gungeey Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 (edited) Homebrew hacker refresh. Not calling it a restoration. I'm not shipping parts to the chrome house. Just taking what I have (good quality used parts) and cleaning up. Follow along if you like, maybe use my job as a template for your own project..Chime in with your improvements or just say it looks like crap... 😆 The proprietor at this shop has thick skin 🤣 Start by cleaning with dawn dish soap and a bristle brush. Then shine up the chrome with the steel wool. Supplies: • 00000 steel wool not 0000 • lacquer thinner • Painters tape • Paint. I find Seymours Argent Silver better than Eastwood. Eastwoods has a blue hue that takes from the Grey. Both are close enough. 👌 The only spots I use primer on is the top of the grill, the ribs of the parking light surrounds and the bezel below the surrounding. I used SEM high fill primer to fill or minimize pits. OK, on with show and tell 🤪 Edited December 18, 2023 by gungeey (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 (edited) I take a file to all the edges of the finned areas and the egg crate of the center grill. I'm speaking of the back edge only here. The rough areas will be glaring when the lights are on. Avoid the chromed edges Make quick work of it Edited December 18, 2023 by gungeey (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 Spray the areas mentioned with high fill primer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 (edited) Now spray with the finish coat. Top picture is Eastwoods. Bottom is Seymours lacquer Rallye Wheel Paint Edited December 18, 2023 by gungeey (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 (edited) Now after the paint flashes clean the spray off of the chrome to be exposed with lacquer thinner and small rags. Again, make quick work. Don't get married to the project Edited December 18, 2023 by gungeey (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 Use the same basic system for the L and R grill extentions. They have some fake windows that need to be blacked out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 (edited) The parking light bezels should be painted like so End of story👍 Edited December 18, 2023 by gungeey (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riviera63 Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Steve, That is some really great information. Nice tips for rejuvenating tired parts without breaking the bank. Your pieces look great. I have used a file as Steve suggested to remove burrs caused by pitting on pieces I have rejuvenated for sale or rejuvenating for others. It really makes a difference and can make a rough looking piece look great again. I picked up a set of files a few years ago that really works nicely to deburr pitting. Many different shapes and sizes. I have done all of the above pieces on my car. I found that pinstriping tape really works nicely to mask off the chrome ribs on these pieces when painting. Another alternative for the paint used to do these pieces is Rust-Oleum 7277830 Metallic Matte. It is very easy to work with, dries fast, goes on smooth, cheap and readily available at any number of local stores. I even used this on my Turbines when getting them ready to put on my car. Bill 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 And while you are in there you may want to do a clean up and refurbishment of the lens using some very very fine wet and dry with lots of water and detergent followed up with some polish. And clean up the globes and maybe a splash of paint on the inside of the housings. Just my two bobs worth Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 I’ve had good luck wiping paint off ridges by wrapping a paper towel around the edge of a body putty spreader. No loose threads that might be on a rag. This method gently touches just the surface with no chance of any extra material removing paint that you didn’t want removed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dundee Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 (edited) 14 hours ago, Riviera63 said: Steve, That is some really great information. Nice tips for rejuvenating tired parts without breaking the bank. Your pieces look great. I have used a file as Steve suggested to remove burrs caused by pitting on pieces I have rejuvenated for sale or rejuvenating for others. It really makes a difference and can make a rough looking piece look great again. I picked up a set of files a few years ago that really works nicely to deburr pitting. Many different shapes and sizes. I have done all of the above pieces on my car. I found that pinstriping tape really works nicely to mask off the chrome ribs on these pieces when painting. Another alternative for the paint used to do these pieces is Rust-Oleum 7277830 Metallic Matte. It is very easy to work with, dries fast, goes on smooth, cheap and readily available at any number of local stores. I even used this on my Turbines when getting them ready to put on my car. Bill Bill I remember those turbines were out of the box but with your clean up they look better than mint! Edited December 19, 2023 by Dundee (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XframeFX Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XframeFX Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 On 12/18/2023 at 11:34 AM, gungeey said: Homebrew hacker refresh. Not calling it a restoration. I'm not shipping parts to the chrome house. This has been my theme all along; My project (my Riviera was a few steps from being hauled off before I saved it) required too much to farm tasks out. DIY'd most of it. Three most expensive components are labour intensive; Paint, engine rebuild and plating. So, this is good, improvement non the less. I have nothing to chime in, just soaking up all these tips for when I get to it. More of this would be even better, Thanks All! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 I have had good luck with pitted diecast using files and picks to dig out the gray crumbly stuff. I like to use the Hapich Simi-Chrome for polishing. Once the boogers are cleaned as well as possible I wipe it down with lacquer thinner to remove the polish and give it a coat of clear. When I wear my dastardly flippers hat I can make money at it. Quite some time ago I bought this little sweetheart for $50, lots of diecast on the sides. Cleaned up nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted December 20, 2023 Author Share Posted December 20, 2023 5 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said: When I wear my dastardly flippers hat I can make money at it. Quite some time ago I bought this little sweetheart for $50, lots of diecast on the sides. Cleaned up nice. One of my favorites: "Putty and paint make a car what it ain't". 🤠 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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