Did anyone chrome alu bumper strips on FL cars?
 

Hello everyone,

I've just removed chrome trim from my front and rear bumper thinking to send them to someone who do 'chroming' jobs professionally.

Has anyone accomplished this restoration and can provide some feedback/experience/advise please? I'm particularly interested in reliability aspect of the finish.

I asked for a quote from these guys http://www.ashfordchroming.com and from these guys: http://www.chromeeffects.co.uk

Many thanks.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1334181097

how did you remove the strips?

You need to remove bumper to remove them. No need to remove bumper fully though. Only move it about 15cm, like table drawer, leaving bumper on sliding rails.

They can be chromed, that's for sure. Does the chrome-plating process involve high temperatures though?

I would like a brushed aluminium-look, or failing that, black plastidip.

Companies who have classic chrome process refuse to chrome those strips because aluminum cannot be chromed.

Its a great idea, i want to do this too, mine are getting a bit cloudy.

I am no expert but it seems aluminium can be chromed, just needs a zinc coating first.

http://www.finishing.com/0400-0599/575.shtml

we just need to find someone who knows how.

Would be fun to chrome the windscreen strip too, may be a bit over the top though :)

How about these guys:
http://www.reevemetalfinishing.co.uk...and-chrome.htm
"We have recently added a new process for plating Nickel & Chrome on Aluminium."

I decided to experiment with powder paint as this is the most reliable finish. Not as shiny as chrome, but I'm painting them sparkling silver color, exactly the one that alloys repair companies use to powder paint wheels. The color is duller than chrome and/or annodising, but it is forever.

I'm not sure about the result yet as I havent received the trims back yet.

I'm considering buying a set of A8 Parts, as I don't really fancy driving the S8 with the strips removed. I could drive the Beemer, but not comparable to the S8, bar the excellent diesel economy.

I would love mine black.. really dechrome the whole car. Powder coating would be great but i guess the big problem is getting everything off the car and back on without them looking lile trash:)

No Oem black ones ever made i guess?

I would guess that you should be able to order replacements in black from Audi?

Must have been as Brian and at least one other have them as apparently factory fit.

OK, I have painted my trims with sparkling silver powder paint.
I have chosen this approach because trims will last forever once power painted.
I've done this in www.myalloys.co.uk and the cost for 5 trims was 120 pounds including VAT.
I have also refurbished 8 alloy wheels with them using the same sparkling silver color.

I'm very pleased the with result. I'll be removing lower door trims as well as wing trims
to paint them the same way. Power paint color is not as shiny as chrome -- it is kind of glittery.
All my lower trims including wheels will be the same glittery color. Those upper trims around windows
I'm changing to new original anodised aluminium ones from Audi and I'm also installing A6 C6
handles with chrome strip, so the car will have two "belts" of chrome. Lower belt including wheels --
sparkling silver powder paint and upper belt of classic shiny chrome including handles and chrome around windows.

The reason why I adopted this approach is because my lower trims were in much worse condition
than the trims around windows. A lot of things are going on at lower part of the car and it seems trim
just doesn't survive in those conditions.

Pictures! I decided to leave pictures without reducing their size for you to 'understand' texture of this paint.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1335815965

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1335815965

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1335815965

I'm looking to buy the OEM satin black trim, I'm not really a fan of external brightwork.

In this case I will still suggest to take your chrome trims and powder paint them black. New trim from Audi is prohibitly expensive, almost 1000 pounds.

The chrome trim is pricey, satin black is half the price.

Interesting, I didn't know that.

I wasn't aware either, I never even knew the trims were available in Satin Black, this thread drew my attention to it.

Interesting read fellas...
Just resurrecting this thread for a couple of questions:
Notorious, did you ever get the side trims painted?
If so how did it go? As the polished portion of the side trim is an insert of the rubbing strip, did you remove the aluminium portion (I expect this invites damage if it's possible at all?), or have it taped off?

I'm looking to do something similar as my trims were painted black by the prev owner and have started to peel.
Also the lower front (S8) grille surround has taken 14 years of punishment and I'm looking to improve its appearance.

Powder paint is forever. After all this time aluminium strips look new.

Side strips are very easy to remove and alu strip separates without problem for painting. However, this time I painted the side strips with normal water based paint that car body shops use. Exactly the same sparkling silver colour, but normal metallic base paint under lacquer. I used Specialised Paintwork in Reading and I specifically asked them to paint both inside and outside to prevent any risk of corrosion, which they did. The solution survived the test of time and I'm very pleased.

The reason why I used different technologies for side strips is because wheels refurbishment people hesitated to do the job as they normally do wheels and don't have experience with delicate side strips. For example, they have to drill a small hole in invisible part of the strip in order to hang it in their kiln. All their process is adopted for wheels, so everything looks like a wheel for them :) But with good relationship they will do exceptions.

I now have two 'chrome belts'. The lower belt which is wheels and all lower strips. They are sparkling silver and all exactly the same colour and the upper belt which is chrome around door windows.

P.S. I changed lower bumper girll to chromeless one to get rid of the u-shape chrome, simply which doesn't belong there. It is available from audi for FL cars. There is a thread about it here.