Is it possible to "rechrome" the inside of a light.

JabbaTheHut · 11-05-2017 12:14am #1

I have a few spot lamps. The glass on them is fine, but the reflector on the inside is faded, and worn. Assuming I can remove the glass, is it possible to paint on, or whatever, to the lamp, considering that they are plastic?

Tzar Chasm · 11-05-2017 10:16am

You should be able to polish it if you can seperate the parts.
I'd start there, you wont get an effective paint solution without spending a Lot of money

JabbaTheHut · 11-05-2017 11:44am

Thanks, but unfortunately the paint is gone off the inside of it, so polishing is no good.

Edit: When you say expensive, how expensive?

Gravelly · 11-05-2017 11:48am

Lots of Youtube videos of lads doing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G5IfHoWRs8

Silvera · 11-05-2017 12:54pm

What make are the spot lamps? e.g. Hella? Lucas?

There are often good s/h lamps for sale on ebay. Would most likely be cheaper than rechroming.

PaulK_CCI · 11-05-2017 2:26pm

if the material of the reflector is plastic, you're looking at paint somehow, which is never really going to approach the original quality. If it's metal, it should be no problem, but for a once off jobbie, it will be expensive to have them rechromed.

Finding a good quality 2nd hand replacement is most likely your 'cheapest' alternative

JabbaTheHut · 11-05-2017 4:02pm

Thanks lads. They're Hella. They're rare enough to find 2nd hand, and usually expensive if I can find them. That's why I was hoping to chrome them.

But I was wrong. They're metal. An alloy I think, so maybe they can be rechromed alright, although they're only chrome on the inside.

jca · 11-05-2017 4:49pm

I think the correct term is re silvering. There might be companies in the UK doing it.

gholian · 14-05-2017 12:04am

It going to be expensive. There is or at least was a company in the UK that does "chrome Painting". It supposwd to be a lot cheaper but I got a quote for a badge and that was ?100 which I thought was mad. If the metal underneath allow or diecast. There is chrome paint out there.

JabbaTheHut · 14-05-2017 12:25am

I think it's alloy. Is that chrome paint any good for the heat generated inside the lamp?

gholian · 15-05-2017 11:41pm

JabbaTheHut wrote: »

I think it's alloy. Is that chrome paint any good for the heat generated inside the lamp?

It gets warm, doesn't get mad hot. If you worried could use exhaust paint. Por15 exhaust paint has a really nice shinny finish.

JabbaTheHut · 15-05-2017 11:54pm

gholian wrote: »

It gets warm, doesn't get mad hot. If you worried could use exhaust paint. Por15 exhaust paint has a really nice shinny finish.

I'm not sure that the exhaust paint will do the job I'm after. I'm on a budget, but wouldn't like to feck things up by being too cheap.

jca · 16-05-2017 9:30am

The latest episode of car SOS sees them getting wartime headlights resilvered, they looked great after they were done. It was an Austin utility van.

gholian · 17-05-2017 11:57pm

Call the chroming places in the UK and get price. IF over budget use Chrome paint. Paints nowadays are supposed to take bodyshop temperatures so should be no issues.

JabbaTheHut · 18-05-2017 1:07am

Thanks for the help. I'm waiting back for a price from the UK

Is it possible to "rechrome" the inside of a light.

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