My reflectors are looking beat up, chrome peeling here and there and I don't have cash for replacements (typically $200 each).

So, what's a good way of removing the chrome? Some sort of solvent?

This is what I want to end up with:

 

Easy, I redid my 1997's headlights.. They were all chrome, I painted them to look just like the one you have pictured. I redid the chrome part with silver paint.. It looks great. Just remove the glass(kind of a pain to do). Refinish them as you like, then reseal them..

 

Nice, what silver paint did you use? And is it especially heat resistant?

 

You can't replace reflector chrome with spray paint.
It might look nice cosmetically but it won't have the right optical properties.

 

Steve

So apart from the lack of chrome are our black 4.2 headlights also a different design/optics ?

 

The black bit on our headlights is cosmetic and non-reflective, all the optics are done at the back.
Maybe I've misunderstood the OP but he said it was the reflector chrome he wants to remove.

 

It is my understanding that the lights with the black reflector are HID lights and use projector beam lenses to focus the light pattern.

The lights with the chrome reflector are Halogen lights and need the bright reflective suface to focus the light pattern.

I could be all wrong here, but, that is my understanding. Other opinions???.....

 

Entirely agree - but there is a reflector behind the bulb to focus light into the lens as well.
'Silver' paint is shiny but doesn't produce a coherent reflection.

 

That is correct for the low/dip beam, but the full/main beam still uses Halogen bulbs.

 

I painted them to match exactly the newer ones. They are exact... Your optics will not change at all.. I will post pics when I can, it's raining in Miami all this week

 

It's an easy way to update the face of the older car, I can't believe more people have done it.

 

Interesting, what exact paint did you use? I've done some research on best chrome aerosol spray paint, and found this:

You can get pretty good results with paint chrome if done right, the best combo seems to be using a gloss black urethane basecoat and a generic enamel based chrome aerosol:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/alsa...-146018-2.html

Krylon Premium Silver foil is popular, and Krylon Fusion black seems to work well as a basecoat and primer as you can see below:


Unknown primers/basecoats with Krylon Premium Silver foil:




Plastikote 615

Gets recommended, but does not seem as good as Krylon.

Spaz Stix VS other higher end chromes

L-R, worst to best. Killer Chrome from spray can, Killer Chrome airbrushed, Alclad airbrushed, Spaz Stix airbrushed. No clearcoat.

Another Spastix


"Final results from this limited test? Spaz Stix was the winner. It’s the most reflective, slightly better than Alclad, and it’s easier to use as you can spray it over Tamiya’s spray black, saving one step of airbrushing. Alclad II came next, it’s results were also impressive. As much as anything, this test proved that with a glass-smooth base surface to start with, either of these products work quite well. If you expect them to look like kit chrome, you will be disappointed. If you spray them over base paint that's not ultra-smooth and glossy, you may be disappointed."
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=638256


My conclusion: Go with Spaz Stix and get their high gloss black back coat and mirror chrome, which will set you back a total of $20 + shipping. Their cans are only 3.5oz, but that should be fine for our purposes.

If you're open to spending a few hundred dollars on a silver nitrate deposition system, this thread is required reading: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...=674441&page=6

 

Any ideas about best solvent to strip the original plating with? Acetone?