How to paint a chrome bumper?

[vaporlock]

I hope someone can help me, I've searched a bit but for every hit I get I also get a different answer...
I'd like to get a smooth front bumper and since buying a new paintable one here costs about $280 and it's not even OE. I went looking at the junkyards and found a OE one but it's chrome, I want to colormatch it so I'm wondering, how do I get the paint to stick to the chrome? Sand it a bit to rough up the chrome and then use etching primer? Or do I need to have it blasted?

 

[someotherguy]

The etching primer is likely good enough as-is; scuffing it first may help as well. I'd say ask your paint shop. No matter what, a painted bumper is under constant assault and it's going to show wear from small stone and other debris impact. You'd see this if you went with a paintable bumper, too.

Richard

 

[vaporlock]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I know it will take a beating, I'll just have to have it repainted when it gets to bad. What I want to avoid is the paint flying of while going down the freeway cos it didn't stick to the chrome, you know.
I also have a Magnum and it has had it's front repainted twise in less then 8 years, first time in 2008 cos the PO hit something and I had it repainted last summer while getting some other stuff fixed and the front looked pretty bad then.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

The easy method I've found (which has the added benefit of being reversible) is to shoot the chrome with plastidip, and then lay your color over the plastidip. This lasted for about 2.5 years on my NBS Tahoe. The bumper needs to be redone now, but the grill still looks pretty good.

 

[VCaddy]

Maybe put a paint protection film over the paint once it's cured? Should keep it nice a while longer.

 

[vaporlock]

The easy method I've found (which has the added benefit of being reversible) is to shoot the chrome with plastidip, and then lay your color over the plastidip. This lasted for about 2.5 years on my NBS Tahoe. The bumper needs to be redone now, but the grill still looks pretty good.

That's a great idea, if the chrome had been nice I would definitly have gone for that, but if I wanted to go chrome I would have to rechrome it.

 

[vaporlock]

Maybe put a paint protection film over the paint once it's cured? Should keep it nice a while longer.

Is that like a clear vinylfilm or like a durable clearcoat? I've heard of some type of clearcoat that's supposed to be really hard and durable, don't know if it's true tho...

 

[dmr22]

I know it will be a little more expensive but have you thought about powder coating it?

 

[vaporlock]

I know it will be a little more expensive but have you thought about powder coating it?

I have actually but I'm not sure if they can match the blue color of my truck...?