Flat black instead of chrome

[Camar068]

What's ya'll's thoughts on a Black gloss paint job, with all trim/chrome flat black? Maybe a red pin stripe through the side trim. Pic of truck in signature. It's a hunting truck/daily driver, so there's no way I'm spending the money on new bumpers.

Again anything that isn't paint or rubber.....flat black.

Thanks In Advance
'Maro

 

[Camar068]

not installing fender well chrome shown in the sig and not sure about the bed rail covers.

 

[WP29P4A]

Have you ever seen what a gloss black paint job looks like after taking it through bushes, like to go hunting? I am guessing you have not owned a black vehicle? I love the look of a nice gloss black paint on lots of vehicles. I had one ONCE. Black shows everything, looks amazing when clean and fresh. The only way I would ever own another black vehicle is if it was a show car.

Now one of the satin black wrap finishes that they are doing now, would be nice and would not show imperfections like gloss. Just an opinion.

 

[RecklessWOT]

^ This.

My sports cars are black and LOVE the look of black cars, for something fancy that I was proud of I wouldn't pick any other color. But I've had a black truck that I actually used like a truck and it was awful. Swirl marks from driving a street car with a little bit of sand in the breeze or washing it too hard shows in black paint, needs to be buffed/polished regularly to keep it looking nice. Using it like a truck even lightly just DESTROYS the finish.

If it's gonna be a beater truck for hunting you might as well just leave it whatever color it is, or paint the whole thing flat black if you feel so inclined. Also I don't see any truck in your sig so I have no frame of reference, but unless the thing is whooped I'd leave it alone. You say you can't afford new bumpers, but unless they're rusted to sh!t and banged up real bad up (like you're thinking of putting bondo on them) I can guarantee it will look better however it is now than with some peeling flat black spray painted over it. IME it's damn hard to get paint to stick to chrome even if you scuff it up.

I've bought a couple vehicles where someone painted the chrome trim black and it looked freaking awful both times. Took most of it off with a pressure washer because it was already starting to fall off, and then I was just left with cloudy scuffed up chrome with little black bits of paint left behind in the creases.

Especially the door handles and mirrors, any paint there wouldn't stay decent looking for a month I bet. Some scratches and dings in chrome doesn't look the best, but it looks a heck of a lot better than someone who shot black paint over said chrome. If you could find someone selling black plastic trim it might look cool, but just slapping paint over the chrome will not look nearly as good as you imagine, I promise. Blacking out the grille and wheels looks decent sometimes, but that's about it as far as see it. The 89-91 Burbs and Blazers and Crew Cabs bad black side trim, but it was a totally different style and in my opinion it didn't ever look too great even when fairlynew. These trucks were designed with chrome trim in mind, that's why black still just isn't an option even aftermarket.

Do whatever makes you happy, but from my own personal experience I would have to say don't do it.

 

[Camar068]

am I the only one that can see a black/gold truck on the left side of the screen above my name on all my posts?

prior to painting anything that was chrome...the chrome would be removed before painting.

 

[bucket]

I can see it.

Nothing wrong with black paint on a truck. If it gets some pinstriping by Mother nature, who cares. It's a truck after all.

Might I suggest satin black for the trim? Flat black has a tendency to be fuzzy and blotchy looking. Satin black trim with red accents was a trendy thing to do in the 80's and I'm still a fan of it.

 

[Grumpy]

Many of us here are old enough that if you actually remove perfectly good chrome, our general reaction would be identical to a cat if you put a leash on it.

 

[RecklessWOT]

am I the only one that can see a black/gold truck on the left side of the screen above my name on all my posts?

prior to painting anything that was chrome...the chrome would be removed before painting.

Oh sorry. I can see your avatar picture, but it's really small. When you said a picture in your signature I thought you meant a big picture down the bottom of every post you make like some people have.

From here it doesn't look bad the way it is. Maybe if it wasn't like a 1"x1" photo it would reveal more detail, but I don't see an awful truck in need of paint.

But either way, yeah removing the chrome alltogether would certainly make the paint stick better. Personally I wouldn't do it, but if you were to that would be the proper way to go about it.

 

[Grit dog]

So you're going for the murdered look. Can't say I don't like that style in general, since I have a jacked up Ram truck that is ALL black except for the red in the Cummins logo and the silver radio antenna!
On a squarebody I think it would look like sh*t and then it would really look like sh*t once it started peeling off of any of the chrome surfaces, or even chips and scratches prior to it peeling, if the paint stayed on the chrome long enough. (Don't take this the wrong way, but I recall you saying this is a quick job not a professional resto, so the amount of effort to turn everything silver on the truck to black PROPERLY is probably beyond the level of effort and $ you're planning.)
On the upside the actual chrome on these trucks is good old school chrome. (The belt-line trim is disposable plastic, but the rest, is quality stuff)
If it's going to be all black paint, you don't need the beltline trim anyway if you're just going to spray bomb it black.
The only things you legitimately want or need to leave on the truck are chrome or brushed Al are the bumpers, grille, door handles and mirrors and rain gutters. That's not alot of chrome.
JMO.
1 thumb down for looks
1 thumb down for practicality

However I do like the thought of a black truck! Especially if that was the original color. Since you're keepin it real and it's going to live a real truck's life, I'd go single stage paint, so removing scratches and repairing anything is simpler and easier to doo.

 

[CRM]

Being in my 67th year of life, I will always vote for chrome over black.

 

[nvrenuf]

You asked for opinions so I say don't do it. The lifeless black on black on black on black "murdered out" look has been done by everyone to billions of trucks and (I hope) is played out. Lately it seems like the retro look is coming back, original type paint schemes with white aftermarket wheels or stock wheels with hub caps is catching on and I think it's it's refreshing.

 

[dvdswan]

I've never been a fan of the whole one color vehicle. Don't get me wrong it is a cool look (on some vehicles).

I just wouldn't own one. The reason is I want people to see the vehicle's beauty through the body lines and the offsets of the body lines.

 

[85K304SPD]

The black out grille and bumper looks good to me . I dont know how it would work on the trim and mirrors.

 

[FREDDY GONZALEZ]

@Camar068 This is my 1990 GMC Suburban and it’s Blacked out with Raptor Liner I left plenty of chrome after all it’s a classic and all classics need chrome it makes it stand out. I even blacked out the emblems on the sides and tailgate with regular Black paint. It’s up to you it’s your truck.

 

[scrap--metal]

IME it's damn hard to get paint to stick to chrome even if you scuff it up.

^ This is very true!

The permanent solution is powder coating. Unfortunately, powder coating costs more than a rattle can and I understand not investing big bucks ( ) in a hunting rig. Ammo is expensive these days and licenses aren't getting any cheaper either.