"Chrome Strips" on 240Z Interior Door Panels

[EScanlon]

Enrique,

It's been awhile since I've used Mono-Kote on an R/C airplane (must be about 25 years). I remember having to apply heat to the Mono-Kote to get it to stick to a surface. And when it did stick to a surface it would shrink. I'm thinking it might be hard to control the application of the Mono-Kote on the thin door panel strip. You might end up with air bubbles and a melted door strip.

Steve

True, it is a skill but I have done it on other plastics. I'm into R/C Boats, Planes and Back Yard Racers, and I've used it with the Trim Tool which gives you a very small and localized hot plate to afix and then iron smooth. Instead of using a hot air gun or the larger iron, you end up with a hot plate about 1" long by 3/8" wide with a small bevel to the face. I've successfully bonded trim up to and just touching the canopies on planes and boats and haven't melted nor distorted. Now I can't claim as many planes or boats as Z's in what I've done, so I'll try it and advise.

Enrique

[lonetreesteve]

Well, I finally have gotten to the point of actually doing this to the 4 door panels of our 2 cars. A little earlier tonight I bought the shiny chrome HVAC tape, a new exacto knife and a spare blade at Home Depot. The problem I have run into is trying to get all of the old chrome material off the blue plastic strips. I don't want to damage the plastic or the the vinyl panels in the process. Some of it flakes off easily, while some of it doesn't want to come off at all. Can I just apply the new tape over the strip the way it is or do I need to remove all of the old chrome material? If so, any ideas on how to remove the old chome without damaging anything?

[EScanlon]

Lonetree: Try blasts of compressed air through a needle nozzle. That method worked the best for me. After that, since you're already applying another roll of film above that, you could just scuff the edge of the remaining chrome. The intent is to reduce the "bump" of the edge so that it isn't as apparent under the new tape you're putting on.

Have recently done some work with the first full set of panels with the Mono-Kote system, now just waiting to see what time and wear do to them. Will be working the second and third tests soon.

I can't say much, and pictures will follow soon, but the initial results are VERY promisiing.

FWIW

Enrique

[v12horse]

I used the baremetal foil on my panels a few years ago and the foil has cracked in a few places. It was easy to use, but like Enrique mentioned, not durable enough. This is really helpful information. Keep up the good work.

-Ben

[bpilati]

When you take you seatbelt off watch your movements. I'll bet some of you (like me) are allowing the metal buckle to hit the chrome strip on the door when you're hanging the belt on the plastic hook, and that's why it's wearing off in the latter 1/3 of the strip. This chrome is not reparable with homemade fixes. It has to be professionally done. I looked into it on the Web by emailing a few chroming companies. If I think of it I'll dig up what I found out. It can be repaired for a reasonable sum.

[dogma420]

<<

This chrome is not reparable with homemade fixes.

>>

Everything is repairable with homemade fixes.

[bpilati]

Whatever melts your butter.

[AChev]

When I got my car the chrome was flaking like you all said. I sat there and scraped all of it off very nicely so there were no reminants. Honestly I didn't think it looked all that bad with the solid blue strip running all the way across.

[dogma420]

I kinda like the blue too...plus I'm too lazy to fix it; so its an easy justification! ;-)

[bob m]

I just spoke with the owner of an upholstery shop for high end restorations, located in Modesto, Ca. They use a foil tape available from auto body supply companies. He cleans the old stuff off with a 3M red scull pad ( tape panel ) and then applier "adhesion promoter" from 3M with a Q tip. then apply the tape ( available in different widths ) Trim with an exacto knife. I am going to try this since I bought the tape.

Also, I dyed my upholstery to freshen up the white since I added new seat covers. Urathane paint with a flex additive as a base and a clear coat as the final. You might consider this if you want to stay with the original color interior.

Bob M

[bpilati]

Let me know how that works out, will you? Thanks.

[ajmcforester]

Look in your local craft or hoby store they may have a crome leafing material that you can use. I've used it on models and another car of mine but not on my Z (didn't need too). THe product isn't hard to use, just make sure you don't get the adheasion material on the stuff you don't want it on, and it uses a heat gun to adhear it. I'd try it on the worst looking panel first, sometimes the japanees parts act funy when doing things like this, I don't know why.