"Killer Chrome" ???

[ken1007]

Have been researching what some refer to as "painted chrome".  Two early vendor (1 in Va, 1 in Fl) attempts to paint similar stuff were marginal to unsatisfactory.  Have located Alsa KMC Corp that has a product "Killer Chrome".  Video and "user" comments appear positive. Has any one used this stuff and/or had a vendor apply it and if so what were the results?  Ken, Deltaville, Va   

[Matt Harwood]

Everyone wants this magic paint to work so they don't have to pay the cost of real chrome. Most folks who use these low-cost options are disappointed with the results, which, predictably, look like shiny silver paint. Many of them end up paying for real chrome plating to get what they really want, and it ends up being more expensive because 1) they've already wasted money on something that didn't work, and 2) they have to pay the chrome shop to undo the "low cost" option.

 

If you want chrome, get proper chrome plating. Everything else will be unsatisfactory in an application where chrome is required. There are some applications where this paint process can give cool results, but old car trim isn't one of them. For instance, I saw a fiberglass Cobra replica painted with this stuff and it kinda, sorta looked like polished aluminum.

 

Chrome is chrome. Paint is paint. Ne'er the twain shall meet.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[cahartley]

Judge for yourself >>> 

[auburnseeker]

My sound is not working but it sure looks like alumnium paint with a clear coat gloss and just a step above the aluminum paint guys used in the 1950s. You would be better to polish the raw steel to a high luster and clear it. I did this on some hood trim for my Dad's 47 Ford truck and it actually looked alot more convincing but is now starting to get rust spiders starting under the clear.  I completely sandblasted the piece first to get all the rust off.   I may have had some soda contamination and that's why it's failing. It's been a couple years now though.  

[sambarn]

I'm not sold on it.

[ken1007]

I think the degree of success for this type chrome alternative is how much attention is payed to its application, similar to painting a car.  In the first video the person was treating bumpers, which would not be a good candidate.  Subsequent videos showed  more carefully applied applications and the large Honda logo, appears very good (almost unbelievable).  It would appear that this is not a DIY project, even though Home Depot sells the Killer Chrome stuff.   What drew my attention to this technique was re-chrome of a delicate  Studebaker part that would run the risk of being destroyed in the electroplate process.  A couple of years ago spray chrome was tried by two different vendors with marginal to unsatisfactory results but the process was not like what is seen some of the  videos.  Would still like to hear from professionally applied Killer Chrome customer.  Ken, Deltaville VA  

[Restorer32]

Assuming the quality was there I'm wondering if it would actually end up being much cheaper than real chrome once you factor in sending the part out to have the old chrome removed, smoothing the underlying metal and applying the several different coatings required?

[Bhigdog]

Could it look good in some applications? I'm sure it could. Could it ever replace or be mistaken for quality chrome plating? Not a chance...............Bob

[Guest AlCapone]

Could it look good in some applications? I'm sure it could. Could it ever replace or be mistaken for quality chrome plating? Not a chance...............Bob

I agree with Bob totally. My father used to say" if you want good clean oats you have to pay the price ! If you want oats that have gone through the horse one time, they come a little cheaper "! Wayne

[cahartley]

LOL Wayne!

I saw another process that started out quite the same way, a SMOOOOTH black surface and then overcoated with the shiny component and it looked terrific but a lot of work.

If you have a driver you want only to look a LITTLE better there some pretty nice shiny spray paints but none of them begin to approach chrome.

[Restorer32]

Why not just write "Chrome" on the part with a felt tipped marker? It's not like you're fooling anyone. I would rather have someone remark on the poor condition of the original chrome than notice that I used chrome paint and wonder where else I took short cuts. Had an acquaintance who chromed an early '30's RR Conv grill shell and all with chrome tape. Actually looked good from 10 ft away.

[Guest Skyking]

The proof is in the pudding when you go to sell the car.  I always made good money on the cars I've sold because it was done right!

[John348]

I went through this with a spay can set that was supposed to replicate gold cad plating for my hood hinges. When I was done it looked like spay paint to simulate gold cad! All it was was a waste of money!

Don't get me wrong there are some chrome guys out there that charge for a top job and it peels off in 8 months 

Edited June 30, 2015 by John348 (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

I would rather have someone remark on the poor condition of the original chrome than notice that I used chrome paint and wonder where else I took short cuts.

That pretty much sums it up right there. Period, end of story.

[Restorer32]

That West sure knows how to kill a conversation.

[Guest Flyer1]

Just triple plate the stuff and be done with it, sure it costs a bit more but well worth the effort in the long run for real chrome ,  can't beat it when done properly..plastic cheap "chrome" = a plastic cheap society in my opinion...just saying ,as per some other opinions.

[60FlatTop]

It's not just chrome. A guy was telling me his V6 was "just like a V8". I was leaning against the fender of my '64 Riviera with the 425, patted his little head, and said "Sure it is."

 

Bargains, wholesale pricing, and the whole insider sales thing, I think, is a post WWII phenomenon from the farm boys meeting the city boys. In the '50's and '60's I worked with my Grandfather in his businesses; Wholesale Tires and Wholesale Used Cars. P. T. Barnum would have been proud of us. Well.... actually I did get an unsolicited email from a car dealer who had to compliment me on an ad I wrote for a Jaguar on Ebay. He said it was motivating and didn't even say anything about the car.

 

For old pot metal, clean and polish it real good, use a jack knife tip to clean the loose stuff out of pits, wipe it down with lacquer thinner, and spray it clear (clear makes taillights look great, too).

 

And always remember "What you pay for is the MOST you can expect to get"

 

Bernie

[Guest Flyer1]

Not sure on what is "pot metal" that that is being referred to  ? ...is it the stuff that door handles etc. that were made of this metal?...it can/does be polished and 

coated to "keep" a shine...but , when we sent some handles away that are NLA to be chromed the call was that if they were re-Chromed after being cleaned up that the impurities within the cast would only "make there way back to the top after a while (years?)" and result in a poor finish after some time.

 

The other alternative to get a good finish on pot metal was to have it cleaned up and then resin dipped/sealed and then re-plated...

 

Not saying that the process does not have it's place in some areas...we looked into that as a "cheap" alternative but ended up going triple plate...

 

I agree...old original " battle scared" polished chrome is probably worth more than a "gloss over" being the real deal,but then a real triple plate is just awesome

[Vila]

If it isn't real chrome it isn't chrome, period.

 

I also agree with one of the other statements above, "I would rather have someone remark on the poor condition of the original chrome than notice that I used chrome paint and wonder where else I took short cuts".