Chrome

[CarpetKING]

Hey guys I need to get a plastic grille for a Chevy Express chrome plated. Does anyone know of a good plating company that can do plastic? Or someone that can do the spray-on chrome? Haven't had any luck finding anyone locally. Thanks for any help.

 

[John LaBarbera]

Hey guys I need to get a plastic grille for a Chevy Express chrome plated. Does anyone know of a good plating company that can do plastic? Or someone that can do the spray-on chrome? Haven't had any luck finding anyone locally. Thanks for any help.

I don't know for sure but I would look in to Companies that gold plate car emblems. They may do a bright silver finish.

 

[The Great Oz]

Just buy a chrome grill. They're $100 on E-bay. Or you can try a can of "chrome" spray paint, but that paint is really just small flake silver.

 

[CarpetKING]

Oz I have scoured ebay and the internet high and low - Chevy did not make (nor can you find anywhere) a chrome grille for a 99 Chevy cargo van that wasn't a G-Van. G-vans have the 4 headlights like a Silverado from that year but the standard cargo van has just 2 headlights and there are NO chrome grills anywhere. I just bought new chrome bumpers so I would like the grill to match. I have tried the chrome spray paint that you can buy at Auto-Zone or lowes and its silver not chrome.

 

[The Great Oz]

Look here if you want to pay more than E-bay.
http://www.getallparts.com/w_select...1999&_MAKE=CHEVROLET&_MODEL=VAN CHEVY EXPRESS

Or here if E-bay is OK.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/96-0...99-00-01-_W0QQitemZ280329960121QQcmdZViewItem

These grills are for the single headlight per side van. I think the lower opening is for the gigantic turn signals of that year.

 

[Chris A]

I believe the swap to 4 headlights is an easy one as well.

 

[The Great Oz]

I'm now trying to find the Mother, Jugs and Speed eight headlight version.

 

[The Magician]

I never heard of chroming plastic. Plastic would not hold up to the heat of chrome. i was going to get my pot metal tail light bezels (1967) rechromed but they would not guarantee because of the soft pot metal.

 

[Nate The Great]

www.sprayonchrome.com

I know of 1 local body shop that has to spray a certain coating on plastic before getting chromed. I'd take The Great Oz advise and find someone who does gold or silver plating. You most likely will be spending more then the grill costs. Atleast that's the way things are here.

 

[The Great Oz]

Real chrome on plastic parts is pretty costly, but I think most plastic chrome is actually mylar. There are companies that will recoat vintage plastic with mylar using a vacuum process, but I think the prices are still pretty steep. Worth a search if the available parts don't fit.

 

[Able 1]

I think this cost me about $180.00...

 

[rick imby]

Just paint it Black.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I like the vac!

 

[CarpetKING]

Probably just gonna pony up and pay for the spray on chrome - I'm thinking it will be $200 or less. Found quite a few places online that could chrome the plastic but it was gonna cost a ton.