I'm currently refinishing my 260 rear panel and decided to do it properly. So I had to completely strip the chrome frame to bare plastic as the old chrome and copper had flaked off on the top surfaces that face sun. Sanding was out of question as it would be a year's work and would result in uneven plastic surface. What I did was dip the frames into bleach. Initially I was using bleach I got in Italy which had 5% of chlorine in it and it worked fairly well. In 3 days - changing fresh bleach every day - most chrome and copper was gone. Then I returned to France and the bleach they have here has only 2,6% of chlorine, and that slowed the stripping process significantly. I kept the parts in bleach several days and each day only a tiny amount came off. However, eventually what I have is clean undamaged plastic frames. I did the same for one of my hubcap badges and plan to restore those (my hubcaps are being straightened by a panel beater (the same guys who is welding my floors, I asked him for advice for beating them myself, but he took them, smiled and said "don't worry I'll do it") after which they'll be rechromed with rear bumper)

note! if you use bleach be very careful and do not mix it with anything. bleach mixed with ammonia can produce lethal fumes and as ammonia is sometimes used in stripping chrome together with some other chemicals, if you use any other stripping products be sure to wash bleach off very carefully before using anything else! do not mix bleach with any acids at all!

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Wow! Nice job king!
Have long wanted to do this w/ that horizontal plastic chrome piece on the 240 tails,(so I could black it out)but did'nt think they came apart. After zeeing your post I took a closer look and it looks like they might after all. Now all I gotta do iz find some of that Italian bleach.
I wonder if Ginetta could help me out...

I love this club!
Al

Hey Al just check bleach you get locally, normally it is indicated on the bottle how much chlorine there is in it. I don't even know for sure if that's the thing that made the difference, but I'm guessing it was. Instead of bleach, maybe something used in swimming pools might work as well? Use latex gloves and keep the bleach bath outside or in a workshop / storage where no-one has to stay for extended periods of time because the gazes from pure bleach aren't healthy. I'll post a video on youtube of the initial reaction when the parts were first put into the bleach. Will let you guys know when it's up..

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ok so I made a quick video to show how to strip chrome from plastic parts using bleach. (I wouldn't advice on metal parts as bleach won't know where to stop and will probably damage the part itself too)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDpObLuJVeQ

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King!

How've you been?
Finally got around to bleaching the plastic chrome off my 240 rear tail lights. Wondering what you used to refinish them. Tried dye but that did'nt work. Maybe some kind of paint/primer?

Al

Home depot sells a decent chrome finish in rattlecan, as do most advance/autozone stores.

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-Chris

Hi Al,
during the process I've learnt about electroplating and realized I would not have had to strip all the metal off, just the chrome and then go with real metal plating. this can be done on plastic as well but is more demanding.
So I've been acquiring materials for doing the actual metal plating. since I had lost all the metal in the parts, it meant doing it this way:
first painting the plastic part with plastic primer (which I didn't.. the results you'll find at the end), then automotive primer or straight to conductive copper or silver paint after which acid copper electroplating, thick enough to be able to rub down and polish, probably 2-4 layers, then a layer electroplating with a specific cobalt-nickel electrolyte (depending on supplier this is called Reprochrome or Copy Chrome etc and actually looks like chrome without the need of massive currents of real chrome to plate).

I'm just starting to learn the basics and have done some copper plating now on metal and find it's actually not that difficult but you have to clean very, very well prior to plating otherwise the results won't be good. surface prep is the biggest thing, if that's done carefully then it'll be easier.

a word of warning though: electroplating is something you shouldn't commit yourself to lightheartedly. It's a bit complex procedure where you need space, ventilation, different kinds of buckets and vessels for cleaning, activating, rinsing, plating etc. Plus you'll be dealing with acids and other harmful and dangerous materials that you'll have to be very careful with. Use goggles, aprons, ventilation, masks etc..

Anyone interested should first buy a complete plating manual and learn the theory very well, understand the risks involved and then learn slowly and step by step. I am a long way from being actually able to plate well, and I've already invested a few hundred bucks in the materials.
Besides I'm moving now so that will slow down my learning curve.

ALSO, I made a major mistake. I had some conductive copper paint and I was so eager to get started, I sprayed my pristine plastic frames with it without thinking. ie no plastic primer.. what a moron I was. Next thing I realized was the paint didn't adhere well so I begun cleaning the parts. And made a couple more mistakes and found myself in a real mess. As a result I have now purchased another set of those frames with poor chrome on them. This time around I have the idea of electroplating which means I WILL NOT STRIP DOWN ALL THE METAL but instead only strip off the thin chrome layer (parts in bleach until it finishes bubbling, this will leave the nickel and copper intact. then if there are areas where no metal is left, I'll TRY to apply the conductive paint only on those areas locally (after cleaning the parts thoroughly) and then a layer of copper, polish and then that copy chrome thing...

the beauty is that after making mistakes, being frustrated and also scared of all those chemicals and tricky setups, I'll be able to plate my hubcaps (sandblast, copper, copychrome), my yellow passivated bits and pieces (blast, copper, zinc, passivate) and eventually all the chromed plastic parts BUT this will be the trickiest part. but I'll get there and at that point my investment and mistakes will feel insignificant next to the reality that I'll be plating my own parts

but it'll take more mistakes and practice to get there

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Wow! Talk about in depth!
I kinda feel a little bad now;should've mentioned all I'm looking for iz a flat black finish to match the rest of the trim on the car;there iz no chrome anywhere,even down to the headlight rings for example,even pulled the trim from the windshield and hatchglass gaskets. The plastic primer makes sense,tho.

Al

no problems Al you did actually mention earlier you wanted to black them out. in this case clean with degreaser, spray plastic primer (usually 1-2 coats not too thick) then I'd spray a normal automotive primer, let dry well; sand down with 400 and 600 at least (I'm not pro so you may want to ask someone who is) and maybe even 800, but be careful not to sand through the plastic primer. if you do just a little on the edges don't worry it'll be fine.
then topcoat whatever color you want. I understand you're talking about that thin strip in which case I'm sure a good quality spray can will do. if it's a larger surface I would steer away from those but a small narrow detail will be fine if you do it properly.

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and congrats your Z is beautiful!

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