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Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 12:52 pm
by Starry
I've just bought PetrolDaves black avant, the car has the chrome around the window and grill.
I'm going to black it out and wondered who's done it and how. My 1st thought was plasti-dip as I've used this before and had good results. 2nd thought after seeing the rubbers can be pulled away from the chrome was to spray paint on the car.
Lastly is to buy new chrome in black.
Any advice would be great..

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 12:57 pm
by MikeFish
To buy the black versions doesn't cost a great deal but the Labour is a lot as you need to take out the rear quarter light and bond it back in again. Labour was about £1000 last time I checked.
The easiest way is to get it wrapped. I did this myself with a sheet of wrap I got off ebay which was fairly quick and simple, but my wrapping skills in those days was not what it is now so I wasn't quite happy with the end result. A pro wrapper could do a good job though and there are a few cars knocking around that have done this. I have recently removed my wrap and had them sprayed. Not an easy task without removing the wing mirrors though and removing them is not easy. I haven't seen the result yet as it was only finished yesterday and I haven't picked my car up yet.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:42 pm
by Starry
I'm not to keen on the wrap idea as I think the ends could look a bit naff.
I think with s little care I could lift the tubers and mask ready to paint.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:47 pm
by MikeFish
The ends wont look naff if done by a pro though.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 3:22 pm
by FaisalJ
I'd suggest getting it wrapped too - will look better than plastidip in my opinion.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 3:38 pm
by Starry
Do you mean wrap on the car?

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 3:42 pm
by MikeFish
Yes. If you remove it from the car you might as well replace it with the proper black ones.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:54 pm
by Starry
MikeFish wrote:Yes. If you remove it from the car you might as well replace it with the proper black ones.
I'm just wondering how they tuck it all in neatly under the rubber.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 6:59 pm
by N11LS_J
I've just had mine done, very very happy with it, don't paint!!

As if your like me, you will regret not having the option of going back to Alu trim down the line when and if you get bored

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 7:02 pm
by MikeFish
Starry wrote:
MikeFish wrote:Yes. If you remove it from the car you might as well replace it with the proper black ones.
I'm just wondering how they tuck it all in neatly under the rubber.
I'm no expert and i managed to tuck it all in. The only bit I struggled with was tucking under the alu bit right at the back at the bottom, not cos I couldn't get in there but just doing it neatly.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:24 pm
by Starry
MikeFish wrote:
Starry wrote:
MikeFish wrote:Yes. If you remove it from the car you might as well replace it with the proper black ones.
I'm just wondering how they tuck it all in neatly under the rubber.
I'm no expert and i managed to tuck it all in. The only bit I struggled with was tucking under the alu bit right at the back at the bottom, not cos I couldn't get in there but just doing it neatly.
did you use the sticky peel off back stuff or the stuff you wet and can move around a bit until it dries out?

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 10:09 pm
by MikeFish
Sticky peel off stuff but later learnt about the wet and move trick but thought you coukd still do that with the normal stuff? Like I said, no expert.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 12:06 am
by pule333
Don't Plasti dip!!!! Tried on my other a4 and results were naff. It started peeling of after 2 days. Where doors meet trim. Spent all day masking and preping not to mention 6 cans of Plasti. Spent another 2 hours after peeling it all of! Than I decided to wrap it. But I used this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191814211575
With very decent results. So now thinking of going the same route with my rs4.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:15 am
by weekenny
If you paint it, it's all in the prep and you effectively destroy the chrome finish prepping it. With wrap though you can remove it at any time.

Re: Blacking out chrome

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:40 am
by Starry
Pule333 wrote:Don't Plasti dip!!!! Tried on my other a4 and results were naff. It started peeling of after 2 days. Where doors meet trim. Spent all day masking and preping not to mention 6 cans of Plasti. Spent another 2 hours after peeling it all of! Than I decided to wrap it. But I used this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191814211575
With very decent results. So now thinking of going the same route with my rs4.
I used plasti dip on my a5 3.0 tdi and it was great stuff, it was on there for a couple of years, I power washed it weekly and it never peeled at all.