Since I don't really like the look of chrome I decided to paint the driver and passenger side chrome trim of my xj6 a matte black.
I only used plastidip so I can always go back to the original chrome if I wanted to. I have gotten mixed reviews about it but personally I like the way it makes the car look.
Let me know what you think about it.

 

I think I like it.

 

You'd have liked the XJ Sport marketed in the UK. It had Black instead of Chrome.



All the window trims and the grille inserts.

Graham

 

I'd like a black grill, but with just the faces of the slats chromed.

 

Chrome or black... Such a matter of taste.

When I first visited the dealer to take a look at my current car, an XJR, I took it for a spin in a touristic area close by. The car is a typical XJR, meaning black with almost no chrome. Didn't raise many eyebrows. Then I took a blue XJ8 with lots of chrome on the exact same trip and so many people stopped and stared. The cars are close to identical except for the color and chrome. But the one without the trims are just a car to most people, while the blue with chrome makes many wonder. What kind of celebrity goes there? Could it be the queen? The British queen used to own one, you know.

When I got my BMW E32 many years ago, the trims around the side windows were blacked out. Shadowlined, in BMW terminology. Made the car look wider and meaner, more limo, but the lines of the c-pillar were hidden. I replaced the black trim with chrome and the c-pillar came alive, but the car also became higher and not quite so wide.

Last week I popped the orange side markers out of the bumpers. Suddenly the car wasn't nearly as wide, which the missus also commented on. I was thinking about darkening them, as I don't like too many colors on my car, but dropped it after seeing the changed appearance.

My conclusion? The chrome trim makes big cars more majestic. Shows off the lines of the car really well. Darken the chrome and the car is more ordinary, but with a meaner look. Won’t give anywhere near the attention of the chrome. The same can be said about darkening the orange indicators and side markers.


The imho very low key look of my car:

 

Looks good blacked out IMHO.

 

I like the color of that car along with the black trim but I think the chrome grill with black inserts look weird.

I agree, it is a matter of taste. I wanted the car to look more aggressive and sport as opposed to the regular chrome trim. The car now kind of has a triple color scheme going on. My mom has an identical XJ6L with even the chrome trim on the fenders and I agree, the chrome trim makes it more majestic. Her words to me after seeing the blacked out chrome on my car were "It loses it's elegance" and I replied with, "that's the point".

Thanks

 

Anytime

 

I plastic dipped my chrome trim but after a few week I pull it off it started to look dull.

 

try a satin black this time when you're up to it...you may like the results much better!!