Chrome Look on Plastic Parts 2

[InjectionConnection]

A bit of a left field question here: one of the supervisors in our warehouse is really into Camaros. He forwarded me an article that has a section on auto parts availability for muscle cars and he's now put us in preliminary talks to start a line of muscle car plastic interior trim. The thing is that he keeps pointing out how important the chrome look was in those cars (I'm not really well-versed in muscle cars myself so I'm obviously taking his word for it). As far as I know, that chrome look would have to be achieved through color-matching after the plastic parts had been molded. I guess my question is that there's no possible way at all to get a chrome look to plastic without painting it after the fact, correct? This is our first time trying to get a metallic look to plastic (a hassle I'd prefer to avoid but I can't argue with my associate's passion for this project).

 

[MikeHalloran]

The chrome look in muscle cars was, ISTR, polished or brushed aluminum appliques.

Nowadays, an astonishing array of wheel covers, grilles, and who knows what else are made of plastic, with real chrome electroplated over a conductive primer.

Nobody, AFAIK, has ever been able to mold in a 'chrome look'.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[InjectionConnection]

Thanks, Mike! I assumed as much but since I've never really attempted a metallic-look, I figured I'd better just ask.

 

[dgallup]

Yes, my RAM truck exterior chrome parts are almost all chrome plated plastic including the "chrome clad aluminum wheels". Probably the interior parts as well. The "chrome clad aluminum" wheels consist of a molded aluminum wheel with a chrome plated hunk of plastic glued on. Actually a pretty good looking wheel and the plating holds up better than a plated aluminum wheel.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

 

[InjectionConnection]

Thanks for your response, dgallup! Glad to know they're quality parts!