try not to clean it with anything too hot. If the plastic goes soft, it doesn't cure right. The "chrome" that's on the plastic is "paint."

[Little Bro]

Rust-oleum carries a plastics primer in their "specialty" line of rattle can paints. I used it to prep a "chrome" dash insert on my '66, and it worked very well.